Peanut-Free Valentine's Day

Showing love for your children on Valentine's Day is easy-you do it everyday! What's not easy is finding specialty candy at this time of year that's not filled with peanuts or processed in a plant that also processes peanuts or tree nuts. Children sometimes feel left out of festivities because of food allergies. Try using one of these ideas this year for a peanut free Valentine's Day treat.

Handmade treats such as cupcakes or rice crispy treats allow you to control exactly what goes into the mix. Kids will enjoy these treats even more if they get to join in with the cooking fun. Rice Crispy Treats never get old with children. Make a tray this Valentine's Day and have your children help "cut" out hearts and decorate. Mix in a drop or two of red food coloring to the rice crispy treat mix to give the mix a nice pale pink coloring.

Since using a cookie cutter may be difficult for little hands to push through the crispies-depending on the age of the child and type of cookie cutter-allow them to press the cookie cutters into the rice crispy, making an indent. Cut around the indentation for a cute little heart treat. Kids of any age can help decorate with warm red sprinkles. Preschoolers and older children love to help decorate with frosting. For cupcakes, allow the little ones to stir food coloring into the batter. They'll love to watch the mix turn colors.

Toddlers do not need treats on Valentine's Day-all they need is your love and attention. A play date or some extra one-on-one reading time with you is perfect for a Valentine's gift for a very young one. Playing an extra long game of peek-a-boo or tickle the baby would be appreciated as well. If you are feeling a bit guilty for leaving the little one out, consider getting Gerber Fruit or Vegetable Puffs. Available in peach, apple-strawberry, cherry, banana, apple cinnamon, sweet corn and sweet potato, Gerber Puffs are made from puffed grains with real fruits and vegetables. The best part of this treat is that your child will love them. On the down side, they may not want to eat anything else.

A handmade card from mommy or daddy certainly doesn't contain peanuts! Using some nice folded card stock, 3-D character stickers and colored pencils, you can make a special, one of a kind card for your child. A card from mommy or daddy is more special than the $1.50 card that will be put in the trash in two weeks. Buy enough supplies so that each child can make a card for everyone else in the house as well-this is a great family activity.

If you're celebrating this loving holiday with other children in your family, such as nieces or nephews, it is always a good idea to confirm food allergies with parents before buying any treats. Even if the treat does not have any peanuts featured in the product, turn the box over and read the label. The ingredients label will have information stating whether or not the product was manufactured in a plant or on machinery that also processes food that contains peanuts. If that warning is on the box, it is best to return the product and look for another.