10 Alternatives to Parties for Celebrating Kids’ Birthdays

When my oldest child was about to have her first birthday, my husband and I decided that we were going to take a simple approach to celebrating birthdays. Now that a few years have passed and we have three kids, we’re so glad we’ve taken this approach!

Though we believe that forgoing extravagant parties is right for our family, it’s become a little more difficult to do so because my girls (especially my oldest) have noticed that their birthday celebrations aren’t like those of their friends. While we usually celebrate with a special cake (or other treat), a gift or two, and a fun activity, their friends often have parties that include decorations, fancy cakes, piles of presents, party favors, games, etc.

When my kids contrast their celebrations with those of their friends, it provides a great opportunity for me to help them understand the concepts of contentment and being happy for others. However, these are really hard concepts for young kids to grasp. Moreover, my mama’s heart really wants to give wonderful things to my kids! I love doing special things for them.

As I’m trying to balance my desire to keep our birthday celebrations simple with my desire to do special things for my kids, I’ve brainstormed and come across some ideas that can help me do both!

Special ways to celebrate kids’ birthdays that don’t involve parties

• Birthday card deluge. Kids love getting mail. We can ask family members and close friends to write a few words of encouragement in birthday cards and send these to our kids. This gives kids special mail to open and provides them with encouraging words to let them know how much they are loved!
• Simple gathering with family members or a few close friends. Birthday gatherings don’t have to be elaborate or expensive. We can invite over some family members or a few of our kids’ friends for a simple birthday celebration. We can prepare a meal requested by the birthday child, have a fun game or activity, and enjoy a homemade birthday cake.
• Surprise balloons. We can stuff little notes of encouragement and gifts (movie tickets, vouchers for activities, dollar bills, candy, etc.) into balloons and then inflate them. Throughout the day during their birthdays, our kids can pop these balloons to discover the treasures they contain (idea source).
• Birthday gear. I’ve heard of families who have a special birthday crown or birthday plate that each child gets to use on his or her special day. Older kids may or may not be impressed by these items, but younger kids love getting to use special gear on their birthdays!
• Family outing. We can go on family outings for birthdays. If a little extra money is available, this could mean a trip to the zoo, a museum, or an amusement park. However, when we can’t afford something like this, it can mean a picnic at the park, a day at the beach, or a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood.
• Birthday menu. We can let our kids choose the menus for their birthdays. This could be as simple as choosing what to have for dinner, but we can really make it exciting by letting them choose all the meals! Their choices may not be the most conventional or the most nutritious, but I think this is okay because it only happens on birthdays.
• Birthday decorations. There are so many different ways we can decorate to create cheery atmospheres for our kids’ birthdays. We can hang streamers from doorways, set up balloon avalanches, use the “good dishes” when eating meals, hang garlands from mantels or on walls, festoon their dining table chairs like thrones, etc.
• Introduce the next steps in growing up. We can sit down with our kids and discuss the exciting ways their lives are going to change because they are getting older. This can include exciting things like larger allowances or later bedtimes, but it may also include things like new chores (idea source). We can use this time to praise them for how they have grown in maturity over the last year and cite specific things that we love about them. We can also cast vision for how they will grow in the coming year.
• Give to others. It feels wonderful to give to others. When kids get old enough to realize this, they may appreciate being able to do something for others as part of their birthday celebrations. As long as they meet the volunteer requirements for age and training, kids can spend time on their birthdays volunteering at places like homeless shelters, animal shelters, hospitals, and libraries. They can also collect food for local food banks. A particularly neat idea is to volunteer with or give to organizations that help homeless kids or hospitalized kids celebrate their birthdays. These include The Birthday Party Project and The Confetti Foundation.

As I’ve considered all of these possibilities, one thing really stands out in my mind: Time together is more valuable than “stuff.” Sometimes I feel mom guilt creeping in because my daughters don’t get the same sort of celebrations that many of their friends do, but this reminder is freeing. Party or no party, quality time together is the best thing I can give to my kids.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! How do you feel about kids’ birthday parties? What are some special ways you celebrate birthdays in your family?

Shared at the following:

Tuesdays with a Twist, Thursday Favorite Things, Over the Moon, and Encouraging Hearts and Home.