It’s your child’s birthday coming up. Maybe you always make a cake, sing Happy Birthday and host a party. But what about some other birthday traditions that will make your child feel really cool on their big day? Here are 40 Ways to Make Your Child Feel Extra Special on Their Birthday:
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From countdowns and smash walls to a scavenger hunt and a birthday interview, these easy and budget-friendly ways to mark your child’s birthday will have leave them beaming!
Fun Ways to Make Your Child Feel Extra Special on Their Birthday
#1. Birthday Countdown
Do a birthday countdown like an advent calendar with X Days to Go on a chalkboard or with fridge magnets or on a calendar marking off the days.
#2. Hang Up Birthday Bunting
We have birthday bunting that comes out every birthday and is hung on our mantelpiece.
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#3. Birthday Coins in Their Shoes
Some families have a birthday tradition of the birthday fairy leaving coins in the birthday child’s shoes.
#4. Decorate Their Bedroom Door
Put lots of ribbons and a message on their bedroom door so they see it when they come out in the morning.
#5. Balloon Fun
Tie a balloon on their door handle or fill their room with balloons whilst they are asleep so they get a nice surprise in the morning.
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#6. Note in Their Lunchbox
Put a special Happy Birthday note in their lunch box if they are going to school that day.
#7. Gift Wrap Their Lunch
You could gift wrap the bits of their lunch so they have to open mini presents at lunchtime.
#8. Birthday Bucket
This is a lovely idea from How Does She, to create a birthday bucket, a bit like a Christmas stocking idea adapted to birthdays.
Image courtesy of www.howdoesshe.com
#9. Birthday Message in the Bathroom
Use dry erase marker (or lipstick!) to write a message on the bathroom mirror.
#10. Smash Wall
Make a smash wall with streamers taped criss-cross over their bedroom doorway making a barrier that your child has to break through!
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#11. A Special Birthday Breakfast
Make something special for birthday breakfast that your child loves like waffles or French toast.
#12. Breakfast in Bed
If they are not at school that day or if you have time to get up a bit earlier you could bring them breakfast in bed, that is definitely something special.
#13. Make Their Chair a Birthday Chair
Decorate the chair they normally sit at with fun streamers, etc.
There’s this nice Birthday Chair decoration kit available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk – although at the time of writing it’s quite a bit pricier on Amazon.co.uk!
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#14. Birthday Dinner
Your child gets to choose what dinner they have on their birthday, it could be their favourite meal or something a bit different.
#15. Birthday Blessings
At dinner on the night of the birthday, go around the table and everyone says something they love about the birthday person.
#16. Go Out For Ice Cream
This is such a nice treat which we don’t normally do. Head out after dinner to the nearest ice cream shop and enjoy a birthday cone.
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#17. Birthday Interview
Ask them the same questions every year on their birthday. You can download our free birthday interview printable.
Or why not considering making a memory video where they answer the questions each year when they are old enough.
#18. Measure Their Height
Measure them and mark the door or wall so that you can show them how tall they are growing each year.
#19. Stories for X Year Olds
Buy them a story book for their age. Here are some links for Book Depository by age (we get a small commission if you buy through these links):
- Stories for One Year Olds
- Stories for Two Year Olds
- Stories for Three Year Olds
- Stories for Four Year Olds
- Stories for Five Year Olds
- Stories for Six Year Olds
- Stories for Seven Year Olds
- Stories for Eight Year Olds
- Stories for Nine Year Olds
- Stories for Ten Year Olds
#20. Special Birthday Items to Wear
Have a special birthday hat or t-shirt or birthday badge that they get to wear for the day or during birthday dinner.
#21. Birthday Crown or Tiara
Have a birthday crown or tiara that the birthday girl or boy has to wear.
#22. Birthday King or Queen
Make the birthday girl or boy King or Queen for the day. Perhaps they could dress up if they are younger.
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#23. Deposit Birthday Money
If it’s a week day, take them to the bank or credit union to deposit their birthday money.
#24. Skip Chores or Homework
Give them a “You can skip chores” or “No homework required” certificate or voucher.
#25. Picture in Same Place
Take their picture in the same spot or with the same item every year.
#26. Enjoy Past Birthdays
Look at photos or videos of past birthdays for fun memories together.
#27. Let Your Child Decorate Their Cake
Bake the cake and then let them loose with lots of delicious icing and decorations to make it their own custom-decorated birthday cake.
#28. Birthday Scavenger Hunt
Make a birthday scavenger or treasure hunt where they have to follow clues to find their big present.
#29. Birthday String
Set up a long string around the house that they have to follow to find presents.
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#30. Birth Story
One of our favourite ways to make your child feel extra special on their birthday is to recount the story of when they were born (while snuggling up of course!).
#31. Sing Happy Birthday at Their Birth Time
If their birth time is not too inconvenient sing “Happy Birthday” to them at that exact time they were born.
#32. Give a Birthday Book
Each year I pick a special hardback classic or favourite book I loved to give my daughters to enjoy and build their own book collection.
#33. Birthday Chalk Art
Love this idea from Babies to Bookworms to draw an outline of them and share some of their favourite things. You could also do this on a huge piece of paper indoors.
Image courtesy of Babiestobookworms.com
#34. Birthday Message Outside
Or why not leave a message on the pavement outside your house for when they get home from school.
#35. Birthday Bath or Shower
They get to have a special birthday bubble bath or shower with special birthday only shower gel or soap or fun shampoo.
#36. New Birthday Pyjamas
You could get them new birthday pyjamas either for the night before to wake up in or to go to bed on the night of their birthday.
#37. Birthday Tree
On their first birthday plant a tree then every year have your child stand by it for a photo.
#38. Birthday Money by Age
Give them a Euro for every year of their age.
#39. Happy Birthday Light Box Message
Set up a Happy Xth Birthday message on a light box (or use a chalkboard if you don’t have one).
#40. X Gifts for X Years
Each year give them x gifts for their age, these can be small fun things.
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About the Author: Jill Holtz
