How Do I Make My Child’s Birthday Special When It’s Near a Holiday?

Below are some ideas to help ensure your children will feel special on their special day and not overshadowed by the holidays.
 

Halloween

Have everyone dress up in their costumes a few days early! The parents will be happy the children will be using their costumes more than once, and the kids will have a blast. How do you make it different from Halloween? Have the party at a farm and go pumpkin and apple picking together! You may want to ask parents to volunteer since the apples can be high up and the pumpkins heavy, but this will be a party no one will forget—and what an adorable group picture you’ll get!
 

Christmas or Hanukkah

This is a great time of year to teach our children what the holidays are really about. Instead of having all of the children bring your child a gift, have them bring one dollar and a gift for “a child.” Your child will then count up all of the dollars and be so excited to be able to buy a gift with the money he or she received. The gifts that were brought can be donated to homeless or orphaned children, or any type of group that you and your child feel could use some assistance. Hot chocolate for everyone!
 

Valentine’s Day

Hold the party a few days early and create Valentine’s Cards! To help inspire the children of what to write, have them sit in a circle and tell the birthday girl or boy one thing they like about them. Then ask them to think about who they would like to make a card for and what they would like to write. Glitter, colorful glue, pipe cleaners, flat sequins, construction paper in pink, red, and white, and colorful markers should do the trick! You can also hold this party at a ceramics studio for a similar feel, and they can make Valentine’s gifts instead of cards.