↑

Playdates to Parties

DIY Party Crafts and Recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers, Sides, and Finger Foods
    • Drinks
    • Main Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Cooking Tips & Tricks
  • Crafts
    • Printables
    • Cricut Crafts
    • Kid Crafts and Activities
    • Organization
    • DIY Projects
  • Parties
    • Kids Parties
    • Baby Showers and Gender Reveals
    • Party Games
    • Party Music
    • Grown Up Parties
    • Gift Ideas
    • Party Planning Tips
  • Holidays
    • New Year’s Eve
    • Valentines Day
    • St. Patricks Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • July 4th
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • About
    • Contact
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
  • Hostess Toolkit
  • Shop

5 Birthday Traditions That Aren’t a Party (Plus a Free Printable)

April 2, 2020 by Leslie 11 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. To learn more, please read our disclosure and privacy policy

You don’t need to throw a huge party to make memories that will last a lifetime when you have these 5 fun and easy birthday traditions.

close up of sprinkle covered cinnamon rolls with the text 5 kid-approved birthday traditions no party necessary

“I want to be a mommy or a teacher…that way I can be the boss”

My oldest on her 3rd birthday

Sometimes hosting a big birthday party just isn’t possible.

You may have a tight budget one year, or health problems that sap all your energy. Or maybe there’s just too much going on in the world around you to be able to invite people over.

And that’s okay.

You can still go nuts for your kids parties when the dust settles and life is back to normal.

But in the meantime your kids definitely deserve to be celebrated...which is why starting some awesome birthday traditions now makes all the difference.

Keeping up with small things like the ideas below will give your kids something to look forward to each year, while also creating fond memories for years to come.

(like that quote from my oldest at the top…it’s one of our favorite gems)

5 Spectacular Birthday Traditions That Don't Require a Party

Fill Out a Birthday Interview 

Once your kid turns 3, it's so much fun to keep an annual interview series.

First off, their answers can be pretty darn hilarious. But it's also a lot of fun to go back and see what the kids’ answers were year after year.

The kids love to see how the responses change over the years, too.

You can download a FREE copy of the birthday interview you see above. Then you (or your kid) can fill out the answers and add them to a binder or a folder to keep for next year.

You’ll definitely want to grab your copy today! Fill out the form above or click Continue Reading to learn more.

Have a Yes Day Birthday

My son had his first Yes Day birthday in 2020, and has been asking for them ever since!

The concept is simple: For one day, your child can ask for anything, and you have to say yes.

  • Ice cream for breakfast: Heck yeah!
  • Movie Marathon: You got it.
  • Whole house fort: Go for it.
  • Telling silly jokes for an hour? Sure. Why not?

Sounds crazy, right? It doesn't have to be! Click the button below to see how we set up simple rules our kids could follow while still having an amazing birthday, and to download your a free printable Yes Day planner.

Make an extra special breakfast

Making a special breakfast is the easiest way to get the day off to a spectacular start.

It just takes a tiny bit of thought and preparation, and makes the day start off so right.

Here are a few of our favorite special breakfasts:

  • Donuts in the birthday kids’ favorite colors
  • Cinnamon rolls with extra icing and sprinkles
  • Head out to the birthday kids’ favorite brunch spot
  • All-marshmallows cereal
  • Make a pancake cake like this one from Sugar Swings

Sneak in a Birthday Morning Surprise

We’re all familiar with the phrase “It’s the thought that counts.”

Well, this birthday tradition is all about thought.

What you do: While your kid is asleep the night before their birthday, you take some time to set up an extra-special surprise either in their bedroom or right outside their bedroom. That way, they will be greeted with celebration from the moment they wake up.

Fair Warning: Doing this every year may be going a bit overboard, but it’s a great idea for milestone birthdays, or if your kid is having to deal with some big transitions (new baby, tough time at school, family illnesses).

Tip: Don’t forget to shop your house for supplies! If you have extra balloons and streamers left over from parties, then it won’t cost you anything more than your time.

Here are a few surprises to consider:

- Sneak a few dozen balloons into the bedroom while your child sleeps
- Hang streamers on the birthday kids’ door
- Add baby pictures to the strings at the bottom of helium balloons
- Cover the bedroom door with plastic and add balloons underneath to create a balloon avalanche when the birthday kid opens his or her door.

Leave Special Messages All Over the House

This is another fun idea that can be as big or as small as you want!

But the basic idea is that you leave messages around the house to surprise the birthday kid and to let them know how special they really are.

This will probably be one of those birthday traditions that adapts well as your child gets older, too.

Feel free to get creative with this one, but I like these ideas:

- Write on mirrors and windows with window crayons like Skip to My Lou did for her kids’ 17th birthday
- Put post-its with little love notes on their toothbrush, in their drawer, or anywhere else that is hidden in plain sight
- Have older siblings help out and create a birthday sign with a big chalkboard
- Put a special note (and snack) in the birthday kid’s lunch box.

Now, It’s Your Turn

See? You don’t have to plan huge birthday parties to make your child feel special.

All it takes is one of these fun birthday traditions to make memories that will truly last a lifetime. And, with the free printable birthday interview it’s easier than ever to get started!

Now I want to know…

Do you have any birthday traditions with your kids?
How do you make your kids feel special?


Join me over at Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter,

for more fun ideas and inspiration!

(Note: This Article was originally published on August 8, 2012)

  • Share8
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Blog, Family, Kid Crafts and Activities, Kids, Kids Parties, Printables Tagged With: featured, Library, printable games, printable gifts, traditions

About Leslie

Leslie is the passionate party planner in her family. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, she was determined to find a way to continue making amazing parties for her kids that don't leave you exhausted. To do that Leslie combines the experience she learned working for a professional event planner with the reality of a busy family life to create party inspiration that the average mom can reproduce and be proud of.

Comments

  1. Eva @ The Multitasking Woman says

    April 22, 2018 at 7:20 pm

    These are really lovely ideas! I particularly love the birthday interview. Pinned : )

    Reply
  2. Julie says

    April 22, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    I love the birthday interview idea, what a lovely thing to look back on with them when they turn 18!
    I collected a few ideas together a year or so ago for a blog post. In our family we’ve always done birthday breakfast – croissants, expensive OJ with bits – that sort of thing. I found a load of fun ideas that other people had done, I think my favourite was Happy Birthday Pizza with the words spelt out on top in cheese, How fun is that!

    Reply
  3. SONJA ANDERSON says

    April 23, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    Love these ideas! I have a friend who always used the same home-made birthday tablecloth, so the dining room always looked special too. I wish I had done the birthday interview with my own when they were small. Such a cute idea!

    Reply
  4. Wrae Sanders says

    April 24, 2018 at 8:57 am

    These look so fun! It’s never too late to start something new, right?

    Reply
  5. Alicia Owen says

    April 26, 2018 at 9:28 am

    I think it’s especially important to leave special notes or surprises in the morning if your kids are in school. 🙂 My parents always did that for me, even though my mom was always gone for work by the time I got up. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Jennifer Wise says

    April 26, 2018 at 10:22 am

    These are really fun ideas. There really are some great ways to make the kiddos feel special without it killing mom. 😉 We do special birthday breakfasts at our house, and I do streamers with balloons behind them for 16th birthdays. (Then when they open the door, they get a balloon avalanche.) I love the interview question ideas! #embracingchangelinky

    Reply
  7. Mother of 3 says

    April 26, 2018 at 8:34 pm

    We definitely make a special breakfast for the birthday boy and we usually give them the whole day off from chores and let them pick out the dinner menu too.

    Reply
  8. Rachel @ Smart Smart Smart IDEas says

    April 27, 2018 at 5:25 am

    As my children get older, I prefer family celebrations to large parties. These are great ideas to make your child’s birthday special.

    Reply
  9. Naomi says

    April 28, 2018 at 10:18 am

    Hi Leslie!
    These are great birthday traditions, my favorite is the birthday interview. Have a great weekend!
    Naomi

    Reply
  10. April J Harris says

    April 30, 2018 at 11:00 am

    Pinned! What fantastic traditions to start with your kids. These are the sort of things they will remember! Thank you so much for sharing, Leslie and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party.

    Reply
  11. ShootingStarsMag says

    September 1, 2021 at 10:13 am

    I think birthday interviews are so cute! And I love the idea of making a scrapbook and creating a new page each year.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I love helping busy moms create DIY parties that aren’t overwhelming. Here you'll find crafts, recipes, and fun printables you can use to create a celebration you’re proud of that you get to enjoy too! Read More
See My Latest Stories

Reader’s Favorites

The Happy Now Blog Link Up #358

The Best Gender Reveal Party Games to Keep Them Guessing

40+ Kids Birthday Party Songs That Won’t Drive You Crazy

5 Birthday Traditions That Aren’t a Party (Plus a Free Printable)

The Best Party Games for Toddlers | 20 Easy Ideas

Must-HaveParty Supplies

BrowseParty Themes

Submit a Party &Get Featured!

See all thePrintables



Copyright ©2023, Playdates to Parties. All Rights Reserved. // Design by Pixel Me Designs. // Privacy Policy.
All images original to this website are the property of From Play Dates to Parties. Use of a single watermarked image is only authorized with a link and reference to the original source. Republishing posts in their entirety or removing/editing watermarks is prohibited without permission. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated. Thank you!
3757 shares