Your child means the world to you, but even for those who are the most special in our lives, it can be difficult to know how to make it special for them. Even with a limited budget, you can easily show your child all the love that you feel for them.
ASK THEM!
Many of us find it easy to be in our own heads, and feel the pressure to figure everything out on our own. However, we don’t always have to do that. If you aren’t sure what would make your child’s birthday special or how they would like to celebrate, ask them! Often being direct is the best way to get the information that you are looking for. However, just because you ask them what they want to do or what would be special, doesn’t mean that you can’t keep your plans a secret — by asking, you get the information that you need.
REMEMBER IT ISN’T ALWAYS ABOUT THE COST
It can be easy to get caught up in how much money you are spending and feel pressure to really knock it out of the park, especially if your child has friends who have access to money. However, remember that expensive doesn’t always equal special. Sometimes the most special things in life are the small simple things such as a heartfelt note in lunch box telling your child how much you love them, or balloons and breakfast in bed on their birthday. If you must budget money spent on your child’s birthday, finding a balance between those things that are costly and the priceless can be a winning combination.
SURROUNDED BY THEIR FRIENDS
The people that are in our lives are the ones that often give our lives meaning and provide us the most fulfillment. One of the best ways to help your child feel special is to have them surrounded by friends. Planning a party or a fun outing can be a great way to help your child’s friends get involved with making your child’s birthday special. You could even have them all sign a card for your child or make a memory book and have them talk about their favorite memory that they have with your child.
PLAN A PARTY
Planning a party can be a great way to help your child feel special, help them make memories that they won’t forget, and get their friends and even family involved in making their day special. To learn more about planning a birthday party for your child, read our last blog. Planning a party can seem intimidating especially to the party planning novice — however, with the right steps it’s easy!
DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Having birthday traditions can be a great way to celebrate a birthday. However, is this the year to change things up? To make your child’s birthday extra special, try doing something different than what you’ve always done. This could be adding an extra birthday surprise, planning a party, or even allowing them to take a day off from school.
MAKE TIME FOR THE LITTLE THINGS
As we mentioned earlier in our blog, the little things can often make a big difference when it comes to celebrating a birthday. They can allow you to show your child that they are special in a way that money can’t buy. Here are some ideas for making your child’s birthday special in easy small ways:
MAKE A BIRTHDAY CHAIR
If your child has a specific chair that they sit at at the dinner table, decorate it with balloons and other decorations for the week or day of their birthday.
BIRTHDAY SCAVENGER HUNT
Want to give the gifts to your child in a special way? Try a scavenger hunt that will take them to their gifts. Print out clues and leave them around the house or even outside!
MAKE A MEMORY BOOK
A memory book made by you or your child’s friends can easily show them that they are loved. Make a scrapbook or even create one using services such as Shutterfly.
A SPECIAL DELIVERY
Have flowers or a cake special delivered to their school on their birthday. This can help other children know it’s your child’s birthday and they can celebrate, too!
MAKE A BIRTHDAY COUNTDOWN
To keep the excitement going, make a birthday countdown calendar or chain. You could even create an advent-like calendar that they can enjoy with a candy or small gift for each day up until their birthday.
BALLOON BOMB THEM
Surprise your child with a room full of balloons. You can simply buy a pack of your child’s favorite color of balloon and blow them up yourself or even pick up helium-filled balloons, too!
GIVE THEM A BIRTHDAY INTERVIEW
If your child is old enough, create a birthday interview that asks them about this past year: what they liked about it, what they wish was different and what they want for their next year. This can be a great way for helping them create their own goals.
CHOOSE A CAUSE
If your child loves helping others, why not choose a cause or help them do nice things for friends and family. This can be a great way for your child to experience the joys of helping others and how rewarding it can be to give back.
MAKE A BIRTHDAY TIME CAPSULE
Another great way to celebrate your child’s life is to make a time capsule filled with items that represent their favorite things or items from their birthday party. Open the time capsule every year or in a few years.
Stay tuned for more blog posts about making your child’s birthday the best yet. Also, be sure to visit our website to learn more about celebrating with us! Jungle George’s offers an indoor bounce house and VR game arcade in Fort Wayne. We would love to help make your child’s birthday special.
