My birthday is on December 30th. Thus, I was that kid who never got to celebrate birthdays in the classroom. All my Summer and Winter Break birthday friends know the pain. For me, even my half birthday was out of the question because it occurs during the Summer.
Therefore, as a teacher, I’ve always been passionate about making sure EVERY birthday is celebrated in the classroom. I want every student to get the chance to feel special and recognized! Below I’ll explain exactly what I do to accomplish this.
Planning Ahead for Birthdays in the Classroom
Before school begins, I note each student’s birthday in my planning calendar so I don’t forget to recognize them! I also inform families that every birthday will be celebrated. They know I’ll be in contact if their child has a birthday outside the normal school year.
Each student’s birthday is added to our class birthday chart display (click here for the listing shown below!) This helps us recall the birthdays and make connections with peers.
Students who have a birthday during the Summer or break from school are starred in the notes section of my planner. This lets me know to contact their families about setting up an alternative time to celebrate them.
Typically, we celebrate Summer birthdays in May (our last month of school.) Each student is given their own special “school birthday” that has been decided with the family. In cases where we have many Summer birthdays (we had 7 last year!) I send a sign up form for families to select the day of their choice.
What Happens for Birthdays in the Classroom?
On each child’s real or designated birthday, they come in the room to a few “presents” on their table. I love celebrating students in this simple, small way!
First, they’ll see the birthday sign hanging above their desk. I ordered these from Amazon and have used them for the past 6 years! They have a section for writing the student’s name and age with chalk. I recommend ordering two in case you have student’s with the same birthday (this has happened to me three separate years!) You can find the signs here.
Next, students will find a birthday ribbon pin to wear for the day on their desk. They give the ribbon back at the end of the day for the next student to wear. They love wearing this around the school so other staff members they interact with can celebrate them.
Last, students see their birthday bag (shown in the video below.) Inside the bag is a gel pen they can use for the day, an animal sticker, and a Ring Pop they can enjoy. Surprisingly, I’ve never had a student dislike the Ring Pop! I will link where I buy each of the items for the bag below:
FREE Birthday Tags from “The Handmade Teacher”
Gel Pens purchased at Dollar Tree
The Birthday Tradition
Beyond the small gifts, what students treasure most on their birthday is our class tradition. Here’s how this works in our room:
1) I display a slide with the birthday student’s name at the front of the room. You could also do this on a whiteboard or large paper if preferred.
2) We sing “Happy Birthday” to our them and they take the first bite of their treat (if they brought one.) Then we blindfold the birthday friend for the compliments to commence (note: skip the blindfold if the student expresses any discomfort with this. All of my students have loved it.)
3) While blindfolded, the rest of the class is called up one at a time. When called on, the classmate whispers a kind compliment about the birthday student in the my ear. This is wards off any “fake” compliments or duplicates.
4) I write each compliment on the board around the birthday student’s name. Additionally, I support students who may struggle to think of unique words with ideas. I prefer this method because it makes the process run smoothly and avoids any spelling issues.
5) If the birthday student brought treats to share, classmates grab their treat after giving their compliment and return to their spot to enjoy it.
6) Once all students are done-viola! I take a photo of the birthday student with their board of compliments behind them. Then the student removes the blindfold and has a board full of compliments to marvel!
7) We go around the room and each say which compliment we gave (I make sure to include a few compliments as well!)
8) Finally, the photo of the birthday student is sent to their family. I get so many sweet email responses to this one! Families love viewing their child’s compliments.
Create your Own!
Now that you know everything needed to set up a wonderful birthday routine, it’s time to put it into action! Want my birthday slide template to get you on your way?
Join my email list to be sent the freebie! Be sure to use a personal email address so it doesn’t get trapped in your spam! Add my email: he***@****************ns.com for a better chance of seeing it in your main inbox!
This activity is SO simple, yet SO impactful! It has a MAJOR bang for its buck-and only takes 10-15 minutes of the day. I hope you enjoy it!
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