I Miss the Foldable Classroom Valentines of the ’90s — Can We Bring Them Back?

When I was growing up in the ’90s, I would look forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day … for the few days leading up to it. But it never felt like a full season that engulfed the months of January and February like it does in 2026.

Each year during a standard grocery run, my parents and I would buy cards to reflect my pop culture fixation of the moment. I had free rein to choose whichever cards spoke to me — in 1998, for example, every girl in my class selected Titanic cards. We scribbled our names at the bottom of each one, folded them in half, and handed them out at school. Quick, affordable, easy. Sure, the cards weren’t particularly aesthetic or impressive, but they reflected who we were and what we were interested in at that moment in time. 

Today, though, it feels like the bar for kids’ Valentine’s Day celebrations is way higher than it used to be. There are Valentine’s Day-themed outfits and pajamas and books and snacks and crafts and parties and … well, you get the picture. Maybe you find yourself cutting sandwiches into tiny hearts, serving oatmeal in heart-shaped ramekins for Valentine’s Day breakfast, attempting a pink-hued homemade sourdough loaf, and volunteering to orchestrate the classroom party (guilty!). When I was a child, I’d receive a small box of chocolate each Valentine’s Day, and that felt like plenty. Today, there’s the social media-driven pressure to fill a bursting, beautiful basket with red-and-pink gifts for each child or throw a “Galentine’s Day” party for your daughter and her friends (yes, I considered it).

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with going all-in on the holiday if that’s what you want to do! Holiday magic-making is a part of motherhood I truly enjoy, so I’ll happily lean into some of it. And I love the idea that Valentine’s Day for kids is all about celebrating friendship and love in all its forms. A few years ago, I spent the days leading up to Valentine’s Day making heart-patterned goody bags full of Valentine’s Day-themed trinkets for each of my kids’ classmates. 

This year, though, I’ve decided to take a step back. I picked up pre-assembled cards that include one small gift: scrunchies for my daughter’s friends, and mini skateboards for my son’s. This go-around was so much easier (but still pricier and more complex than the classroom exchange cards of my childhood). As a parent who doesn’t mind spending time and money on these holiday projects — but very much wants to be mindful of the overconsumption of it all — this felt like a step in the right direction. 

My kids won’t receive baskets overflowing with gifts, either. My standard Valentine’s Day present for them is new pajamas in theme with the holiday. I package them in the heart-shaped gift boxes I recycle year after year, add some candy to the boxes, and set up the gifts alongside the flowers my husband buys for each child.

For my family, this feels like the sweet spot: It gives my kids something to get excited about on the holiday, but it doesn’t veer too far into overconsumption territory. Because at the end of the day, the holiday is about love, not stuff.