40 Ways to Make Your Kid’s Birthday Special
As a parent, you may never forget the day your child came into your life. Their first cry, the joy you felt, and the sudden realization that your life was never going to be the same again.
It’s safe to say that if you arrived on this page, you love your child and want to do something special to make the day they changed your life as positive and as memorable for them as it was for you.
Many people think first of presents, cake, guests, things for kids to do, and location when it comes to the months prior to their kid’s birthday party. These are all great things, that you will likely do, and so will everybody else. Ready to take your child’s birthday up a notch? Here are some suggestions that you may not have thought of to make your kid’s birthday special.
#1 Count Down Until Their Special Day
Turn their birthday into a birth month! This doesn’t necessarily mean breaking the bank by buying them a gift every day leading up to their birthday. Simply acknowledging their commemorative day with a greeting, or marking it down on a chalkboard or dry erase board. You could even take some of the things on this list and do one each day leading up to their party or birthday!
#2 Put Money In Their Shoes
You have no doubt bought things for your kids or even given them money or gift cards in the past. As a kid, it is exciting to get money even in modest amounts in a surprising place since they don’t have any income yet, every little bit counts!
#3 Fill Their Room With Balloons on Their Birthday
You can do it while they are asleep, or rush into their room in the morning and fill it with balloons! Young kids love balloons! They can hit them around the room, pop them, or suck out the helium (if that is how you fill them) to make their voice funny!
#4 Decorate Their Bedroom Door
You can decorate their door in such a way that they have to break out of it! Use more balloons, tape, streamers and other decorations, and be waiting on the other side when they come out! You can even decorate both sides!
#5 Leave Them A Special Surprise In Their Lunch Box
If you pack your child’s lunch, or even if they pack their own, you can sneak a heartfelt letter into it before they leave for school so when they eat at lunchtime, they know you were thinking of them on their birthday!
#6 Birthday Message in The Bathroom
You can use special markers to write messages on the walls of the shower or the mirror!
#7 Birthday Messages Around The House
Why stop at the bathroom? Leave surprise birthday notes in places that they go throughout their day that won’t go unnoticed.
#8 Special Breakfast In Bed
Does your child have a favorite food? Even if it is not a typical breakfast food, surprise them with something on their birthday in the morning that is different than what they eat every other morning that you know they will love!
You can even deliver it to them in bed if they do not have anything to do that morning!
#9 Birthday Table Space
You can decorate their place at the table and give them a special food of their choice! This makes sense if they don’t have time before school or another event to be served breakfast in bed. Get creative and incorporate some of their interests into your design
#10 Birthday Compliments
This is sure to make your kid’s birthday special. Shower them with compliments whether it is one per day leading up to their special day or throughout the pre-planned birthday party!
#11 Get Ice cream From A Local Icecream Place
Take your kid out for ice cream! Ice cream has been enjoyed by kids and adults for centuries! You may always have ice cream in the freezer, but going out one on one with your child will definitely make their birthday special.
#12 Get Them A Special Cake
Grocery stores and bakeries everywhere sell standard cakes that you can pick up at a moment’s notice. This year, maybe you get them a special cake decorated with themes from their favorite tv show, video game, or something from one of their hobbies!
#13 Record Videos Of Their Birthday
Put your kid in the spotlight. Ask them creative questions. They may be embarrassed at the moment, but watching them in the years to come can be amusing for you and your kids.
#14 Measure Their Height
You may already be doing this, but if you aren’t start on their birthday so they can see how much bigger they are getting. They are still in the phase of life where getting older is exciting and getting bigger shoes, and growing taller makes them happy!
#15 Make Their New Age The Special Theme Of The Day
If your child is turning 7 you can give them only 7 cheerios in their bowl of cereal in the morning with 7 ounces of milk, (make sure to feed them later) make sure they put on 7 articles of clothing, and enforce the rule that everything has to be done in 7’s. If you and your child have a sense of humor this can be funny and will make their birthday special. Get creative!
#16 Invite A Special Guest
This can be in the form of entertainment, or a family member they haven’t seen in a long time, or simply, just put together a day where they get to see people that they love! It will make it worth your while as the party host to see their faces when their special guest arrives!
#17 Give Them A Special Birthday Object
Imbue a custom or found object with special birthday powers for them to wear during their birthday party or on their special day. You can joke with them that they won’t get a year older unless they wear it, (Unless this upsets them) or let them know that as long as they wear it that day, x, y, and z good things will happen to them!
#18 Put Them In Charge For A Day
One way to make your child’s birthday super special would be to let them call the shots for a day (within reason). They are used to being subject to your decrees, and the shoe being on the other foot for a day can really leave an impression on them. Don’t let them get to comfortable!
#19 Start A Bank Account For Them
Let your child know that they are getting their own personal bank account. Put some money in it every year on their birthday. You can even take them with you. It will make them feel so grown up!
#20 Give Them A Special Day With No Chores
If your child has regular chores that they are required to complete, that’s awesome! It builds character and teaches them valuable lessons.
Consider during their birthday week or month, giving them a break from their obligations. You know how good you feel when you have a PTO day at work. Consider this experience for your child!
#21 Take Them Out Of School For A Special Day
If your child is doing well at school, consider taking a day off from work, and spending the day with them however they choose. Make sure they still get their school work done, but giving them a break from school can really make your child’s day
#22 Pick A Special Birthday Spot
Take your child to a fun place at a park, or even an indoor trampoline park like Flying Squirrel Cranberry. Your special place can be wherever you choose. Take pictures of you and your child at this place every year in the same spot. This will make them feel special in the moment, and in the future, they will look back on it fondly.
#23 Reminisce
Bring out old photo albums of previous years, or look through your phone at fun moments you have had together. Make sure to communicate to them how important to you they are. This is a great way to make their birthday special.
#24 Let Your Child Help Plan Their Birthday To Make It Special
This can be simply letting them decorate the cake, but you can also bring them in on the decorating process. It may not look as picturesque as it would if you handled it all, but kids love being a part of things, and being able to put their personal touches on it can be great fun for them
#25 Get Creative With Singing Happy Birthday
When people sing happy birthday to you on your birthday you just sit there awkwardly most times smiling and not knowing what to do with yourself. If your family is musically inclined, bring out some instruments, remix the lyrics, and maybe even get people doing a little dance! This is a great family-friendly activity that you guys can share together.
#26 Log The Events of Their Party
Make a birthday scrapbook and fill it every year with photos and funny conversations and events that happened on their special day!
#27 Birthday Scavenger Hunt
Make their presents a game! This year instead of piling their presents up in front of them, or presenting them unceremoniously, gamify the event! Make them follow clues around your property or the birthday party venue to find their gifts, leaving the best for last!
#28 Tell The Story Of The Day They Were Born
Whether they woke you up at 4:00 in the morning and took as long as possible to come into the world, or if it was a seamless easy experience that you are grateful for there is bound to be something worth telling. Maybe you or your partner said or did something funny or emotional, maybe someone fainted. Make them feel special!
#29 Leave A Happy Birthday Message On The Sidewalk
Get some sidewalk chalk and write them a message with a happy picture, so when they are leaving to go get on the school bus, or getting off the bus to come into the house they see your loving message, and start their day feeling loved and special!
#30 Get Them Special Birthday Pajamas
New soft pajamas can help them go to sleep the night before comfortably and wake up for their big day! Alternatively, after a long day of birthday festivities, a new pair of jammies can be a special end to their birthday!
#31 Plant A Special Birthday Tree In Your Yard
Find a young tree at a park or nursery that is around the age of your child. Let them know that it is their tree and it is as special as they are! You can also take pictures of the two of them together every year on their birthday and watch them grow together
#32 Give Them Money For Every Year
Everyone likes getting money, and it may not seem special, but getting a dollar or 10 for every year they have been in your life can give them something to look forward to specifically every year.
#33 Use Cameo To Have Your Child’s Favorite Actor Send Them A Message
On Cameo, you can find famous people from tv shows, movies, and other people in the spotlight and have them Wish your child a happy birthday! Attention from the actor who portrays their favorite character can definitely make your child’s day special.
#34 Plan A Surprise Party
Surprise parties take a lot of time and work to get everything just right without your kids finding out. They will be able to acknowledge all the special care and effort that has gone into their surprise party.
#35 Rent A Party Bus
Take the party on the road with a party bus. Having a mobile unit that goes around to different locations will certainly be memorable and make your child’s birthday special.
#35 Start A Birthday Gift Collection
If there is a particular toy, collectible, or trinket that your child likes a variation of something in that category every year for their birthday and only on their birthday. Birthday traditions will make your child feel special when they look forward to them every year!
#36 Ask Them What Would Make Them Feel Special
This one seems kind of obvious but in an effort to make things a surprise we often resort to things we think we know about our loved ones and don’t ask them directly. This may not work with everyone, but even a simple question may make them feel special.
#37 Re-Tell The Story of Their Adoption
Not everyone is being raised by their birth parents. Let your child know what went through your head when you chose to adopt them and why. The fact that you outright chose them out of all the other children will make them feel special; like they are on top of the world
#38 Start A Birthday Time Capsule
Fill a container with things that are special to you and your child that have to do with them. Set a significant date to dig it up such as their 18th birthday as they are entering adulthood, or when they leave for college. You can even dig it up every year and put something new in it, and when they move out, you can look back at all the memories contained within
#39 Build A Pillow Fort
Save some presents to open specifically within the fort. Make it a special occasion where you and your child hang out together, open their gift and play with it together. Enjoying the things that your kids enjoy with them will leave an impression and make their day that much more special.
#40 Make Your Kids Feel Special At Flying Squirrel’s Indoor Trampoline Park
Flying Squirrel Erie is a great place for birthday parties! Our indoor trampoline park offers party packages for small groups, all the way up to full facility buyouts. These party packages include a party room, festive utensils and plates, pizza, water, free jump time for the guest of honor, and much more! Feel free to bring anything else that you want to help your child feel special on their birthday!
When your child spends their birthday playing with their friends on our many attractions with their friends, knowing that you spent hard-earned money and time getting this together for them, it will leave an impression, and they will feel special. Join us at Flying Squirrel Erie, for your children’s special day!