Easy Valentine’s Day Recipes and Activities for Babies and Kids

Valentine’s Day is a great time to try a fun, festive activity or recipe with your little ones! The recipes below don’t have added sugar or salt, which make them ideal for babies! 

Included in this post are SEVEN baby-friendly Valentines day recipes and SIX Valentines day activities for kids and babies. Read on to see the many ways you can include your babies and kids in Valentines day activities!

Valentine’s Day Recipes for Babies and Kids

1. Heart-Shaped Pancakes

This Valentine’s Day pancake recipe for babies and kids is the perfect breakfast for the special day!

Appropriate for baby led weaning ages: 6 months +

Ingredients:

• 1 free range egg
• ½ cup  flour
• ½ cup breast milk or formula or any other milk
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• A pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Supplies:

• Stainless steel heart-shaped cutters
• Pancake griddle or skillet 

Steps:

1. Mash the banana with a fork. Mix the egg, vanilla, milk, and cinnamon into the mashed banana.
2. Add the flour and mix until combined. 
3. Heat a skillet on medium heat or use a pancake griddle and lightly grease it with butter.
4. Place the stainless steel cutter on the skillet and pour in the batter.
5. Cook until bubbles form, then flip and cook until golden.

Yields: About 6-8 small pancakes

Tip: Bananas add natural sweetness, flavor, and fiber. 

2. Heart-Shaped Yogurt Bark 

I love this supper quick and easy snack for babies and toddlers. Let your toddler help you spread the yogurt and sprinkle on toppings!

Appropriate for ages: 6 months + (as long as fruit is cut safely and easily squished for babies under 1 year)

Yields: About 12-15 pieces 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt
• Sliced strawberries, raspberries, flattened blueberries, sliced bananas or other baby-safe fruit
• Nut or seed butters (peanut, almond, cashew, sunbutter)
• Hemp seeds and chia seeds

Supplies:

• Mini heart-shaped cookie cutter
• Baking tray
• Parchment paper
• Rubber scrapper

Steps:

1. Spread yogurt on a parchment-lined tray with a rubber scrapper. 
2. Arrange fruit on yogurt, drizzle seed or nut butter, and sprinkle hemp and/or chia seeds and freeze for at least 2 hours. 
3. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters or other cookie cutters to create shapes. 
4. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week in the freezer.

Tip: Yogurt provides calcium, protein, fats, and probiotics for growing babies and kids! Fruit adds vitamin C while the nut and seed butters and sprinkled chia and hemp seeds contribute healthy fats.

3. Simple Sweet Potato Hearts Recipe for Babies and Kids

These sweet potato hearts are a perfect addition to your baby’s Valentine’s meal! They are loaded with nutrients and are great for introducing new spices like cinnamon, garlic and onion powder, and cumin. View the full Simple Sweet Potato Hearts Recipe for Babies and Kids at the link.

Appropriate for ages: 6 months + (as long as fruit is cut safely and easily squished for babies under 1 year)

Yields: About 10-12 pieces of sweet potato (depends what size heart cutter you use)

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato
• Olive oil
• (optional) Spices and herbs (cinnamon, cumin, paprika, garlic, or onion powder)

Supplies:

• Heart cookie cutters (metal work best)
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Slice the sweet potato into 1/4-inch rounds.
3. Use cutters to create heart shapes.
4. Toss pieces in olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Tip: Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A and fiber. Sweet potatoes offer a great “vehicle” to introduce many different spices and herbs to your baby. The more flavors your baby is exposed to early on can help reduce pickiness. 

4. Pink Beet Hummus Dip

This colorful dip makes a perfect pair with heart-shaped veggies for toddlers or heart-shaped toast for babies on Valentine’s day!

Appropriate for ages: 

• For 6 months +: the hummus is appropriate on it’s own, with veggies cooked and easily squished, or spread on lightly toasted “toast fingers” 
• For 2 years +: you can serve the hummus with raw, heart-shaped veggies like peppers or cucumbers. Never serve round foods like carrot coins due to increased choking risk.

Ingredients:

• 1 small cooked beet
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Cooked veggies (for 6 months+)
• Raw veggies (for 2 years old +)

Supplies:

• Blender or food processor
• Heart cookie cutters
• Veggies like cucumbers and bell peppers

Steps:

1. Peel the beet, slice into quarters, and boil until soft. 
2. Blend the beet, chickpeas, tahini, oil, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin until smooth.
3. Slice veggies and cut into heart shapes.
4. Serve the dip with veggie hearts or spread onto lightly toasted bread for babies.

Tip: Beets add a pretty pink color and lots of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Chickpeas provide protein and fiber. This hummus is another great way to introduce new foods like beets and chickpeas in a different form to babies and kids.

5. Banana-Apple Oat Valentine Cookies

These cookies are naturally sweet and soft—perfect for babies and perfect for Valentines day too! View the full Easy 4 Ingredient Valentine Cookie Recipe for Babies and Kids here.

Appropriate for ages: 6 months + (only use age-appropriate fruit)

Ingredients:

• 1 very ripe banana
• 3/4 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped strawberries or raspberries 
• Melted nut butter as a topping (optional)

Supplies:

• Mini heart-shaped cookie cutter and large heart-shaped cookie cutter
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Utensils

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
2. Mash the banana with a fork in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the oats, unsweetened applesauce, and cinnamon to the bowl. You may fold in the chopped fruit if you’d like now or you can top the cookies with the fruit after baking.
4. Stir well to combine.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Place heart shaped cookie cutters or any other cookie cutters you’d like on the parchment paper. Fill the cookie cutters with the oat cookie batter and lift the cookie cutters straight up to keep the shapes intact. 
7. Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Cookies will stick together better once they are cooled. Enjoy!

Tip: Bananas, oats, and applesauce provide lots of carbohydrates for quick energy and fiber. These cookies are great for snack times!

6. Watermelon Cupid Skewers

A refreshing snack that’s super cute and simple! Toddlers love spearing the fruit and veggies!

Appropriate for ages: 6+ months

Ingredients:

• 1 small watermelon
• 1 cucumber

Supplies:

• Mini heart-shaped cookie cutter
• Wooden skewers

Steps:

1. Slice the watermelon and cucumber into thin rounds.
2. Use the cutter to create heart shapes.
3. Thread watermelon and cucumber onto skewers.
4. Serve fresh!

Tip: Both watermelon and cucumber are hydrating and provide vitamin C. This is a great option for hot days! If you live in the Midwest you may have trouble finding fresh watermelon in February. You can use this recipe during the summer instead or use strawberries instead of watermelon. It makes for a great snack and works well to bring to picnics!

7. Banana-Chia Breakfast Hearts for Babies and Kids

Turn these three simple ingredients into a festive and healthy breakfast for toddlers and babies!

Appropriate for ages: 6+ months

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional for toddlers)

Supplies:

• Heart-shaped silicone molds

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix oats, bananas, and chia seeds in a bowl.
3. Press the mixture into silicone molds.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until firm.

Tip: These are soft and easy to chew, with fiber, potassium, and carbohydrates to energize you and your babies!

Valentine’s Day Activities

Make the day even more fun with these simple activities for babies and kids. Check the appropriate age recommendations below. 

1. DIY Valentine’s Cards

​Appropriate for ages: 2 years+

Use crayons, markers, or paint to decorate homemade cards. Use heart stencils, glue on heart sequins or paper heart cut outs.

2. Edible Cookie Dough Play 

​Appropriate for ages: 6+ months

Mix flour, mashed banana, and breast milk and form into a cookie dough ball. Let your baby or toddler shape it with cookie cutters or simply play with their hands.

3. Edible Yogurt Playdough

​Appropriate for ages: 6+ months

Mix about 6 oz of plain yogurt with about 2 cups of cornstarch. Use heart shaped cookie cutters and a rolling pin to make it Valentines themed. 

4. Sorting Games with Heart Shapes

​Appropriate for ages: 2 years+

Use heart-shaped toys or paper cutouts. Have your child sort by size or color.

5. Valentines Day Sensory Bin

​Appropriate for ages: 2 years+

Fill a bin with red, pink, and white items like pom-poms, felt hearts, heart sequins, and colored rice. Let them explore with spoons, measuring cups, and child-tweezers. 

6. Valentine’s Day Storytime

Appropriate for ages: 0+ months

Read books about Valentines day like The Legend of the First Valentine: A Story of God’s Love and Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day Is Cool. 

Storage Tips

• Use airtight containers to keep food fresh.
• Refrigerate baked treats for 2-3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
• Store yogurt bark in the freezer for up to 1 week to avoid freezer burn.

Final Thoughts

These recipes and activities make Valentine’s Day fun while including some nutritious recipes for your little ones. For more meal and snack ideas for babies, visit the meal ideas for babies page. Happy Valentine’s Day!