10 Special Birthday Traditions For Kids

Last updated on October 23rd, 2023

Birthdays are a big deal.

They are a day for celebrating your children and the beautiful people they are becoming. Sure, we ‘celebrate’ their amazingness in small ways every day… but birthdays are an excuse to go a little extra.

But don’t go into debt for the sake of a birthday party.

Going a little ‘extra’ for birthdays doesn’t have to mean a giant, expensive, Pinterest-worthy party, though. In fact, unpopular opinion time, but your child’s birthday doesn’t require a party at all, to be special.

If throwing elaborate parties is your jam, then have at it. That’s great, if that works for you! I encourage you to do what makes you and your family happy… But I’m honest when I tell you that you don’t have to throw a party in order to have a memorable birthday.

Especially if a party = debt. Trust me, your kids would not wish for you to go into debt for the sake of one single party. The stress that comes with debt is not worth it.

Birthdays shouldn’t feel stressful.

Because birthdays should be fun, not stressful. Even if you love throwing huge parties, and money isn’t a concern, let’s be honest, party planning can be stressful.

Social media has us convinced that our children need a huge party every year, complete with a bounce house, themed snacks, and goodie bags for everyone in attendance.

The ‘comparison-pressure’ to throw that Pinterest-worthy party can be a little much – especially when you factor in all of the other normal everyday stresses that come with parenthood. 

So why do we feel the need to throw big parties anyways?

Years ago, when my son’s first birthday started to draw near, I began brainstorming what to do to celebrate him. I went down the party-theme rabbit hole that is Pinterest and realized, pretty quickly, that a huge birthday party wasn’t my style and wasn’t in our budget.

While I was browsing party ideas, I kept wondering why the heck everyone felt the need to go all out on birthday parties. It seemed crazy to me that so many people were spending oodles of money AND time to coordinate these events.

I just didn’t have it in me to do this and wondered if I was in the wrong for feeling this way.

Everyone has the same goal in parenthood.

That’s when I realized that these parents just wanted a way to show their children how loved and special they were, to make them feel good, and to have fun. That’s what we all want, in the end, really.

Once I began thinking of birthdays in this way, I was able to brainstorm ways that I could accomplish this same result – sans birthday party (and sans the guilt).

You are allowed change what is ‘normal’.

In motherhood, I’ve learned that just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean my family needs to do it too. This has been an important lesson for me.

Parenting in the age of so much digital consumption and social media addiction has made it quite challenging for us to find our own style of parenting. It’s hard to find your own groove when you’ve got a barrage of parenting articles and infographics flooding your Instagram feed every day.

Breaking free from comparison-guilt is REALLY hard when you see SO much of other people’s lives each day. But I do think it’s important to evaluate your core family values from time to time – so that you are sure you aren’t making decisions solely based on ‘well so and so is doing it this way’.

Birthdays should be unique to each family.

So with all of these thoughts in mind, I knew two things: that I wanted my children’s birthdays to feel fun and memorable, but I didn’t want the party.

Plus, I realized that it was really important to me that we incorporate special traditions that were unique to our growing family. I wanted to begin traditions that could last through the teenage years and beyond.

It was important to me that birthdays didn’t feel like any other average day, and that they were meaningful for our whole family, so I set out to accomplish just this.

So, whether you are here looking for birthday party alternatives or are simply here to add fun traditions on top of a party, either way, I’ve got you covered.

RELATED: Speaking of birthdays, click here to
read my wild induction birth story of my second child, Evelyn.

Disclaimer: The ABCs of Motherhood is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.

10 Special Birthday Traditions for Kids

1. Honor family and past traditions

What did birthdays look like growing up?

This is the easiest place to start.

Maybe your parents have traditions carried down from their parents or maybe your culture or religion celebrates birthdays a certain way. Explore these options first.

If your extended family doesn’t have any specific traditions, you can simply find ways to honor your parents or grandparents by including them in your child’s day in some way. Doing this offers your child a sense of connection and belonging; that’s really all anyone wants in this world – is to feel like they belong – to feel connected.

It doesn’t need to be elaborate.

This can be as simple as Grandma baking the birthday cake or her famous spaghetti and meatballs, or Grandpa taking your child on a nature walk, just the two of them, sharing their thoughts with each other on your kid’s birthday every year.

These ideas sound so small and simple – but I know that I have vivid memories of walking through fields with my own Grandpa when I was little. I remember he taught me how to whistle with a blade of grass and that these moments were peaceful and quiet – I still remember how strong his hands looked as he held mine.

Sometimes, it’s the small moments that really count. I know that these are memories that your kids will grow to cherish in the years to come.

2. Decorate the house

Don’t skip on decorations, just because there is no party.

This is one of my absolute favorite birthday traditions and, in my opinion, it is a birthday must for ALL ages (adults too!).

Honestly, is there anything better than waking up to the surprise of balloons and streamers on your birthday? Balloons = immediate smiles.

Think about how you feel when someone surprises you with balloons – it lights you up. Your kids will feel the same, knowing you put in all the effort for their sake.

Doorway balloons are a must.

My favorite way to decorate, is by hanging balloons and streamers in the doorway of my kid’s bedrooms. That way, when they wake up and open their door, balloons will greet them!

Alternatively, you could create a balloon avalanche by using plastic wrap and tape to hold filled balloons against their door so that all of the balloons spill down towards your child when the door is opened. So much fun!

Here are some other decorating ideas.

• Balloons hanging from the ceiling above the kitchen table or island
• Streamers and balloons hung along the curtains in the living room
• Balloons and streamers taped along the stair railing
• Balloons and streamers hanging from any door opening
• Loose balloons on the ground to play with
• A fun banner

Hit up the dollar store.

Decorating is pretty budget friendly. You can buy a giant pack of balloons, a handful of different colored streamers, and some ribbon from the dollar store or local party store for cheap. Save any leftover supplies for use at the next birthday.

All you need is an hour or so dedicated to blowing up balloons and hanging streamers the night before their birthday and just like that, you’ve created a magical moment for your child.

Seeing your child break into the biggest smile when they wake up will be worth everything.

Birthday decorations give you the best photo backdrop.

A huge bonus for decorating, is that it gives you the perfect backdrop for birthday photos.

When our son turned one, we added balloons to his crib and let him play around with them for a couple minutes. The result was magic – we got beautiful, fun photos from the simple moment.

3. Write a Birthday Letter to Your Child

Letters are my favorite way to capture a moment in time. While pictures are arguably the more popular way to do this, there is something about an old-fashioned pen to paper letter.

For your child to one day be able to immerse themselves into your thoughts and travel back in time, is something they will hold dear forever.

I know that one day, when my parents are no longer here, that I will give anything to be able to slip into their thoughts and ‘hear’ their words. All memories fade and you can only remember so much over time, but a letter is a true way to capture time.

It’s a way to preserve your thoughts and share just how special a single year with your child was to you.

Here’s how to do it.

Every year, on your child’s birthday, write a letter to your child.

Write about anything. Write about all of the beautiful moments from the past year. Write about the hard ones too. Write about whatever comes to mind in the moment.

Write about how proud you are to be their mom. Write about all of the successes and failures from the past year. Write about how much learning and growing your family has done. Write about your love for them.

Seal each letter and hide it in your fireproof safe. Then, one day, give them your letters.

Give them these letters one at a time, or all at once. Give them your letters when they need it most, during life’s biggest moments, or any time at all.

Either way, this will be a birthday tradition to cherish forever.

4. Birthday Breakfast Surprise

Begin birthday mornings with a sweet, yummy surprise.

Whether you choose funfetti pancakes topped with whipped cream, cinnamon rolls, or a birthday donut – serving dessert at breakfast time is a special way to start the day.

As your kids get older, add a candle to the top of the pancake stack for a little extra fun.

Starting the day out with a sweet surprise will leave your children smiling all morning long.

5. Birthday Cake Choice

Sometimes it’s the little things.

Every year growing up, we got to choose a birthday cake flavor and my mom would bake it.

I think they were just boxed cakes, but as kids, we thought it was the best thing ever. We just felt so special to have a whole cake made with our flavor in mind and by our mom.

One year, my mom even made a cheesecake as my birthday cake, and I always remember that, even now. I thought it was the coolest thing – cheesecake for cake.

I know bakery cakes are amazing and beautiful, but there is something to be said about your mom making you a cake. It’s a privilege that you’ll miss once you’re grown up.

6. Birthday Interview

Conduct a birthday interview each year and fill out your child’s answers to save and look back on for years to come.

Another option would be to video tape the interview each year to hear their sweet little voice and watch them grow each year.

This is kind of like the opposite of you writing a letter to your kids – it’s essentially a letter your kids get to write you. It’s THEIR thoughts, frozen in time.

This is a tradition that you can start when your kids are around 2.5 years old, or so, depending on their speech and language development.

Seeing how the answers change every year as they grow, is something to marvel.

Birthday Interview Questions

Start by asking them their name and age and then lead into questions like these ones…

• What is your favorite memory?
• What is your favorite color?
• Who is your best friend?
• What is your favorite song to sing?
• What is your favorite movie or show?
• What do you want for your birthday?
• What is your favorite animal?
• What is your favorite thing to do or place to go?
• What are you scared of?
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• What is your favorite food?
• What makes you happy?
• What does love mean?

When I first started this tradition, and asked my toddler, “what does love mean?”, he replied, “mama, dada”. How sweet is that? I can’t wait to hear what he says once he’s a teenager.

7. Birthday Dinner

Let your kid choose what to have for dinner on their birthday.

This is another tradition we had growing up. We would usually choose spaghetti or chicken noodle bake because they were our favorites that dad and mom made.

One year, I remember that I wanted Taco Bell, isn’t that funny? Your kid’s choice just might surprise you that way. Either way, let your kids pick and enjoy watching them delight in their favorite meal.

8. Birthday Donation

Every year, you can help your birthday kid choose a way to donate items, money, or their time during their birthday month.

Birthdays are a perfect opportunity to teach about giving back, especially right when they are getting so many gifts from their loved ones.

Choosing to donate toys is an easy option and will help make room for any new toys that arrive in the form of birthday presents.

Other ways to give back include:

• Donating some piggy bank money to your local animal shelter, women’s shelter, or cancer research
• Raising money with a lemonade stand to donate to those in need
• Doing a neighborhood or local park cleanup day
• Donating clothes or toys to local charities
• Reading to shelter dogs
• Volunteering to spend time in a senior living home to read or play games with seniors

There are so many ways that children can help learn to make a difference in their community.

9. One-On-One Parent Date

Take your kid on a one-on-one special birthday outing with just mom or just dad.

I am in love with this idea and can’t wait to start it in our house. It is great because it offers a lot of flexibility as they grow older too. You can choose to partake on their actual birthday or sometime within their birthday week/weekend.

Make it fun by marking it on the family calendar so they can look forward to it all week. You can rotate out who gets to go each year, if you’d like.

Some fun birthday outings can include:

• Go on a picnic
• Go fishing at a local lake or pond
• Visit science center
• See a movie
• Get ice cream
• Visit fish store
• Visit nature center
• Go to a new park and explore
• Ride bikes together
• Visit local train
• Get a smoothie
• Visit children’s museum
• Go put-putting
• Visit petting zoo

This tradition will be extra special as your family grows and there isn’t as much opportunity for one-on-one moments day to day with your children. Creating these memories that are only for one kid at a time will feel meaningful to both you and your child.

**Alternatively, you could celebrate ‘birthday adventure day’ and choose one of the bigger outings to attend as a whole family and do something smaller 1-1. (This is what we do!)

10. Measure Their Height

This is a classic birthday tradition.

Choose a doorway or buy an oversized wall ruler so that you can measure and record your child’s height each year.

We did this growing up and it was always exciting to see how big we got each year. There’s nothing kids like better than to feel like a big kid. We’d always compare our height to last years and to each other’s and we would marvel at the differences.

And one day, when your children are all grown up, you can look back on the notches on the wall and remember the good ol‘ days.

Creating these lasting traditions and memories are what it’s all about. These moments will live on in your family’s memories for a lifetime and your children will feel so loved whenever they remember their birthday.

What is a favorite birthday tradition in your family?