Valentine’s Day Favorites
I love these little holidays because who doesn’t like something to celebrate? But, with Christmas just a few weeks ago, there is no need to go overboard! Here are some fun, functional, and LOW COST items for Valentine’s Day for your little one (and some fun stuff for you too at the end!) Perfect time to grab a teether, a cup, or a new developmental toy if your little one is nearing their next milestone. Check out the lists below and make sure to read how I would use each item, too!
The best first teether for your little one! Easy to grasp, doesn’t go too far back in the mouth, easy to wash (hello top rack dishwasher), and it has bristles to lightly introduce some texture. Start offering around 3 months of age to support oral and sensory development!
This 4-pack of teethers is a great bang for your buck! Each one of these has a different sensory component (bumpy, bristly, etc), so this is a great combination of teethers. Use the included finger brush as a toothbrush BEFORE your little one pops their first tooth. It gets them comfortable with bristles in the mouth and helps you establish a brushing routine, too.
The O-Ball is a classic gift for a little one under 6 months. It supports grasping (a skill we expect to emerge between 3-4 months of age and refine closer to 6 months), and it’s colorful design is great for a little one’s eyesight. For just a few bucks, it’s a great toy!
The Munch Mitt is a cute little teether that goes on baby’s hand like a glove. For little ones who are sticking their hands in their mouth but aren’t yet able to grasp a teether, this is a great choice! Later on they can just hold it like a regular teether too for continued used. I recommend introducing around 8-10 weeks when you’re noticing baby putting their hands in their mouth and that behavior is no longer just a feeding cue! Putting hands in their mouth is good too, but mixing it up with different textures is beneficial!
This Rainbow Fish toy/book combination is my FAVORITE first toy for baby. They get the sensory experience from the crinkly scales, the benefits of book reading as there are pictures under each scale flap, it has a teether on one end, it’s brightly colored and big… it has it all! Beneficial for littles 0-6 months, and my toddler still plays with it to find the animals under the flaps!
This Pineapple Rattle is actually a toy and teether all in one! It has little bumpy leaves that can provide texture and input orally, and it’s easy to grasp. It makes noise when you shake it, and its motivating for baby to hold and play with! I like to introduce around 3 months when baby’s grasping skills are starting to come in.
These Tiny Spoons are a great option for baby’s first bites! They have a nice short and stubby handle that makes them great for self-feeding, and the bowl of the spoon is nice and flat, making it easy for baby to get the puree off. Baby can also use these as teethers before solids so they are comfortable with them and practicing bringing them to their mouth!
This is my favorite cup of all time! It teaches baby how to drink from a straw because you can plug the little hole in the lid with your finger and squeeze the cup to push the liquid up. It has a straw stopper so baby can’t pull the straw out and it’s super easy to clean. Introduce around 6 months of age and use well into toddlerhood!
This is a perfect sized cup for teaching open cup drinking! Little hands can hold it and it has a nice weight to the bottom. My favorite trick to teach parents is to fill it to the brim with a familiar PUREE that they have eaten on a spoon, and bring it to baby’s lips so they immediately get a taste of what is inside! And you don’t have to tilt it too much to give them some. Over time you can add some water to it so it’s not so thick and you work towards drinking plain water, but that skill takes time and isn’t expected to be done independently until 18 months. So starting at 6 months gives baby plenty of time to practice!
This silicone fork and spoon set is great for a little one approaching their first birthday. We expect piercing of foods to begin with support around 12-15 months, and a silicone fork is recommended first so baby doesn’t chomp on stainless steel and hurt their teeth!
This silicone “spaceship” as I call it is a toy and teether all in one. The silicone strings have bumpy textures on the ends that provide some texture, and they are easy to hold and mouth! This is a great toy to keep hands busy in a restaurant or in the car, too! I recommend for 6 months +!
This “octopus” teether is my all-time favorite teether! It is easy to hold and has finger-like stubs that are great for baby to chomp on, without them going too far back to constantly gag! I recommend introducing this one around 4-5 months of age and continue to offer in play as baby nears 1.
These stainless steel forks and spoons are great for transitioning off of using silicone utensils. They are still short and easy to self-feed, but are better for piercing harder foods that your toddler is likely starting to eat more of! I like to pack these for outings too so my toddler feels comfortable eating and can self-feed easily. Using big restaurant utensils is hard for little hands!
This is my new favorite stainless steel and silicone cup for older toddlers! The cap twists to close making it spill proof and the design is easy to clean. It requires some good fine motor skills for littles to open and close by themselves so it’s best for about 2.5 years and older. It’s also 12 ounces so a good cup for toddlers and preschoolers who drink lots of water throughout the day! Sometimes the smaller bottles just aren’t enough.
These Pop Tubes are always such a hit with little ones and they are super cost effective! They make the funniest sounds, you can blow through them, make a long train of them, focus on functional words like “push, pull, go, stop, again, all done, more.” The best toys don’t have to cost much!
This snack spinner is so much fun for travel and even for daily use! It’s a great way to offer choices for your toddler and take foods on the go. If your little one is in a food rut, try to spice it up with a snack spinner- a little change can really help!
This little Melissa + Doug cupcake play set is so cute for Valentine’s Day! It’s a great pretend play staple- you can bring it out for any celebration and act out singing a celebration song or Happy Birthday!
This cup with handles is one of my favorites for littles weaning off the bottle! It doesn’t have a valve, which makes it great for oral motor development, but it can close and the straw folds over, making it a great travel cup. The handles pop off too, and it can fit in a bag for on-the-go!
These bath crayons have totally changed up bath time for us! Our toddler is not a fan of water on his face and hair, so distraction can sometimes be the name of the game. Now he gets very excited for bath time and “coloring.” Just wipe off with a wet towel and the crayon goes away! Recommended for littles closer to 2 years of age and older.
This silicone Bento Box is great for on the go, and it’s super cute! Great to send to daycare or just pack on a day out. Better yet- have your little one help you pack it so they get some experience with food prep, and they are more likely to pack what they eat themselves!
These block puzzles are a great bang for your buck! They are a step up from the traditional knob puzzles but are still easy to use and help with visual-spacial skills!
The Elk and Friends Cups are great for toddlers! Milk, smoothie, water- whatever! The 4 pack of cups is very cost-effective and they last for years since they are made from high quality stainless steel and silicone. It comes with a lid for a straw AND and sealable travel-type lid! Plus, your toddler can’t take the straw out because of the straw stopper and it’s super hygienic and easy to clean!
This toddler cutting set is such a cute gift, and a functional one too! Include your little one in the kitchen prep. Let them cut up fruit for a smoothie or parfait bowl, or let them slice some tomatoes for a sandwich! Little ones eat more and try more foods when they have exposure to them OUTSIDE of meals. So, food prep as much as you can!
Where is Baby’s Valentine: This is SUCH a cute flap book. It’s short and sweet and keeps baby entertained as they look for the Valentine heart all over the place. Perfect for 6 months and older! My toddler still loves this book and asks to read it when it’s out.
Love from Llama Llama: The Llama Llama books are great for collecting across the holidays! Then when baby sees the llamas, they will be familiar to them, and we all know that repetition is key for learning! Plus, “llama” is a great word to model as it’s easy to say. Your little one may imitate “mama” or “lala/wawa” when trying to interact with you! This book is perfect for little one approaching their first birthday and beyond.
LOVE from The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Another great book for the Hungry Caterpillar collection! Vibrant colors with minimal wording make this book great from a speech-language standpoint. Point out what you see on the page and prompt your little one to turn the pages with you. Perfect for 6 months +.
You’re My Little Cuddle Bug: This book is part of a larger set of books, as well. With textured pictures that prompt baby to touch and feel, they are great to sit and read. The pages can be a little wordy sometimes, so make it short and sweet for your baby and young toddler, and start reading the entire page around 18 months +.
Little Blue Truck’s Valentine: If your toddler is a Little Blue Truck fan, this one is for you! Pages are beautifully illustrated, but can be wordy. So, make sure your little one has the attention span to sit through this book! Perfect for around 18 months +.
I Love You, Spot: The perfect simple flap book for Valentine’s Day! It’s short and sweet and flaps are big so little hands don’t have difficulty looking behind them! Perfect for 6 months +.
Llama, Llama I Love You: Another Valentine’s Day option from the Llama Llama collection! Short and sweet with rhyming pages. Your little one can fill in the blank as you read each page. Perfect for 12 months +.
Bananas For You: This book is the CUTEST! It is funny for the adult, rhymes for the little one, and is such a good time to read. Hands down my favorite Valentine’s Day book. Perfect for 12 months +.
I Love You, Little Pookie: Little Pookie books are very cute for toddlers. They are silly, and a little on the longer and wordier side, so make sure your little one can sit for a book before opening! No touch and feel or flaps, but toddlers 18 months + will get a kick out of the silliness.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse: If your little one loves Give a Mouse a Cookie, this book will be a great addition to the collection! Also a little wordy for infants, this is better suited for toddlers. Look out for these books across the holidays and you can make a whole set!
My Dad Loves Me: I bought this book for Eric when we found out we were pregnant with Paul. It is a very cute book that details how dads show love (hugging, helping, washing, etc). Excellent book for verbs and speaking about daily routines. Perfect to start reading around 6-9 months and into toddlerhood.
ABCs of Love: We have the other book, too, called ABCs of Kindness, and it’s very cute! It focuses a bit on the letters and it’s a little long, so it’s likely better for 18-24 months +. The sentiment behind the book is very cute and it teaches all the ways people can show love to one another.
These are the cutest cotton jammies! They are nursing friendly and have the perfect fit. The patterns are so pretty. I always say that if you’re not sleeping through the night at least you can look cute! Plus, these are almost always on sale!
These reusable silicone bags are fun and functional for moms on the go! A practical gift is always a good gift, so can’t go wrong with it! Plus, they wash super well and are very durable.
This six pack of coffee mugs is such a great bang for buck and they are BEAUTIFUL. Glass mugs are my favorite to drink from, and I pull these bad boys out after a hard night to cheer myself up. You can keep for yourself, put on display, or split them up and gift to others!
The Stanley Cup, need I say more? The prices on these have finally leveled out and you can buy a Stanley cup for $45 in various colors on Amazon. It’s just a cup in my opinion, but it holds a lot of water and it’s pretty. So, if that helps you drink more water, why not have a cute cup?
The Lululemon Belt Bag, it’s chic and functional! I have two myself, and they are my most reached for bag on the go (I still bring a diaper bag, but when I don’t have pockets, this is nice to have!) It’s cute, well made, the perfect size and it comes in so many colors!
Silicone Straws, another low cost fun and functional gift that we can always use. Pair with a tumbler, or with the Stasher bag, and you’ve given someone a great fun + functional gift.
These LLBean slippers are 100% worth the HYPE! I have had mine for several years and I love wearing them. They have a nice supportive sole and are super well made. A great Valentine’s gift if you want to drop a hint to someone.
The goatmilk body cream is one of my favorite skin care items! After an “everything shower” this will make your skin feel so smooth and hydrated. A little goes a long way, so the jar lasts a long time!
The 6 pack of hair clips are the perfect gift for a friend (or even yourself). Priced great and they come in a variety of colors, this is something I personally grab every day!
If you have been wanting to establish a good skin care routine and not break the bank, Dime Beauty is the answer! I have been using for several months and I love how their products are clean, EWG rated super well, priced well and last a long time! My code EATPLAYSAY saves 20% and is always stackable on their sales! The Works is my favorite starter kit to establish an easy and fast skincare routine for day and night!
These gold-filled bracelets never leave my wrist. Shower, pool, mealtime with a baby (IYKYK), and they look just as good as the day I put them on! I love the name bracelets, the paperclip chain, the smiley faces, and more! They will last forever and make the perfect gift!
That’s It Bars are some of my favorite all fruit bars! They are a little harder in texture, so if giving to your little one, make sure that they have decent chewing skills (12 months +). I love them when I am craving a sweet treat, but don’t want to go for junk. This satisfies the taste buds while being nutrient dense!
Apple Chips bring together crunch and sweetness. Plus they melt a little on the tongue, making them a good texture for new chewers, too! (10 months + since they take a little time to dissolve in the mouth). Switching out gummy worms or other processed sweet snacks for these is a good way to give your taste buds sweetness and some vitamins and minerals too!
Back to Human chocolate is MOUTH WATERING GOOD. The Vanilla Crunch, Hazelnut Butter, Cashew Butter, and Almond Butter are my fave! They are made with organic ingredients that are allergy friendly (no soy, gluten) and have NO refined sugar or seed oils. And they actually taste GOOD.
Unreal Coconut Chocolates are my weakness. Made with organic dark chocolate and coconut, these contain minimal ingredients and pack a lot of sweet taste. Swapping out your other chocolates with additives for these will be an easy switch because they taste so good.
Solely gummies taste like Gushers but BETTER. They actually have a better texture, no food dyes and are just fruits! Easy to offer to your toddler when they ask for a bite (just make sure you offer a teeny piece as the round shape is a choking risk for kids under 5). I like to buy and eat myself, hiding them in the back of the pantry!
Simple Mills makes cookie crackers that taste like a better version of graham crackers and Oreos. Gluten free and made with no additives or artificial flavors, these are a great swap for traditional cookies and crackers!
Skout Organic Cookies are so good! My favorite is the peanut butter, because it tastes like a homemade peanut butter cookie. The other cookies also taste really good. I love that they are made with coconut sugar instead of refined sugar, and they come in little packs which make them easy to travel with!
If you just want to snack on pure chocolate, these Enjoy Life Mega Chunks are a great bang for your buck! Meant for baking (but you obviously can just crack open the bag and go in), they are sweet to the taste. I like to dip them in peanut butter and make my own Reese’s cup! No additives and allergy friendly, these are a great chocolate swap.
Skout Organic Kids Snack Bars are my favorite for my kids (and for me too, I steal QUITE a few!). Made with 7 ingredients or less, sweetened with dates, and contain no added sugar, these organic snack bars are excellent! Plus the price point is great, you can get a variety pack or just buy single flavors in a pack!
Hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day and it’s filled with lots of love! - xo, J
