Best Allergy-Friendly Valentine’s Day Ideas for Kids
January 30, 2020
If you have a child with allergies, dealing with classroom holiday parties can be a bit of a challenge. Many times the food and drinks that are served at class parties aren’t things that your child can safely eat. And, while you can send in allergy-friendly Valentine’s Day treats for your child, they want to be able to eat what everyone else in their class is enjoying.
When my daughter was in school, we tried to send in treats that were both gluten and lactose-free so that she could enjoy them. And, even if the other kids didn’t have allergies, we sent in extra for everyone in the class. Most schools are already nut-free since that is such a common allergy. To be safe, you should never send in treats with nuts since simply breathing them in can cause a severe allergic reaction in some people.
Of course, not all classrooms allow parents to send in food treats for parties for just this reason. It’s too difficult to take into account everyone’s food allergies and intolerances. Often the best thing that you can do is to clearly label any treat you bring in with the ingredients. Then, the child and teacher will be informed and can make their own choice. You might want to consider a few of these allergy-friendly treats.
- Fruit platter (cut the watermelon pieces into heart shapes)
- Chocolate covered strawberries
- Pez and Dispensers (free of top 8 allergens)
- Yum Earth Organic Pops (free of top 8 allergens)
- Mike and Ike candies (free of top 8 allergens)
- Surf Sweets Organic Fruity Hearts (free of top 8 allergens)
If you plan on sending in Valentine’s Day cards, consider not sending candy or a food treat along with them. There are many other types of treats you can attach to your Valentine’s Day card. Here are just a few!
- Be Silly – Silly String Valentine’s Day Card
- You Light Up My Life – Glow Stick Valentine
- Kinetic Sand Valentine
- Maze Toy – You Amaze Me Valentine
- Rub on Tattoos
- Stickers
- Pencils with cute erasers
- Friendship bracelets
- Gluten-free play dough (Play-Doh brand contains gluten)
Of course, there is no reason you can’t send in a few different types of Valentine’s Day treats for the class. Most children are aware of their allergies or intolerances. And, the teacher should certainly know who in their class has an allergy. Sending in two or three different types of treats allows options for those kids with allergies. Just make sure that everything you send in is clearly labeled.
