Student birthdays are a great time to make children feel extra-special in the classroom. You may have a tried and true way of making the day come alive for each student, but if you are searching for a new way to add something special to the day the ideas below may be just the thing. From birthday bags to notes from classmates, student birthdays will be much anticipated this school year.
7 Ideas for Student Birthdays in the Classroom
1. Birthday Crowns
Start the day off with a smile by greeting the birthday child with a special birthday crown or hat. For concerns about critters, choose disposable or one-time use crowns.
2. Birthday Balloons & Desk Decorations
A small helium tank can be a great investment when it comes to classroom birthdays. Keep a supply of balloons on hand and the morning of a student’s birthday blow up three balloons to tie to the birthday child’s chair. For extra fun, write a special birthday message on each balloon or put a birthday ticket in each balloon before blowing it up. Decorate the birthday child’s desk with streamers and use a dry erase marker to write a birthday message on the desktop.
3. Birthday Tickets
Getting a ticket is a good thing when it is your birthday! Gift students with a small coupon book that contains things such as one homework pass or lunch with the teacher. You could also place each ticket inside of a birthday balloon. Scratch-off birthday cards could also contain secret birthday surprises!
4. Great Things About You
Let classmates share in the festivities by giving them an opportunity to say what they like or admire about the birthday child. Have the birthday child stand against the whiteboard while you trace his outline. Classmates can then write the things they like about him around his outline. When everyone has written something, have the child stand back in the outline and take his picture with the compliments surrounding him. It is a great way to validate each student.
5. Video Greetings
If you have an iPad in the classroom use it to record a birthday greeting to the birthday student the school day before the actual birthday. That night, combine the short videos into a longer video using iMovie or other easy video editing software.* Then, during morning meeting, play the video for the birthday child.
*If your students are technologically savvy, one of them may want to record, edit, and create the video for you during the school day.
6. Birthday Bags
Do you usually give students bags of birthday goodies? This year make them extra-special by including fun toys, new pencils, and a special note just from you. You might also want to include birthday tickets.
7. Birthday Sing-Along
No birthday is complete without having a birthday sing-along with classmates. Let the birthday child choose the style they’d like their song in (rap, opera, country, etc.) and sing together as a class. There are also birthday call and response songs that are fun to sing. Teacher Priscilla Milam shared a song she uses with her students on the Really Good Stuff Facebook page. She says she uses the following echo song to make the birthday child feel extra special on their big day.
(Teacher sings) I don’t know, but I’ve been told
(Students echo)
(Teacher sings) Someone here is _____ years old!
(Students echo)
(Teacher sings) Good news is we sing for free
(Students echo)
(Teacher sings) Bad news is…it might be off-key!
(Students echo)
(Teacher sings) Happy!
(Students echo)
(Teacher sings) Birthday!
(Students echo)
(Teacher sings) Happy birthday!
(Students echo)
(All together) Happy birthday, ______!
What do you do to celebrate students’ birthdays in your classroom? Share your ideas with us below!
Looking for birthday supplies for the classroom? Check out Really Good Stuff’s collection of birthday banners, goodie bags, and more!
During the Daily Five, in the Writing Center, I have a birthday paper for students to write a birthday letter to the child that is celebrating the following week. Every child in the classroom writes a letter and then I include one of my own. At the beginning of the year, I make a cover page for each child’s birthday book so the only thing I have to do is put it together on the book binder. I have had many former students tell me that they have kept these birthday books and that they still enjoy reading them. I also decorate the child’s desk with a birthday bag, a bag of popcorn, and birthday fountain (purchased at the dollar store). The morning of the child’s birthday, we light a candle on top of a Hostess cupcake, while turning off the lights as we sing a song . It is a ritual that doesn’t take very much time, but the rewards are great. Also, that day, the birthday child receives special privileges, such as being the line leader, etc.