Valentine Gifts that Go Beyond Chocolate
Are you looking for something special to gift your kids, a special someone, or just for yourself Valentine’s Day? I pulled together a list of some of my and my family’s favorite items and experiences that would make lovely Valentine gifts.
This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. A SoCal Way of life earns a commission on all qualifying purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Let me start out by saying that I would personally be thrilled to receive just chocolate and a hug for Valentine’s Day. Anything more than that is just icing on the cake. Now, if my hubby failed to give me chocolate on Valentine’s Day? He would have crossed the line and he would be dealing with one very sad lady 😉
I think it’s a fun idea to go a little above and beyond to add some extra magic to Valentine’s Day this year. I mean, poor kids won’t even be able to exchange Valentine’s this year. Of course, gifts do not replace or reflect your love. However, as with all gifts, it’s the thought that counts. My thoughts are currently on bringing a little extra happiness to certain individuals that day.
Here, I share items and experiences that my family has personally enjoyed.
For the littles…
I am covering books, experience, and active fun in this category.
Books they’ll love
There are SO MANY books I can think of, but for the sake of simplicity, I will recommend just 3 here.
-
- The new Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book! Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End is book 15 and the newest of the series. I can tell you that this series ALWAYS flies off of the library shelves. If you know they’d love it, then go for the whole collection!
- The Pigeon Series by Mo Willems. I mean, you can’t go wrong with ANY of the pigeon books. But my personal favorites are, “The Duckling Gets a Cookie?!” and “The Pigeon Needs a Bath!” Now, I don’t know if it was my reading style/voices or the book itself, but I can tell you that kids LOVE IT!
- The Book with No Pictures. It is a clear favorite, I guarantee it!
Experiences
What experience can we possibly have? Luckily, where there’s a will, there’s a way! And honestly, I’d take an experience for Valentine gifts over chocolate any day (especially when you can buy yourself chocolate on the way to the location anyway 😉
**Please contact each location prior to heading out. As you are aware, places open and close frequently depending on the status of the pandemic and county health orders.**
- Drive-Thrus: If you have a dino-lover, I highly suggest you check out Jurassic Quest. Imagine your kid’s face when you tell them Valentine gifts can include dinosaurs! I have a blog post sharing what the experience is like. You can check it out at this link: The Most Dino-Mite Drive-Thru of 2021!
- Another great place for the littles is Irvine Regional Park. There is a railroad, bike rentals, pony rides, and paddle boat rentals. This would make for a great day.
- One of my family’s favorite places to go is Griffith Park. Check out my post about Griffith Park Pony Rides: 10 Parent Tips
For Tweens and Teens
This group is notoriously hard to please, am I right? Here I list a few things that have proved popular in my home and would make great Valentine gifts.
Fashion Valentine gifts
- Personalized name fashion necklace. Does your kid have a nickname? My kids were shocked and overjoyed when I gave each of them a personalized necklace with their nickname on it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by how happy this will make them. Be sure to check the average customer review. I’ll link to some that look promising below.
- Ring sets. Did you know this is a thing now? Both kids asked for these in the past, so I feel confident recommending this.
Active Valentine gifts
- Just Dance 2021 (or any year!). I have gifted this to the kids several years in a row. This gets them up and moving, there’s great music- what’s not to love?
- Roller skates! Can you believe that these are making a comeback? One of the rare things you can thank the pandemic for 😉 There are all sorts of YouTube videos where kids can learn tricks and fun stuff to do on roller skates. I highly recommend starting out with Chicago skates when they are starting out. If your kid has reached expert level, find a local roller skate store so that your kid can test out a good pair. These are a big investment, so I’d say this would be more of a birthday present if you go for the pricey ones.
Video and selfie tools
I don’t think this one requires introduction. If your kid is into taking pictures or making videos, these gifts will be a hit!
- A selfie light. I’m talking about the kind you clip onto your phone. This is for your fun everyday picture taking.
- Selfie Stick with blue tooth and tripod capability. I personally own and love the Atumtek selfie stick I linked below. This item has come in handy for all of those drive-thru experience pictures and daily random shots. I love it because it has a bluetooth enabled remote (I used this to take pictures with my selfie stick at drive thru events- just open the sunroof and click away at everything outside for clear shots). This stick also has a tripod feature built in. Check out the listing for pics that show you what this stick can do 😉
- Ring light. This ring light is compact and great for a novice video maker. I used this before upgrading to a bigger light.
Gifts that appeal to many
I had a hard time deciding where to classify these gift ideas. Some of these are for multiple age groups, so I am throwing them all in here 😉
Harry Potter Fanatics
I know there have to be plenty of these! I have personally purchased the robe and can vouch for it’s awesomeness.
Baby Yoda enthusiast gifts
As a self-proclaimed Baby Yoda lover, I have all of these items and LOVE them! I highly recommend a mint colored iphone, paired with a clear sparkle otterbox case and Baby Yoda grip ring. Does this idea sound oddly specific? That’s because that’s what I have 😀 Cuteness overload!
Book Lovers
I HIGHLY recommend a Kindle Paperwhite (NOT Kindle Fire) for people that like the classic book reading experience. Here’s why:
- The Kindle Paper White does not have a glare and is super light. I speak from experience as someone that read from a Kindle Fire and found that my wrists would hurt after a long reading session due to the weight of the Kindle.
- It’s small and easy to carry around in a purse or book bag.
- You’re able to borrow online books from the local library!
- Please note: The Kindle Paper White is ONLY for reading! You won’t be able to watch Amazon Prime or search the web.
Some readers here will argue with this recommendation by stating that they only like to read from a physical book. I have to tell you that I was one of those people, then found that I could not keep up with the space issue that all of the books were causing.
I’ll link the paperwhite that I currently own (yes, I’ve ordered several generations over the years 😉 You’ll also want to order a case. I’ll link what the hubby and I have. FYI: I love the library book cover/stand!
Planner Fanatics
You don’t have to understand it, you just have to be supportive! Some people just need the paper planner (I’m one of them). In fact, I wrote an entire post all about it and included details about my latest planner: Erin Condren Hello Kitty Collection! You can find it here: Stay Positive and Organized in 2021
Erin Condren planners are the golden standard for planners. Trust me, this one is a beautiful gift!
There are other collections and designs, including Wonder Woman (!).
Get $10 off your first purchase of $40+ (pre-tax) by visiting my affiliate link HERE and using the code, “RAKUTEN10”
For the Workout Guru
Now, before I share my gift idea with you….DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES gift a fitness related gift unless the person already exhibits an active interest in working out. I do not want to be the cause of a breakup!
I enjoy working out regularly and LOVE Fabletics workout clothes. To be honest, I did not see what all of the hype was about…until I tried a pair of their workout pants. I have bought MANY workout clothes over the years and these pants are just amazeballs! You can buy entire cute outfits (some people wear them that don’t even exercise). Fabletics size ranges from XXS to 3X.
You can become a VIP member and get your first to pairs of leggings for $24! Take a look at what styles are currently in stock at Fabletics HERE.
Get 2 Leggings for $24 (Now in Sizes XXS-3X) When You Become a VIP Member Today!
Coffee Lovers
If you want to go above and beyond a coffee shop gift card, these are some fun gift ideas! For individuals that enjoy coffee and some colorful home decor, consider this colorful kcup machine. I own both items and they work great!
If your gift recipient loves espresso, the Bialetti espresso coffee maker is excellent. This comes in varying sizes, so be sure to check which one would be most useful. Add in a milk frother for someone that loves to make cappuccinos or lattes and your gift is gold!
Love is the best gift!
I gave these gift ideas to help out my wonderful readers. But no stress if you are not gifting anything. At the end of the day, your time and love are what matters most 😉 Giving a gift is just the icing on the cake.
I hope that this guide helped give you some ideas, if not for Valentine gifts, then for birthdays down the line.
Check out these Valentine Posts:
Book Gift Ideas for Kids of All Ages
Whimsical Valentine’s DIY Hot Air Balloon and Hearts
Buffalo Check Valentine with Red DIYs
