Celebrating a birthday at school doesn’t have to mean missing out on optimal fun. It was my daughter’s birthday last week and when I asked her what she would like to take in to celebrate with her classmates she said cupcakes! She had a wonderful birthday at school and enjoyed being able to hand her cakes out to her classmates and teacher. They sang Happy Birthday and somehow she managed to be “class leader” for the day – so it was a pretty special day for her.
But it got me thinking about other things you could take in to celebrate a birthday at school.
I realise some schools have abandoned this notion now because of legitimate reasons such as food allergies, food safety and not wanting to have the whole class on a sugar high. BUT if your school still allows in-class celebrations, try one of these ideas.
Have a very happy birthday at school
1. Cupcakes
Cupcakes are a favourite way to have a fun birthday at school. They are ideal because they are individually wrapped and scream birthday party! Your child could choose their favourite colour icing and perhaps the type of sprinkles on top. Add some festive flags or even a roll or two of streamers (if your child’s teacher is up for it!). Remember to keep any class food allergies in mind when baking / buying.
Related: Thinking about food allergies from a child’s perspective.
2. Pencils
Everyone could always do with another pencil and this one will act as a good memento of your child’s birthday. We bought a bulk pack of pencils from our local grocery store (these ones were $1 for 25) and glued on a little Happy Birthday sign to each. What a great way to make a birthday kid feel special.
3. Jelly Cups
Jelly cups are easy to do and they work well as a small sweet treat. They are also easy for a teacher to manage (meaning they will hopefully welcome future birthday at school parties!). You decide how much in each cup and whether you add a lolly, etc. Ours had rainbows (sour straps) and a yellow theme as you can see below. These also cater for kids with allergies to wheat, eggs, nuts, etc.
4. Ice-blocks
Fill a bucket with ice and pop some ice-blocks in. This one is probably best done just before pick up. You could also arrange to pop into the class 10 minutes before bell time to bring the ice-blocks in. This is a fun and inexpensive one that caters for most allergies as well. Especially good in the warmer months.
5. Balloons
Nothing screams birthday fun like a balloon. Even if it’s a birthday at school. This bag of 25 balloons were $3 and are also printed with Happy Birthday! Bonus. The teacher will love you for the non-sugary treat!
6. Small lolly bags
Lollies are a hit. The beauty with these is the teacher or your child can hand them out at the end of the day and parents can decide when their kids get to eat them. Here we have filled tiny zip lock bags with a few jelly beans and stapled a small Happy Birthday sign to each. You can decide whether to personalise the sign or not, and how many lollies to include for each child.
Related: 8 party bag alternatives
7. Stickers
Stickers are another sugar-free way to celebrate a birthday at school. They are inexpensive and you can get large packs from bargain shops that would accommodate enough for a class. You can buy Happy Birthday ones or get something your child is in to like Pirates, Star Wars, Fairies, Dinosaurs, etc.
8. Biscuits
Either store-bought or homemade, biscuits are a good idea. These ones are tic-toc biscuits with icing holding the Smarties on. So simple, but appreciate so much by the kids.
Try these: Magical fairy wand biscuits recipe
9. Birthday Numbers
This is a really simple one that I have seen done a number of times. We have sticky-taped on some Freddos to form the number the birthday child is turning. You could cut out the number from cardboard (eg. the number 8) and sticky tape on their favourite treat. (Individually wrapped works best).
In the week leading up to your child’s birthday, remember to check in with their teacher to make sure your planned celebration fits in with their daily plan. Given enough warning, this should not be a problem.
