Puppy love is an adorable, although rare, phenomena among kids. Even if children find the opposite sex to be full of cooties, everyone loves a sweet Valentine’s day party. With the Valentine’s day theme comes tasty morsels that can be enjoyed at every age. Valentine’s day offers the perfect opportunity to celebrate the love in your little one’s life, whether it’s the girl in his class, his best bud or good old mom. Serve up some snacks with a plateful of love.
Age
Like at many holidays, candy is a popular snack on Valentine’s day. Limit the amount of hard candies you serve at your kids’ Valentine party. According to a 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet, 19 percent of choking emergencies among those under age 14 is related to candy. Choose soft candies, like gummies or chocolates, for candy treats at the party. Otherwise, look for alternative sweets like ice cream or pastries.
Battle of the Sexes
Little princesses might love a party full of hearts and little flying angels, but boys may object to lace and frill. If you have a coed party, you can choose a separate theme, such as an ocean or animal theme, and use simple hearts to tie in Valentine’s day. Make foods that those animals “love” to eat, such as meats or fruit mixes. Alternatively, you could focus on the paraphernalia of Valentine’s day, such as flowers. Boys and girls alike can enjoy a garden theme. Use fresh herbs or edible flowers in your snacks.
Colors
The hues you choose for your party can help to emphasize the Valentine’s theme. Shades of pink and red are traditional options. You can find these naturally in fruits, vegetables such as radishes, lunch meats and tomato sauces. For a neutral color to match, use white, like cauliflower or bananas. White meals are the perfect items to dye with food coloring. Drop red or purple food coloring into milk or cream sauces for pasta for a festive meal.
Courses
Make your Valentine’s party a multi-course meal. For an appetizer, top crackers or celery with peanut butter and dot them with raisins, calling them “love bugs.” Use a paring knife to carve little pieces of cheese, meat or fruit into heart shapes for salads. Cut sandwiches with heart-shaped cookie cutters. You can even make a large heart-shaped pizza or place the pepperoni in a heart shape.
Considerations
Even your sweets don’t need to be too sugary. Limit the amount of sugar your kids are getting by using naturally sweet ingredients. Serve pink strawberry smoothies instead of punch. Hand out dried or fresh berries instead of candies. Add a little cake, sorbet or chocolate to the berries for a simple dessert.
Photo Credit
- valentine”s day breakfast image by Ekaterina Fribus from Fotolia.com
