It’s their special day and it is time to celebrate!!! Celebrating student birthdays in the classroom can be a bit tricky with new regulations and making sure you do things equally for summer birthdays. With that being said, it’s important to do what you can to make your kiddos feel loved and recognized on or around their birthdays. Sure it takes some money and/or energy, but the benefit of building relationships with your students makes it all worthwhile! Here are a few ways to make your students feel loved on their birthdays.
Mark the Calendar
Students already alert the entire class weeks before their birthday. Mark their days on the calendar and make it part of calendar time or morning meeting. Count down the days together as a class, or build in number recognition or number practice.
Special Seat
One easy and inexpensive way to make your student feel special is by having a designated seat. You can decorate it with streamers or a birthday sign. I found chair covers from Amazon in a pack of two. You can click here to see more.
Party Hats
Grab a couple of packs of party hats that can last you an entire year so that your special student stands out from the crowd. Students love announcing to anyone and everyone who will listen that it is their special day. A party hat does this without interrupting the line or hallway expectations. Read more below about where I found these hats.
Special Treats
From pencils to stickers, or even a goody bag, a birthday treat doesn’t have to be an over the top or an expensive purchase. Dollar shops have great options, as well as Amazon. As mentioned above, I found a pack on Amazon that included birthday hats, sticker ribbons, and bracelets for 30 students. I added Pop It keychains as well. You can click on the links below to see more.
Do it for the kids!
However you choose to celebrate, be sure to make a plan for all students. Some birthdays will fall during breaks or summer vacation. Here are a few ways to keep everyone feeling recognized.
- Celebrate weekend birthdays on either Fridays or Mondays
- Summer birthdays can be celebrated during the last month of the year or on “half birthdays”. Discuss these plans with parents in case they want to send food items, but always check school regulations about including outside food items before planning!
