Birthday traditions are what make their birthday feel special, the routine that makes them get excited for their day. Every family has their own, whether passed down or adopted from other people's traditions. These seven birthday traditions are simple but will make their childhood memories so special.
Photos with all the presents
An easy way to see how your little ones change over time is through changes in their taste. By taking a photo of them with all their presents, you can see how what they loved changed and the obsessions they had over the years, all tracked for you to look back on. Ten years from now, that stack of gifts says more about who they were at five than almost anything else could.
Dressing up as their theme
They pick the theme, and you wear the costumes. Dressing up as their favourite characters, shorts players or food, is definitely one way to make their birthday special each year. Making their theme come alive, every year.
Cake for breakfast
Nothing says birthday like cake before 9 am. It’s a treat and something to look forward to on their day. It’s the perfect way to celebrate them from the very start of the day. Many families keep this one going well into adulthood.
Traditional party games
Pass the parcel, musical chairs, the chocolate game- the classics you loved become traditions for your little ones. They also age well: the games from your own childhood birthdays are often the ones you're most excited to pass down.
Decorating the night before
Waking up to a transformed room — balloons, banners, streamers already up — creates a moment of pure magic before the birthday has even properly started. It also means the actual day can be about experiences rather than admin.
Writing a letter for every birthday
Writing a letter to your children each year is an easy but really meaningful tradition to start as parents. It's one of the most quietly powerful traditions out there: a real record of who your child was becoming, in your own words, at each age.
The birthday "interview"
A quick set of the same questions, asked every year: favourite food, best friend, what you want to be when you grow up, best moment of the year. Filmed or written down, these become time capsules that capture them as they were each year and how they have grown.
The birthday plate
A tradition we are seeing more and more is a special plate, just for the birthday person, just for that day. People often make it into an activity by going pottery painting to make their own or have them make their own birthday plate. It is a simple and reusable way to make your kids feel special on their day.