15 Ways to Make Unforgettable Birthdays

Birthday's don't have to be big or fancy in order to be extra special!

There are two reasons I have made it my mission to create birthday experiences that feel extra special for my kids..

• When I was little we only celebrated one or two of my birthdays with a party. I got the sense that it was too much of a burden. Now that I am a mother, I have a chance to relive the magic I would have liked to have had.

• My kids have both their birthdays in the same month: one in the beginning of May and one at the end. Planning two big parties in the one month is unfortunately just not doable for me! So I usually do one big "all in" birthday party right in the middle then try to make their birthday special in other ways.

  
  

Parties don't have to be the tradition we focus on most (and by the way however big you decide to make a party, the kids will only remember it as few hours of playtime anyhow!!).

I've done some research and came up with some new ideas that I think also make wonderful traditions year on year. Adding a tradition is enough to create special joy without too much effort and these picks won't break the bank!

Here are 15 ideas to help you make birthdays uniquely special...

15 Awesome Ideas for Extra Special Birthdays

1. Countdowns

Hang a birthday countdown on the fridge like the ones we designed to help build the anticipation! Choose from four colours of birthday countdown templates by clicking below.

Download here

2. Treasure hunt

Hide presents around the house and add a clue for the next present with each one. Do simple clues by drawing pictures. We do it and it's a real highlight for the kids!

3. Room Decorations

Decorate their room the day before their birthday after they go to sleep so they wake up to their room in party mode!

Hang streamers or place balloons in the room or outside their bedroom door.

4. Ditch the Cake

Go creative! Focus on their favourite dessert or stack doughnuts, pancakes or brownies. I personally love this idea because cake is overrated as a dessert imo.

5. Be Nostalgic

Play some videos from their baby days or replay some favourite moments from the previous year. Children love seeing what they were like as babies!

6. Letters from loved ones

Write them a letter or record a video. It could be "I'm proud of you because…” or “things I'd like us to do one day."

Also ask family to send in video messages of love, then play them first thing in the morning.

I'm looking forward to having features that support traditions like this one in the Nomii App!

7. Give them the reigns

For bigger kids, give them a budget and ask them to spend it however they want. You might need to help them use the net to figure out details but essentially, they get full creative freedom. Plus, they get to keep any money left over from their budget!

Download our bday planner (pictured left):

Download here

8. Adventures with friends

Ask your child to pick two or three friends to take on an all day adventure. E.g. a movie + their favourite restaurant or mini golf + game arcade, or a water park + ice creamery.

9. Quality Time

Introverted kiddos might prefer a quiet, relaxing day. Surprise them with a day off school and go spend some quality time together. You could go shopping, play video games or spend the day outdoors photographing mushrooms and insects! The point is they get quality time with you.

10. Photobooth

Grab couple props and set up a photo booth for the kids to take funny pictures with. Think hats, scarves, colourful shirts. Cut out some moustaches, mouths or noses from cardstock and stick them on the end of wooden dowels.

11. Paint n Sip (Kid Version)

Set up some cheap tableclothes on the floor. Set up canvases, paint stations and serve appletizer in plastic fancy glasses. Let them have some messy freedom! Just make sure everyone wears old clothes.

12. Bday week

Instead of only celebrating your child on one day – extend it for a whole week! Have them open one present each day. Or let them choose what to eat for dinner each night. Also keep decorations up around the house the whole time.  

13. Vouchers

I love doing this. In place of more gifts, I make little tickets/vouchers with mini but memorable experiences. I made 3 pages of vouchers (pictured left) which you can download using the button below.

Download here

14. Give back

Have your child select a small but universal gift to buy for a stranger. Think candles, notebooks or small plants. Write a note like "Dear stranger. Its my birthday today and I'm celebrating by paying it forward. I hope this gift brightens your day." Help them wrap it up. Then have them select a random person on the street to pass it to or if they are shy, pick a house and place it in their mailbox / by their front door.

15. Bday Q&a

Every birthday, do a Q&A with the birthday kid. It's so fun to see how their answers change over the years. Some ideas:

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"What is the most important rule you know of?"

"What is something your parents do that annoys you?"

I am building this feature into Nomii app, so I can't wait for it to use on my own kids.

Traditions are so important - they are where we can create core memories for our children. They might even pass the traditions on one day if they end up with families of their own.

I hope you find these ideas helpful and use some of them to create new birthday traditions in your own family! It's nice to know that one day, our children will look back and remember just how special, loved and cherished they felt.