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The Best Valentine's Day Gifts for Kids in 2023

Spread love to the kiddos in your life this Valentine's Day.

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robins-image
Robin Mosley Former CNET writer
Robin Mosley (she/her) formerly wrote commerce deals for CNET about beauty, fashion and other essential gear. Before that, she freelanced for Healthline, Simply Recipes and Nerd Street. She is a Chicago native living on the East Coast who is a fan of all things beauty, food, gaming and tech. When she isn't writing, she's at a restaurant, shopping online or making YouTube gaming videos.
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Desiree DeNunzio Editor
Desiree DeNunzio is the gift guide editor for CNET's Commerce team. When she's not writing and editing, she's either hiking through the redwoods or curled up with a good book and a lazy dog.
Expertise Desiree has been a writer and editor for the past two decades, covering everything from top-selling Amazon deals to apparel, pets and home goods. Credentials
  • Desiree's previous work has appeared in various print and online publications including Search Engine Land, PCWorld, Wired magazine and PBS MediaShift.
Robin Mosley
Desiree DeNunzio
2 min read
$7 at Lush
lush-bath-bomb
Love Bug Bath Bomb
$13 at The Paper Store
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Spunky Hedgehog With Heart Plushie
$15 at Dylan's Candy Bar
dylans-candy-bar
Dylan's Candy Bar Valentine Variety Tackle Box
$11 at Amazon
little blue truck book
Little Blue Truck's Valentine book
$11 at Amazon
$45 at Maisonette
love-the-hungry-caterpillar
Love from The Very Hungry Caterpillar magna-tiles structures
$8 at Amazon
melissa-and-doug
Melissa & Doug butterfly and heart wooden stamp
$8 at Amazon
$8 at NorproWebstore
heart pancakes
Norpro Silicone Heart Pancake Rings
$38 at Amazon
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Lego BrickHeadz Valentine's Bee
$38 at Amazon
$19 at Amazon
stringlight
Creativity for Kids string art heart light
$6 at Target
munchkin-bath-crayons
Munchkin bath crayons
$5 at Target
laugh-out-loud
Laugh-Out-Loud Valentine's Day jokes for kids

Sure, Valentine's Day is traditionally considered to be a romantic holiday for couples, but it's also a great time to surprise your kids with a fun Valentine's Day gift. And the good news is that you don't have to drop a ton of dough to make Valentine's Day special for your kids. Sweet treats and little surprises are always appreciated and will go a long way toward making the holiday extra meaningful. 

Below, you'll find our favorite picks of small, affordable Valentine's Day gifts for kids. If you want to get some quality time in with your kiddos, we've included fun crafts and games. Or how about some kid-friendly baking tools or a Valentine's-themed Lego set? Any of these gift ideas will score you major points with your kids on Feb 14. 

While you're searching for a Valentine's Day gift for the kid in your life, don't forget to check out the best Valentine's Day gifts for other people you care about, too.

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Amazon

Chocolate Pen

If you've got a junior chef in your home, consider buying this easy-to-use tool for decorating cakes, cookies and other treats. The Chocolate Pen is easy to use and delicious, delicious fun. Kids can choose from various colors and draw all sorts of words and designs. It also comes with 40 molds to create hearts, stars, sea creatures and more. A warming tray keeps chocolate gooey as the battery-powered pen refills itself by sucking up the sweet stuff into the cartridge. Draw, eat, repeat.

What kid doesn't love bath bombs? This citrusy bath bomb from Lush is a blend of Sicilian lemon, rose and sweet orange. But the best part is that when it dissolves, you're surrounded by psychedelic, shimmery swirls of color. Seriously groovy.

For some kids, stuffies bring pure joy. At 5 inches tall, this adorable hedgehog is tiny, but it's a little fuzz ball of huggable bliss. It's also just the right size to pop into a backpack if you want to make your kid's day when they get to school on Valentine's morning.

Chocolate is nice, but a whole box full of a variety of sweet treats is even better. Dylan's Candy Bar Tackle Box will give any sweet tooth a sugar rush with its gummy hearts, cotton candy sours, chocolate-covered marshmallows and more. 

little blue truck book
Amazon

Little Blue Truck's Valentine book

If you don't want to give your little ones candy, this book is a great alternative. Kids love the Little Blue Truck series by Alice Schertle. This Valentine's version has colorful illustrations and a different animal on each page with textured foil Valentine's cards that kids can touch -- perfect for early readers or for reading aloud to toddlers.

Magna-Tiles are simply the best. It's no wonder so many parents rave about them. Kids can build all sorts of structures out of these engaging magnetic tiles, which means hours of creative play rather than staring at a screen. This Very Hungry Caterpillar set comes in a heart-shaped box and is composed of 16 tiles: nine tiny squares, four quarter rounds, two right-angle triangles and one huge square. In addition to the beloved Eric Carle caterpillar, these shapes can also spell out "I love you."

melissa-and-doug
Amazon

Melissa & Doug butterfly and heart wooden stamp

This would be a great gift for a kid who enjoys making cards for everyone. With eight wooden stamps and a stamp pad, they'll have lots of options to create art and crafts at their own pace.

Kick-off their Valentine's morning the right way with heart-shaped pancakes! These nonstick silicone molds are easy to use, and the pancakes come out perfectly shaped. Bonus: You can also use them for making heart-shaped eggs.

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Amazon

Lego BrickHeadz Valentine's Bee

Although the Lego BrickHeadz Valentine's Bee is recommended for children above the age of 10, younger kids can enjoy it too if you're there to supervise. This bee contains 140 parts, is 3 inches tall and can serve as a sweet reminder of how much you love your kiddo.

Here's another handmade present: This string art is best suited for children aged 8 and up. What makes this string art light so appealing? Well, not only is it shaped like a heart, but it also glows in the dark. This Valentine-themed art project makes one pink lantern and is perfect to do together.

We've all seen how kids like using markers, crayons and other writing tools on walls. But now you can redirect those creative instincts by getting bath crayons and let them go wild, creating shapes and drawings that express their artistic side while bathing. And don't worry, these doodles are easy to remove. 

Games are a great way to spend more quality time with your child and get them away from the screen. This game is simply a heart-shaped version of the classic Connect Four. It's deceptively easy for anyone to play and lots of fun for kids and adults alike.

A joke book is one of the greatest Valentine's Day presents you can offer a child, since some kids express their love by making people laugh. This Valentine's Day edition jokes for kids book contains 144 pages of jokes that will keep the kid comic in your life laughing.

It's awesome to see children produce artwork from their imaginations, but seeing it translated to 3D form is even better. If you have a creative child who also enjoys stuffed animals, consider gifting them a Budsies stuffed animal that brings their drawings to life. It's a bit on the pricey side, but well worth the cost.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.