Meaningful Birthday Traditions weren't something I ever thought before I had kids. But right after we had my daughter's 1st birthday my hubby and I made up our minds to simplify kids' birthdays. So after celebrating her 2nd birthday we both agreed it was the best decision EVER!
It was a huge difference between those 2 parties. The first one was full of stress, planning, pinning on Pinterest, worrying, budget managing and overall not happy feelings. I barely remember THE PARTY!
The second birthday was a big progress and a much 'healthier' celebration.
Ever since I am alway looking out for some birthday traditions that aren't so materialistic nor they require a lot of preparation. They are meaningful and brings a lot of amazing memories that matter.
Jump to:
- 10 most favorite meaningful birthday traditions
- 1. Birthday Interview.
- 2. Remembering the year.
- 3. Family Bonding.
- 4. Hand-print Canvas.
- 5. Make it a YES day for a birthday kid.
- More ideas for birthday party
- 6. Make a tree for a birthday kid.
- 7. Make a time capsule of milestones.
- 8. Acts of kindness and service.
- 9. Share the birth story.
- 10. Favorite songs.
- BONUS: 14 Happy Family Traditions
10 most favorite meaningful birthday traditions
1. Birthday Interview.
You might have heard of this one already, but I guarantee you it's one of the best ones. Well, at least for our family. We have so much fun during the interview. Every family member writes down their questions that they want to ask the birthday child and then we ask them. Imagine listening to the answers after 20 years. Such a big long term gift!
You can find the question samples and a free printable here.
Here is a short version of Sofia's interview this year.
2. Remembering the year.
We started this birthday tradition 2 years ago and I am so proud of it. I write down cute and funny things my kids say or do and then read out loud on the birthday breakfast or dinner. I try not to mention embarrassing things, mostly it's something good they did, someone they helped, something they learned and of course something funny as well. It's amazing how many things happen during the year that we tend to forget.
3. Family Bonding.
I love this idea from Tothemoonandbackblog where they don't really have a party for a birthday kid, but they do something very special, that bonds the family. I love it.
4. Hand-print Canvas.
Check out Mamapapabubba for instructions. It's perfect activity during the day and the art piece that will stay forever!
5. Make it a YES day for a birthday kid.
- Donuts for breakfast? Sure!
- Want to play outside with your new dress? Sure!
- Want to eat ice-cream instead of dinner? Sure!
- Want to stay up past bed time? Sure!
More ideas for birthday party
6. Make a tree for a birthday kid.
7. Make a time capsule of milestones.
It's so simple and at the same time magical! Find the idea in Alldonemonkey blog.
8. Acts of kindness and service.
I have been wanting to start this birthday tradition long time ago but I was waiting for my daughter to actually understand the purpose of it. She did 6 acts of service this year (because she turned 6). We of course didn't do them all in one day.
We like to spread it out for the whole month of the birthday.
9. Share the birth story.
On the Birthday eve we like to share the birth story (my daughter wants to hear it over and over again). Also , we read the book On the Night You were born. It's my favorite!
10. Favorite songs.
Make a playlist of your child's favorite songs that he/she liked that year. Put either on the CD or just save as a digital copy. We love playing all those songs all through the day. Make sure to keep that list for future comparison to see how they "grow out" of certain songs and gain different taste for music.
I hope I inspired you to create more meaningful birthdays for your children.
BONUS: 14 Happy Family Traditions
Now that you know our birthday traditions, check out our daily Family Traditions that help us stay positive and create good memories every day of our lives.
What are YOUR favorite birthday traditions that are meaningful and bring most joy for the whole family?
Amber says
On birthday eve we watch family home videos and make popcorn. It's a good excuse to watch those old videos and reflect a bit.
Rachel says
I live this and want to all of these and more but I'm so lazy and never seem to get to it. I hate that I don't write in his baby book that often and seeing all of this makes me feel bad about what I'm not doing. Thanks for the ideas though. I will try to be better at making memories that my child can see and will have to rehash when he is older. Lol
Key says
Thank you for helping me realise that doing the small things are important for your child. It’s just so easy to get lost in the day work chores life in general, that we don’t make time for the special small things that we should be . I’m definitely going to try and make time to do some of these fun activities on your page with my son. Thank you