Birthday Parties

[kcnjason]

What do other home childcares do for birthday parties? I use to go all out but now that I have younger kids I'm trying to keep it simple. I'd like to hear ideas of how you celebrate a childs birthday in your care? Presents? gift bags? Cupcakes? Do you supply Everything???? Hoping to hear some great ideas!

I usually have the parents bring in cupcakes, cookies or whatever they want to. Some parents also bring goodie bags for the other kids. I supply the party hats, candles, plates and napkins. One year a parent handed me $20 for pizza for lunch for everyone. That went over really well. I usually also put up a Happy Birthday banner and take photos for the parents.

[DCBlessings27]

I don't do a whole lot for daycare birthdays. I buy each dck a toy--5-10 dollars and then make a cheap box cake that we share. I take pics of the kid opening the gift and of all the dcks eating the cake. No decorations though.

[Meyou]

I do cupcakes and play a game at afternoon snack. I have two families that come for afternoon snack and do a full little party for their kid and then skip the mess at home. I don't mind because it's less weekend parties I'm invited to and feel I have to attend (and then be expected to help at).

[makap]

I ALWAYS have birthday parties and go all out! I invite the parents and any other special family members of that child for a special pizza lunch. I bake mini cupcakes and we have ice cream! I make sure to pick up birthday cups and plates, I decorate a little and get some balloons (The children are not allowed to touch them though, they are only for decoration as they are a choking risk)

We play games, blow bubbles and do more fun noisy things that we don't normally do. We play more upbeat music than we normally play and dance and just have fun!

I don't do goody bags (another choke risk) but I do buy the birthday child a special gift and all of their friends at daycare give it to the child and it goes in the birthday child's cubby until the child is ready to go home. The birthday child is not allowed to open their gift at daycare but has to do it at home with mom and dad.

I make the day super special and it is so much fun!!

[countrymom]

Originally Posted by katieica

I don't do a whole lot for daycare birthdays. I buy each dck a toy--5-10 dollars and then make a cheap box cake that we share. I take pics of the kid opening the gift and of all the dcks eating the cake. No decorations though.

thats what I do, oh I make a crown for them to wear too.

[WImom]

parents bring a treat and I have a birthday crown they can color. We have the treat for snack and sing happy birthday. I also buy a small gift and send it home for the child to open.

Not sure if I'll continue with this since it's been awhile since I've had a single thankyou for those gifts. I might switch to just a card and stickers.

[icaredaycare]

i'm not big on the birthday parties. We normally just acknowledge the childs day, sing the birthday song, and continue on with the day. However, if the parents bring in cupcakes or cake, we will sing the song during snack time, hand out the treats, and continue on with the day.

[Christina72684]

We started celebrating birthdays in January since we opened last summer and wasn't ready to handle something else with all the other things that come with opening a new daycare and having 12 kids all at once and not really knowing what we were doing

We had 5 kids with January birthdays, so we picked a date in the middle of the month and celebrated all of them together and had parents bring in food and they got to pick a present from the Treasure Chest and wore hats and sang songs. Our February birthday was on the 12th so we combined her birthday with Valentine's Day which she didn't care b/c she's an after schooler. We have 5 birthdays again in March, so we're doing a big party again. Thank goodness we don't have any April birthdays and only one in May so we don't have to worry about it again for a while.

[MrsB]

I try to keep it simple but special.

Parents used to offer to make cupcakes or bring stuff, but I found I get into hot water with the kids, if mom/dad forget. So we make cupcakes and the birthday child gets to pick the color and flavor. Each kids gets to decorate their own cupcakes, we sing with candles, the birthday child get to be my kitchen helper for the day which includes their choice for lunch. I have a big roll of paper and the kids take turns guessing how big of a piece we will need for the birthday child, we trace their body, measure how big they are, then we all lay on the floor and color it, trying to make it resemble them and what they are wearing that day. The kids absolutely love it!

This way its special but not much extra expense and we can stick to the daily routine for the most part.

[NiciMeyers84]

Originally Posted by WImom

parents bring a treat and I have a birthday crown they can color. We have the treat for snack and sing happy birthday. I also buy a small gift and send it home for the child to open.

Not sure if I'll continue with this since it's been awhile since I've had a single thankyou for those gifts. I might switch to just a card and stickers.

They may not even know to say thank you, a lot of the children I've been around expect everything to be done for them, so there's an expectation of gifts on a birthday.

I really liked the idea of doing a special group arts and craft project in celebration, instead of gifts.

[blessingsbunch]

Originally Posted by kcnjason

What do other home childcares do for birthday parties? I use to go all out but now that I have younger kids I'm trying to keep it simple. I'd like to hear ideas of how you celebrate a childs birthday in your care? Presents? gift bags? Cupcakes? Do you supply Everything???? Hoping to hear some great ideas!

I ask parents if they want to bring treats and if they don't I make something. After naptime we sing Happy Birthday and have treats and I send the birthday boy/girl home with a small gift around $5...

[kayla]

Originally Posted by katieica

I don't do a whole lot for daycare birthdays. I buy each dck a toy--5-10 dollars and then make a cheap box cake that we share. I take pics of the kid opening the gift and of all the dcks eating the cake. No decorations though.

same here!!