And I'm going clothes shopping!
And to get a coffee at Biggby!
So, before I go, I wanted to share with you what I made yesterday!
In my quest for the perfect birthday bulletin board kit, I realized that what I wanted only existed in my brain. Everything else was too big or just not right for 3rd grade. I wanted something more than a poster but less than a mondo massive bulletin board display.
So, I ended up making my own!
It has 2 different sets of month cupcakes- one set has month names in plain fonts and the other has month headers with little graphics that coordinate with whatever holiday/season is that month. There are candles you can write students' names on or type and two different bulletin board titles.
I'm psyched about getting these laminated and hung up!
Find it on TpT or Teacher's Notebook
You can win a set! If you will share the fun birthday things you do in your room on your students' birthdays, I will use the random number generator to choose 2 winners tomorrow morning and then everyone else can look through the comments to get some fun new ideas to add to their classroom traditions!
I'll go first.
I have this guy:
I used to have all of the words to "Happy Birthday" printed separately on cards and the b-day kid would arrange them in a pocket chart and we would sing their version to the right tune... it was fun! But last year, I just had kids stand on a chair and we would scream at the top of our lungs "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" and they really liked that!
I also give out a pencil and a b-day sticker badge with their name on it.
The last thing we do is create a birthday book for the kid. Each student writes a birthday message and colors a picture and then I bind them all into a book. My theme packs at TpT and TN all include a themed birthday book cover and themed book page. Or you can download a general one on my class website HERE.
I just posted new birthday postcards (a freebie) that I'm going to mail to my kiddos for their birthday! Everyone loves getting {good} mail, right? I have a happy birthday necklace (on a cute wooden cupcake) that the kids can wear too! They love it!
ReplyDeleteJackie
Third Grade's A Charm
thirdgradesacharm (at) ymail (dot) com
These cupcakes and candles look so nice - I'd love to have them in my room. Fun things I do for birthdays - well, not much. They get to be the line leader and go first to lunch, and I give them a few goodies - a pencil, an eraser, and a sticker. This year I'm going to do the straw thing I've seen on Pinterest, etc. with a little card on it. Looking forward to seeing the other ideas.
ReplyDeleteSara
This is so cute. I always have my student make a birthday necklace and take their picture. They also get to stand in a lunchroom chair and we sing to them as a whole grade level
ReplyDeleteNot allowed to give snacks at our school, but each birthday child gets a goodie bag and the birthday song sung to him/ her.
ReplyDeletermariemuniz@hotmail.com
I let my students wear a Vistaprint created shirt that says, "It is MY birthday!" and give them an assortment of goodies, including stickers, pixie stick balloons, pencils, and certificates.
ReplyDeleteLisa
Learning Is Something to Treasure
Hey! Love the b-day set!
ReplyDeleteIn my class I give the kids a b-day certificate, new pencils, a couple stickers(from the "cool sticker" box), and a pack of Trident gum. I started giving them a pack of gum this year and the kids were SO excited, so I think I'll continue that. :)
We sing to the birthday person, they have a cupcake on the calendar, and they get to wear a crown!!! I love the gum and postcard idea tho!!!
ReplyDeleteSweettimesinfirst@gmail.com
I give a certificate, sticker, pixie stick b-day balloon, and we sing. I love the pocket chart idea!
ReplyDeleteamynovellino@hotmail.com
I make my kids a birthday crown/hat with glitter, they get a sticker and we sing happy birthday to them. The student stands up on a chair and I stand behind them. I move the students hands as if they were a music conductor while they are directing the class to sing. They love it!
ReplyDeleteNicole
A Frenzy of Fun in 1st Grade
we have a party with snacks and the birthday brag tags are always a hit! the student wears a birthday crown as well!
ReplyDeletekatie.neustadter@gmail.com
This is so cute! I let my kids choose his or her seat, get a certificate, and a special treat on birthdays!!
ReplyDeleteAshley.e.thurston@gmail.com
DeleteIt wouldn't let me add to my post above!!!
When I was student teaching, my cooperating teacher had a special music box that played Happy Birthday and then the student got to pick a read aloud involving birthdays. The birthday student also got to wear a crown. I think I'll definitely keep the crown idea for my own classroom, but I want to do something different than the book. I love your singing hamster though! I bet the kids love it!
ReplyDeleteLiz
Come check out my new blog Teaching in Valley
Nothing like a good scream to say "have a great day!" Ha! I let the kids put on some photo booth like accessories and we spin them around on a computer chair and sing and cha cha cha for them.
ReplyDeleteI am hosting a giveaway today if you want to stop by! Polkadots & Teaching Tots
I decorate the birthday kiddos desk with birthday wrapping paper (they take the paper home at the end of the day). At some time in the day the class asks the kid a question (favorite book, restaurant, etc.), then each makes a card for the birthday kid. "Dear _______ , I like you because _________. Happy Birthday. From _______." My kids loved this. We sang "On the Day You Were Born" by Hap Palmer from album Hello World.
ReplyDeleteAlyce
Mrs. Bartel’s School Family
I work at a Catholic school so the children always wear a uniform, except on their birthday. They can dress in regular clothes and bring in a treat. We sing to them and I give them a birthday crown to wear. The principal also calls up each birthday child to get a pencil during morning assembly (we meet every morning in the gym for morning prayer). I also give out a certificate, sticker, and homework pass for their birthday.
ReplyDeleteI love your birthday set!
Elizabeth
Epodolski@arcsgalloway.org
In my school we are only allowed to celebrate birthday's on Friday afternoons - the last 20 minutes of the day! I try to make it as fun and special for each kid as possible! We write a class letter to the birthday child on chart paper. I give the birthday child a crown. I also give them a little goody bag with treats in it like pencils, erasers, stickers, a small toy or something. When we are done eating our birthday treat the birthday child gets to pick out a book for me to read to the class!
ReplyDeleteI give a pencil, a certificate, and a homework coupon that I made on VistaPrint. I put these on the child's desk before school. I also have a birthday cake cut out that I laminated so that I can write the child's name on it with a Vis-a-Vis marker. I hang it on the board all day. And of course we sing!
ReplyDeleteOur principal brings the birthday child a birthday card from him which is always special. Then, as a class we sing happy birthday and let the student pick something out of the birthday box!
ReplyDeleteI give my students a birthday pencil, happy birthday sticker badge and certificate. I also give them the straw w/ balloon idea I found online. Lastly I let them pick out a book with a book marker. I get books from Scholastic and put them in a basket and they get to pick out one for their birthday. I love all these great ideas from everyone!
ReplyDeleteWe have the birthday kiddo come and sit on a director's chair in the front of the room. They get to use our microphone and be interviewed by other kids in our class. The students ask questions like "What do you want for your birthday?" or "Does your family have any special traditions on your birthday?" It's really cute and most of the parents come in to see. :)
ReplyDeletenesheimb at gmail
We have a small party with snacks. I have a birthday pencil, a birthday no homework pass, and a sticker they get to wear. The class also makes them a birthday card and we give it to them. I want to create the crazy straw things, but haven't gotten to it yet!
ReplyDeleteCourtney
3rd Grade Sprinkles
courtneyice1@gmail.com
I do an "un-birthday" party for my students... I have found this to be the best way to celebrate for the area I am in... I have many children who come from poor homes and can't bring treats on their birthday, or their birthday is on a weekend, or in the summer, etc.... and I hate, hate, hate how much time is spent celebrating birthdays in class throughout the year... so we have one huge party! I inform parents of my policy at the beginning of the year (and just as a disclaimer, I have had other people say that this is MEAN, and that is totally not my intet, and the kids always LOVE it... and I always get positive feedback from the parents! but it is definitely a different way of doing birthdays with littles!) SO... parents have to sign a paper agreeing NOT to send treats on their child's birthday... then if the birthday DOES fall on a school day, we will sing to them, but that's about it... in the spring (usually the last month of school sometime)... we have our "very merry un-birthday" and the whole day is devoted to birthday fun! We do birthday language, birthday reading comprehension, birthday math, a birthday glyph, etc... and you can't forget about the party games! We did "minute to win it" games this year and the kids had a BLAST!!! Then after last recess, we have a giant ice cream sundae bar (each child is allowed to bring their favorite topping or candy to put on the ice cream), and we have cake or cupcakes... at the end of the day, they get their birthday goodie bags, which includes a book from me, and whatever things the parents have sent (they can send a small food or non-food item for the goodie bags, so this year they had stickers, silly bandz, candy bars, pencils, bouncy balls, etc.)
ReplyDeleteI have the other students write their names on a birthday sign that is hung on the door the next day. We also color and make birthday cards for the student and the birthday girl/boy gets the chair cover that is shaped like a birthday cake to hang on their chair for the day. The birthday child takes home the sign and his cards
ReplyDeleteI don't do too much, but they always get a birthday pencil first thing in the morning. We make sure to sing happy birthday and I refer to the student as the birthday boy/girl all day. They love that I replace their names with birthday boy/girl for the day. =)
ReplyDeleteMs. Smith
I just want to say I love the hamster!
ReplyDeleteLinda
Down The Learning Road
The class sings and they get a prize.
ReplyDeleteLorena
Lorena.delgadillo@gmail.com
My birthday boy/girl get first choice on everything during the day. They also get to eat lunch with a couple of friends in the room with some music. They also get a special treat we discuss ahead of time. I love birthdays and making kids feel special. You never know if they get to even celebrate at home. We also sing our own happy birthday song and the kids LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteinirayluper(at)gmail(dot)com
The birthday child wears a birthday cake hat (if they want!) and I give them a b-day certificate with a scratch & sniff sticker and a birthday pencil.
ReplyDeleteAlways looking for new ideas!
tokyoshoes (at) hotmail (dot) com
A birthday "party", of course! On his or her special day, the child can pick a dance party song, which we listen to as we change book boxes in the morning. The birthday child wears a paper crown and gets a b-day pencil to keep. Then at the end of the day we have a 7 or 8 minute "party" (since the kids are either turning 7 or 8), which starts when I blow a party horn! We sing happy birthday with "cha-cha-cha's" and play 2 rounds of "heads-up 7 up" (an oldie but goodie) We finish off the celebration with that special picked song as we dance and line up to go home! No food... just fun!
ReplyDeleteMy friend got me hooked on all the musical toys you find at drug stores as attention getters/timers and then I found a musical birthday bear that sings Happy Birthday at a grocery store! So, I put the bear on the birthday person's desk before they arrive and they press his hand so we can all sing. I'll have to keep an eye out for your little musical guy...he looks like Humphrey!
ReplyDeleteThey choose a new book and a balloon from my birthday box. We play the Birthday Balloon Game and they get to choose the song we listen to. I write a 10 on the board. The rules are simple: you MUST stay on your bottom and try to keep the balloon afloat. If it touches the ground or if they "catch" it, the class loses a point. When the music is over, the game is over. They LOVE it! When we celebrate all the July birthdays, there's more than one balloon and that's even better!
Grade Three is the Place for Me
These are such great ideas! I just have a birthday ribbon that the child gets to wear for the day. They get a certificate, bday pencil and goodie bag.
ReplyDeleteI love everything you do! For my class we sing, make your book, and they get a balloon attached to a crazy straw. Which of course i sawon pinterest. They also get the birthday bear at their seat all day, recess and lunch too. He's a cute bear from build a bear. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love everything you do! For my class we sing, make your book, and they get a balloon attached to a crazy straw. Which of course i sawon pinterest. They also get the birthday bear at their seat all day, recess and lunch too. He's a cute bear from build a bear. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy birthday student gets a special birthday card from me. They also get to be the line leader and pick out something from my treat basket. There are some really cute ideas listed here and I have got to check out your new packet!
ReplyDeletelraines78@gmail.com
These cupcakes are fabulous!! And I'm so excited because my theme is...CUPCAKES!! This would be perfect.
ReplyDeleteFor birthdays in my room, they get to have the "star student" seat cover for the day. They get a crazy straw with a decorated note from me. We also make birthday cards for each other.
Ashlee
Aldaniels15@yahoo.com
Www.funin2.blogspot.com
I started having my class make your birthday book last year and the kids and parents both LOVED it! What an awesome keepsake for them. :) I also decorate their chair with some fabric to look like a thrown and they get to be king/queen for the day.
ReplyDeleteI would love to win your cupcake bulletin board set!
crompton@salem111.com
I have a gift bag that plays he tune of Happy Birthday when you open it. I place it on the students' desk in the morning and they reach in and choose a birthday pencil. We sing to them and I write out a birthday certificate.
ReplyDeleteI love all the ideas posted above....we have a monthly birthday party and celebrate all the birthdays in that month. If we have a month with no birthdays then we pick up the summer months and celebrate!
ReplyDeleteBefore they come into the classroom, I put a birthday crown, card, pencil, and a homework pass on their desk. Most parents send cupcakes for snack, and we sing "happy birthday" to the birthday kid. :) I love the birthday book idea!! And I love the "un-birthday" party. Sounds like so much fun!! :)
ReplyDeleteYou are so creative! I love how you incorporate teacher collaboration through your comments! Last year, your Christmas party ideas and Valentines Day party ideas were fantastic. Now, I loved reading all about celebrating birthdays. THANK YOU for not only sharing your creativity but encouraging others to do so as well! I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI don't do too much for birthdays so it was fun to get new ideas. Each student gets a birthday crown, birthday pencil, and card. I also mail a post card home prior to the birthday. Students also have a "seat cover" that says Happy Birthday all over it for the back of their chair on their birthday. Usually the student brings in a treat, and we sing Happy Birthday.
amj0909(at)gmail(dot)com
I give my students a birthday pencil, a certificate, a homework pass, and they wear a birthday sticker. I also have a postcard from Vista Print that says "Happy Birthday from your second grade class" and all the children sign it and the birthday child gets it to take home.
ReplyDeleteI went to the dentist yesterday. It is never fun.
Cindy
CL14Mentor@oh.rr.com
The birthday student gets a pencil, a certificate, and a birthday card signed by the whole class. The birthday student also gets to pick something from the treasure box. Of course we sing "Happy Birthday."
ReplyDeleteWe have face pictures in clear magnetic backed mini photo frames that are used for our Daily 5 choices. I have a 5x7 real wood ( and totally glittered up) frame that is sticky velcro'd (?) to my calendar area. Our VIP ( calendar leader) asks each day as part of our routine if it is anyone's birthday. If they say "me!", they get to come up and move their picture over to the sparkly frame and it stays there for the day. They wear a sticker badge that says it is their bday, and they get a certificate from me. I also have a big felt cake that sits on their desk for the day. Major Happy Birthday singing, with the ever-popular cha cha cha version is a must :)
ReplyDeleteAs part of our Work on Writing that day, there is a template for a class book about the birthday child. It reads: ______________ is special because ________________. Each child completes a page and we bind it into a book for the birthday student. We do this on non-birthday months for the summer birthday folks so everyone gets a book. Thanks so much for the great ideas - I would love to win the cupcake bulletin board set- it would be a great addition for sure!!
At the beginning of each month, we add each birthday to the calendar for that month. Then on that day, that student gets a birthday crown, a birthday card (signed by all friends) a pencil, a sticker for their shirt. And they get to go to the treasure box. We also sing Jack Hartmann's Its Your Birthday song. Birthday student also gets to help write the morning message.
ReplyDeleteWell DANG girl! I must be pretty boring! I only have my kids sing to the birthday child in sign language.....they get a birthday crown... And that's all.
ReplyDeletePatty
Second In Line
We make the birthday boy or girl a book saying how special they are and they get to wear the birthday hat if they choose. The hat is like a giant cake with candles on. I love it and they do too! The principal also announces the birthdays on the intercom in the morning.
ReplyDeleteTammy
tammylocks@yahoo.com
Birthday pencil and sticker ribbon from the 1.00 spot at Target from me. Parents usually send cupcakes and we sing.
ReplyDeleteLove the singing hamster.
I give a card, a bookmark, a Happy Birthday bracelet, and a pencil.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the dentist either. I went for a cleaning myself yesterday! :(
Christina
prec0ci0us@bellsouth.net
I have a birthday book box. After we sing happy birthday to the student they get to pick a book from the box to keep. We write "Happy Birthday from your First Grade Class" on the inside and all of the kids sign it.
ReplyDeleteVery cute bulletin board!!!
ReplyDeleteWe reserve the last minutes of the day for birthdays. The birthday student gets interviewed by the class and we make a special birthday book for the birthday child filled with birthday letters from everyone in the class. We sing happy birthday and pass out treats (if the student wants to bring something in.
Hey Christina, Very cute bulletin board. This year I have a deaf child in my class so we have learnt to sing Happy Birthday using AUSLAN sign. We love it and it includes all the class. Then the kids get to tell about their birthday and we share cake at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteTania
Mrs Poultney's Ponderings
Hi Christina, I love your new blog name and design! It's perfect!
ReplyDeleteI have been doing a rainbow color theme in my classroom for a while now-mostly because it allows me to move in different directions each year AND I love a variety of bright color touches throughout the classroom.
Congratulations on your new position! As you can see, I'm catching up on a few posts of yours and commenting on all here.
Your birthday packet is adorable, too! Would you mind sharing the source for your cute graphics?
Thanks!
Patti
primary practice
I have a Promethean Birthday Flipchart, made by someone else and so generously shared on-line. There is a place to type in the birthday child's name, and then there are six or seven mystery birthday song files to click on. The birthday child gets to click on two or three, depending on how much time we have. We all sing...and dance!...along. We have a great time! :) I also have a Vista Print b-day business card (Have a Doggone Great Birthday) which entitles the holder to a day of their choose free from homework and a tiny bag of bone-shaped candies from Oriental Trading Co. for each student. If anyone would like a copy of the flipchart, I would be happy to 'pass it on'. :) Just email me at jody.erickson@k12.sd.us. :)
ReplyDeleteJody-would you mind sharing the promethean flipchart for birthdays that you use?
ReplyDeletehappyhagys@aol.com
thanks!
Amber
We sing and they can pick the version. The favorite is cha cha chocolate. I give them a pencil with a cake eraser and pop a confetti bag at the end of the song. They take a confetti bag home with them. We are not allowed food or balloons at our school but I think I will add the animal on the desk option this year. Thanks,
ReplyDeleteApril