For Elementary Age Girls

My eight year old daughter loves to entertain and plan parties, just like me. She loves people and having friends over and is so much fun to plan parties with as she loves thoughtful details. So we decided to invite six of her friends and their moms to host a Valentines Day party at our home.

Easy and Affordable Table Setting

We wanted to keep it simple but also festive. I found a plastic tablecloth from Paradise Bound Thrift Shoppe and already had this cardboard runner from Target in the basement. We thought it would be fun for the girls to be able to draw on the runner while they ate so we placed markers and crayons at either end.

We bought paper plates, napkins and silverware at The Dollar Store which made clean up easy and used small mason jars for water to add vintage charm. We put together a little goodie bag for each girl with items from The Dollar Store including kazoos, erasers, pencil, and candy. 

Hot Cocoa Bar

I wanted the girls to feel extra special with homemade hot chocolate. I used the recipe here which was really easy. I decided to cook it on the stovetop and added some water as it was very thick. The girls could add mini marshmallows, crushed peppermint candy cane and whipped cream. They thought this was fun. 

Healthy Food Options

First up, I made a fruit tray. I love creating fruit trays because they are beautiful. I learned this from Ina Garten years ago and love using grapes as the primary item. Layer in different berries and bananas in groups on your platter. Plus with all the sugar, we needed some healthy food items. 

Another breakfast item I had on the table were mini bagels and cream cheese from Aldi. We also made a simple trail mix with gluten free pretzels, mini marshmallows and Valentines M & M’s. This is a super easy addition and my daughter was able to make it.

Sweet Treats and Gluten Free Options

A really fun and easy Valentines Treat is to put cupcakes on a tray with frosting and sprinkles for decorating. Each girl got a cupcake to decorate in her own way. This not only saved me time (I only had to make the cupcakes in advance) and the girls loved decorating them. Win! Win!

Since one of our guests needed to have gluten free options, rice krispie treats are always an easy GF option. My daughter loves making these and arranged them on this platter. We made these the night before and didn’t cut them until the morning of the party so they wouldn’t dry out. Check out this blogpost for more easy Valentines Day treats.

Another easy gluten free option are the pretzel bites shown below. They only bake for 4 minutes and your child can easily make them. The recipe is found here.  

Overall, this was such a fun party to host. The girls felt loved and celebrated and I enjoyed laughing with the moms over coffee and bagels by the fireplace. It truly is something my daughter and I want to continue for years to come. How do you celebrate Valentines Day with your kids? How can you invite others into your home for simple parties filled with love?