Last week we celebrated our son’s 10th birthday. My kids have come to expect certain birthday traditions each year.
When I started doing each of these things, I really didn’t intend to make them traditions. However, they have stuck and my kids love knowing they can expect these things every year.
Each birthday we do things a little differently depending on each child’s age and current favorite things. But each of these traditions is fun for kids of all ages!
Most of the things we do are pretty easy and not very expensive.
I’d love to hear what other birthday traditions your family does or even things your parents did when you were a child.
1. Streamers on door
I buy the crepe paper streamers from Dollar Tree. They are super inexpensive, but make a big impact.
Then I just cut them into strips and hang them from the door frame the night before my kids’ birthday. The kids love walking through the streamers first thing on their birthday morning.
There are usually a lot of different colors of streamers available.
2. Birthday banner
I use a neutral birthday banner that I made years ago from some card stock and stencils. We put it up for everyone’s birthday and add balloon or streamers.
You could keep the same birthday banner from year to year instead of purchasing a new one for every birthday.
It’s a fun way to decorate each birthday!
3. Age sign
Along with the “happy birthday” banner, I also make an age sign using Canva. It usually has the age my child is turning and a picture of something they are interested in.
We have used all kinds of pictures: dump trucks, books, unicorns, rainbows, basketballs, and more.
4. Ballon on chair
A super easy, but festive touch is to add a balloon to the back of your child’s dining room chair.
We tend to sit in the same chairs at the dining room table each night for dinner so I just put tape on the balloon and add it to “their chair”.
Usually the balloon gets taken off and played with during the day.
5. Special plate
I grew up with this tradition and it was always something I looked forward to using each birthday. So now I use that same tradition with my kids.
I bought a special, festive plate from the Target Dollar spot years ago. So it’s a pretty inexpensive plate.
We only bring it out on birthdays and my kids love seeing it every morning on their birthdays.
6. Favorite breakfast
A fun tradition at our house is to have a sweet breakfast that I don’t normally buy. Last year my daughter chose Pop-tarts. I never buy them, but I made an exception for her birthday!
My son has asked for waffles and pancakes in the past, but this year he asked for a Kit Kat cereal he saw while we were grocery shopping.
7. Choice of meals
I also ask my kids what they would like to eat for lunch and dinner. Usually we go out to eat for dinner.
But lunch is at home. Sometimes my kids want mac and cheese! Last week my son wanted to make personal pan pizzas, and they were a hit.
8. Cake with favorite items
In years past we have ordered a character cake from the grocery store bakery. It is fun, but can also be a bit expensive.
Lately, we have been baking the birthday cake at home from a cake mix. Then we use their favorite color for the frosting or sprinkles.
9. Picture with cake
Every year, I get a picture of the birthday kid standing in front of their cake. It’s so fun to look back on each year’s picture and seeing how they have grown.
10. Picture with family
It’s also fun to get a picture with the whole family and be able to look back each year at this pictures.
If you have grandparents or cousins who come to birthdays, this is fun to see who helped your child celebrate each year.
11. Gift scavenger hunt
We have never done this tradition, but it sounds like a lot of fun. My kids said, “What if we did an Easter egg hunt but with birthday gifts?”
I thought that sounded fun, but we haven’t done that one yet.
12. Handwritten note in card
I love keeping cards so that I can look back on them. It would be neat for your child to look back on their birthday cards and read a handwritten note that you addressed to them each year growing up.
13. Decorate with a theme
Does your child have a favorite color, book character, or hobby? Choose one of them as a theme to decorate your home.
You don’t have to go all out or spend a lot of money. You can print some pictures or just buy some cheap decorations from Dollar Tree.
If your child’s favorite color is blue, you could use blue paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, streamers, and balloons. All of that would only cost $5!
14. Invite the family over
If you have family that lives nearby, make it a tradition to invite them over for cake and ice cream! It’s always fun to include extended family when celebrating.
15. Piñata
Of course, having a piñata is a cultural tradition, but it would also be a fun thing to do each year.
16. Look back at picture memories
My kids love going through my phone and looking at older pictures and videos of themselves. They especially loves seeing themselves when they were babies.
I really love seeing the difference between each year. It’s so fun to see how much they grow and change.
17. Measure height
Another fun birthday tradition is to measure your child’s height. We keep our kids’ height on the back of a door in our basement. I got this idea from the family that we purchased our former home from.
We say it when looked at the house, and she took the door with her and replaced it with another one when we moved in.
I thought that was such a sweet memory and knew I wanted one for our family too. My kids look forward to recording their height each year!
18. Favorite characteristics
While you’re eating dinner or cake and ice cream at the end of the day, take time to share some favorite characteristics of your child or a favorite story.
19. Week countdown
The week before my kids’ birthday, we do a countdown. I will say, “This is the last Tuesday you will ever be 9 years old!”
The kids get a kick out of that.
20. Share birth story
My kids love hearing about the day they were born, and it’s fun for me to relive it as well. Sometimes the details get a little blurry, so it’s good to remember those special days.
Of course, I share a G rated version with the highlights that my kids want to hear.
21. Visit favorite store
My son loves looking at specialty stores like sporting stores or hardware stores. He loves to spend time looking at lawn mowers and weed-eaters.
Usually, we rush past those things when we are shopping. If we have time on his birthday, I’ll let him spend extra time looking.
22. Get birthday freebies
Look up all the places that have freebies for birthdays and let your child pick a place they would like to get a freebie.
23. Birthday interview
Another fun tradition is asking your kids simple questions like what is their favorite thing to do, favorite food, ect. This is a fun keepsake to read through each year!
24. Yard sign
We love seeing giant birthday signs in people’s yards! I’ve never done this, but they look like a fun way to announce to the whole neighborhood that someone in your home is celebrating a birthday.
You could purchase a general birthday sign that doesn’t include an age or name. That way it could be used year after year.
25. Stay up late
Bedtime is a big deal to our kids. If they get to stay up even 15 minutes later than usual, they are are super happy.
How about letting your child stay up 30 minutes later every year on their birthday. This gives them something to look forward to each year.
26. Add sprinkles to….everything
Sprinkles are so fun and scream “celebration!” We add sprinkles to anything that is a spoosibility like pancakes, yogurt, or ice cream on birthdays.
My kids love it!
27. Time Capsule
Similar to an interview, you could take a picture or things that are important to your child each year on their birthday. Or write down important events that happened over the past year.
On the following birthday, open up the time capsule and read through and look at all of the fun things!