Birthday Traditions

Fun Ways to Make Birthdays Special

Birthday Countdown- make a countdown a week before their birthday labeled “countdown to 3” or whatever age they are turning

Birthday Meals- Let them pick what they want for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Story time- set aside time to tell them their story and tell them how special they are to you. This is a great time to look at pictures.

Birthday Chair- decorate a chair with balloons and stickers and let your child sit in it for each meal, when opening presents, etc.

Special Birthday Item- designate a special plate, cup or hat to birthdays and let your child use it on their special day.

Birthday Badge- Make your child a special badge/button that says “Birthday Girl/Boy” and let them wear it all day long. 

Special Picture- Take a picture of your child with the same item each year. You could take a picture of your daughter in your wedding dress or in a birthday hat. 

Happy Birthday Book- Make a special book with your child in it and give it to them on their birthday. I See Me has some fun books.

Birthday Number Picture- Take a picture of your child holding up the age they are. You can do this with a sign, chalkboard or have them hold up fingers.

Decorations

Fill their bedroom with balloons so they wake up to a fun surprise.

Write "Happy Birthday" with soap on the bathroom mirror or use chalk and leave a message on a chalkboard, sidewalk or another fun place.

Cover the doorway with streamers so they have to run through them to get out of a room or enter a room.

Hang up a birthday banner.

Hang pictures of your child on the ends of floating balloons from the past year.

Thread balloons on a string and hang them from the ceiling. 

Breakfast

Wake them up and take them to breakfast in their PJ's.

Make pancakes with sprinkles in them.

Serve them breakfast in bed.

Birthday Traditions

Birthdays are a special day and so we try to make them memorable. We have a couple family traditions we do each year and then a couple that take place only every couple years.

Every Year

Year Mark Picture- This is usually done a couple weeks before the actual birthday.

Kid Interview- I interview my kids on their birthday asking them questions like: “what is your favorite food? Game? I record their answers in a book and put their year mark picture with it. (I plan to make a book to give them when they move out with a page from each year.)

Birthday Letter- I write my kids a birthday letter telling them what great things they did, said and learned during the past year.  I give the birthday kid a copy and keep one for their future book. (I plan to put this in the same book with their interviews and give it to them when they move out)

Growth Board- We mark height of child on a board on their birthday.

Lunch with Mom/Dad- the kids love the one on one time of eating with mom/dad. We also use this time to go shopping and let them spend birthday money (from grandparents) if they want to.

Birthday Meal- kids pick what they want for dinner and I make it for them.

Special Birthday Cake- kids pick what kind of cake they want and I make it for them.

First Birthday

First birthdays are extra special at our house. Here are a few traditions:

Own Birthday Cake- We do a big cake for the family and the birthday baby gets their own little cake that they can dive into.

1 Year Slideshow- This is a slideshow of pictures with 2-3 songs on it highlighting the babies first year.

Baby Book Gift- they receive an 8x8 book all about them as a baby. This book features all the child’s firsts, monthly stats and lots of pictures. I also attach a copy of their 1 year old slideshow in the back of the book.

Baby Quilt- I make a small baby quilt for each of my kids. Sometimes they get this before their birthday but I make it a point to have it completed by their first birthday.

Teddy Bear- This is a tradition that was passed on from my childhood. The birthday baby gets a teddy bear on their first birthday then we get a picture of the family with their teddy bears from their first birthday. It’s fun to look at the pictures and see how much the family has grown from year to year.

Special Year

Friend Birthday Party- We only do friend birthday parties every 4 year so at ages 4, 8, 12, and 16.  We do cake every year and have family over often but only do full out birthday parties with friends every 4 years.

5 Year Gift- ABC’s of Me Book (an “all about me” digital scrapbook)

8 Year Gift- Big Quilt and Poem. By age 8 my kids baby quilt is too small and worn out so they get a new quilt when they turn 8.  I like to give them this new blanket when they turn 8 because it’s the age they get baptized and there is a cute poem to go along with it that relates the blanket to the Holy Ghost and making good choices.

What are some of your birthday traditions?