Valentines without Candy for Baby and Toddlers

Inexpensive Alternatives to Sweets and Sugar for Kids on February 14

Jan 20, 2009

There are many good sugar-free Valentine's Day gift choices for babies, toddlers, and children. With some simple ideas and tips, one can find fun heart toys for kids.

Babies don’t really know anything about Valentine’s Day, but Moms and Dads still want to spoil their tiny sweethearts for the holiday. Many, however, do not want to spoil their kids' teeth.

“It is recommended by dietitians that you serve your baby no more than 1-2 teaspoons of sugar in the day. A high sugar intake may make your baby cranky and irritated when the sugar level in her body drops after a few hours of eating sweets.” [BabyCenter India Online, March 2008]

Even toddlers may be able to avoid sugar. According to a BabyCentre UK online article, Caring for Your Toddler's Teeth [May 2008], “If you do not eat sweets yourselves and your child has few older friends, you may be able to prevent him from meeting a sweet until around the second birthday. It is probably worth trying.”

One can find plenty of very fun and cute Valentine presents available for young children. With just a bit of searching in stores and online, adults can easily find special no-candy treats for their little sweethearts. Following are just a few of the very nice and inexpensive heart toys and Valentine’s Day goodies available for baby and all those little cupids.

Valentine Gift Idea for Baby

Families with babies 6 months and up may enjoy the Little Heart Clutching Toy from Haba. This soft, fuzzy heart-shaped toy is designed for cuddling and developing early motor skills. The heart is filled with granulate and surrounded by crinkly stuffing for texture and fun with sound. The outer texture is suitable for baby to “bite,” soothing the sore gums of teething.

The Little Heart Clutching Toy is designed in Germany and sells for $6.49 at Oompa Toys online.

Valentine’s Day Toys for Kids Ages 3 and Up

For children ages 3 and up, Tatiri offers a bouncy rubber 5" Hearts Play Ball covered with Valentine heart shapes. Bright and colorful, this little gift is sweet, simple and just the right size for small hands.

Available at Target Stores, the pink Valentine's Day Owl Wash Mitt is quite cute, useful, and fun. It is made of 100 percent cotton (exclusive of decoration) and could double as a puppet when dry.

The pink Owl Wash Cloth is made for ages 3 years and up and sells for a reasonable $3.99.

The super popular Webkinz offer a cute Limited Edition "Love Frog" for Valentine's Day. With a high rating on Amazon online, this heart-covered frog is a gift children are sure to enjoy.

The Floating Blinking Love Duck is a fun toy for kids to play with in the pool or bath. At about 3”, this cute rubber ducky is spotted with red hearts all over. Parents may just want one of their own, as this funny duck blinks when it hits the water.

Little Kids Won't Miss Candy

It can be a lot of fun to think “outside the candy box” and look for sweet non-sweets for your little Valentine. These are just a few of the many options out there, so why not spend a little time in the toy aisle and pick a Valentine gift that will last longer than a couple of chomps.

The copyright of the article Valentines without Candy for Baby and Toddlers in Kids' Toys is owned by Janienne Jennrich. Permission to republish Valentines without Candy for Baby and Toddlers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.