Celebrations in the classroom can be tricky to manage. You want to be respectful of everyone’s beliefs and customs while also creating culture and community with your learners. Religious holidays most understand, but what about celebrating birthdays in the classroom?
When I taught elementary school, birthdays were a big thing. Students would get so excited about their birthday months and then their birthday weeks and then their birthday date. It was THE event of the year! Birthdays were a day to celebrate with classmates. Parents would bring cupcakes and Capri Suns and all sorts of pomp and circumstance. Now, birthday celebrations are far less grand thanks to social distancing, food allergies, and time constraints.
Then I moved up to sixth grade. At the middle school level, birthdays aren’t even thought about! As a teacher of 100+ students, I cannot possibly celebrate everyone’s birthday with all the love and respect each one deserves. Time is of the essence and with high-stakes testing, there is very little downtime in any given class. Still, I have found simple solutions for a birthday bash fit for any grade level. Here they are! Please note: affiliate links are scattered throughout this post.
A Reason to Celebrate!
Kids like attention. Good or bad, they want it. As a teacher and often secondary mom, I give it to them! Your students want to know they mean something to you. They are more than a body in your homeroom class or a number on your roster.
Sometimes, it’s the littlest things that take up the most space in our hearts. Do you hold morning meetings? Have a bellringer or do now slide projected at the start of class? Throw a one-liner like “happy birthday to (insert name here)” on there! If you have the Bitmoji extension installed on your computer, inserting a festive graphic is easy.
I’ve also got a birthday seat cover that goes over the special student’s chair. I got mine at the dollar store and it lasted for over six years before it finally ripped and I replaced it. Other acknowledgments include:
- birthday pencils – students of all ages loooooove smencils!
- birthday crowns for the littles (certificates work for the middle years and beyond)
- birthday bulletin board – leave it up all year and snap a photo of the birthday kid when it’s their special day!
Check out Target’s dollar spot (Bullseye’s Playground), especially during back-to-school season. I’ve gotten cute birthday pins and bookmarks for cheap. My middle schoolers enjoy water bottle stickers and pins for their backpacks the most!
Birthday Perks
Ask any kid the best part about their birthday and you’ll get one of two responses: the cake or the presents! Birthdays come with many perks… but as a teacher, real talk: I ain’t got that kind of money to shell out on students. The solution? Priceless perks! Give students a special homework pass or privilege on their big day. Other free birthday rewards to consider:
- Birthday Lunch Bunch – choose 2 friends to eat lunch with you in class
- V.I.P. Seating – have a designated desk filled with stickers, smelly markers, color pens, etc. for your Very Important Person to use on their birthday
Pomp and Circumstance
No birthday is complete without a birthday song sing-along. Here are some tried and true favorites:
- Go Noodle: Birthday Song – the traditional birthday song but with a twist from your favorite Noodlers!
- Go Noodle: Celebrate with Blazer Fresh – my upper elementary and middle schoolers love the high-energy rap style of this celebratory song!
- Kidz Bop Kids: It’s Your Birthday – this original song is a dance-along, too!
- Koo Koo Kanga Roo: Birthday Hooray – probably best for a younger crowd, this cheer asks questions to get to know your birthday buddy!
- Minions: Happy Birthday – join Stuart, Kevin, Bob, and the rest of the yellow gang for a silly birthday song!
ACTIONABLE STEPS: How are you celebrating birthdays in the classroom? Share your thoughts below!
