Birthdays???

[sahdaycaremom]

Hi was just wondering what you all do for you dck's birthdays? Do you have a party? Get them a present? If so, what kind of presents do you buy? One of my dcg's birthday is next week and was trying to figuring out what to do for her! Thanks

[DCMomOf3]

I encourage the parents to bring a birthday treat but if they don't, we'd have something here. Either cake, or cookies, or similar. I do buy presents, usually $20 or less. I just gave a stuffed animal and a coloring book to a DCG.

[SunflowerMama]

We usually just do a cake or cupcakes and I help the other kids make a card.

[tenderhearts]

I always buy cupcakes or special cookies. I do buy them a small gift, I try to stick to no more than $8.00. I try to get something crafty for them. I give them a card that says happy birthday how old they are and who it's from. We don't really have a "party" but we sing happy birthday and I take a group picture of everyone with the birthday child. They think it's special. I also put on my birthday wall who's birthdays are that month, each name is on a birthday background and they get to wear it and take it home on the day of their birthday. I saw somewhere you can do birthday crowns, I think through oriental trading and I've thought about doing that too.

[DanceMom]

I always buy cupcakes - if the parents offer to bring something - great - but they usually never do. I also buy them something for under $20 - usually a book or a color book - something on the educational side.

[Pammie]

I LOVE to help the dc kids celebrate their birthday:-)

I give the birthday child an age-appropriate hard-cover book...always a book, nothing else, nothing more.

I have a "Birthday Box" that comes out only when we celebrate a birthday. It's just a box that I've wrapped the outside with birthday paper. Inside are plastic festive plates and cups (from the dollar store) to make mealtime special. Also are some honeycomb table decorations, generic party hats, special party games (beanbags that I sewed out of birthday theme fabric) as well as a big felt "put the party hat on the teddy bear" - like a pin the tail on the donkey game...as well as laminated party theme pictures for a cake-walk type of game. Also in the box are some dollar store bead necklaces, feather boas and anything else I pick up at the dollar store or garage sales to make things special. The box comes out the morning of someone's birthday and goes back away, with all it's contents until the next birthday.

The kids just LOVE the "Birthday Box".

I hate the mess that cupcakes make, so I make sugar cookies for birthdays, and discourage parents from sending any treats or extra presents....that way, everyone's birthday is equal.

[legomom922]

I always celebrate their bdays. First I do not charge for that day, & I buy them a gift, balloon and if possible take them out to lunch and then come back here and have dessert, usually a small cake and we sing happy bday.

I also do special things for xmas and easter, & valentines day.

[melissa ann]

I used to get the kids a present, but stopped. Parents don't appreciate it.
I do make cupcakes which everyone helps. Spinkles on top. For the afternoon snack we have the cupcakes, since Happy Birthday. I do have the kids make a card for the b-day kid and sometimes draw a picture or make a bookmark.

[tenderhearts]

I do agree that most parents don't appreciate it. Some do and it really makes it worth while when they do appreciate it even if it is only a few that do, I still like to do it, it's for the kids anyways. It seems the parents that do appreciate it appreciate me and show me by getting me a gift on Christmas ect.

[SilverSabre25]

I love some of these and will be using them. I've been trying to solve the birthday quandary for a few months now. Some people have mentioned that the parents don't appreciate the birthday gift--how do you know? What does anyone think about getting them a book to stay in the daycare's library?

[legomom922]

I used to get the kids a present, but stopped. Parents don't appreciate it.

Who cares if the parents don't appreciate it, aren't you doing it for the child? Afterall, it's the childs birthday, NOT the parents. I do things to make the CHILDS day special and make them happy, I could care less what the parents think, it's not about them.

[MarinaVanessa]

I plan to do Birthday crafts with the kids and yes I buy the child a gift under $20. We make crowns out of construction paper and hand-prints (I do alot of handprint themes crafts because it's my logo) for everyone and wear them all day, we make sugar-free cookie dough (out of a sweetener ) and make hand-print cookies, we make a large birthday card as a group for the Bday child to take home etc. I'm open to having the parents bring something as long as it doesn't have nuts or real sugar in it but not many ever do.

[momofboys]

I usually make a special treat & do homemade cards/buy a gift. I also have had very little appreciation from the parent (& child to be honest) for some of the efforts I have put out to celebrate a child's special day. My last family had two b-days in May & I spent about 10-15 on each child. The mom never thanked us for all we had done. Of course I was not doing it (party/gifts/cake, we made homemade strawberry cake) for the mom but it would have been nice if she had acknowledged it or even said thank you. I believe that is what Melissa was referring to. Naturally we do things to make the kids happy, I still would do so in a heartbeat but it would be nice to get a simple thanks! I have done a special treasure hunt on birthdays also where all the clues to find things were geared toward the birthday child. It was a big hit!

[kendallina]

The parents bring in treat bags, we don't do cupcakes because I have a child with an egg allergy, so for now I just told everyone no cupcakes. We had a birthday today and I had some Popsicles, so we ate those and I had the girl pick a book out of a special "Birthday Book Box" that she can keep.

[TGT09]

My dcg had a birthday just this past Monday.....they are vegan's so they sent vegan cupcakes for her birthday. I decorated with balloons, steamers, and made a sign. I also buy a present that is $10 or less.