While my daughter’s birthday doesn’t exactly fall on Christmas Day – or even in December, her January 20 birthday is close enough to the holidays that my husband and I can’t help but consider it as we start making plans for the season. With a two-year-old, my main concern so far has been about making her day special, while avoiding over-gifting and over-extending myself as much as possible. To get some ideas for my daughter’s upcoming birthday and subsequent years to come, I took to the internet to find more tips for celebrating kids with birthdays around the holidays. Here’s what I found:
Plan Ahead
This is especially true for December birthdays, but given how quickly everyone’s calendars book-up on the weekends during this month, plan and invite guests well in advance if you intend to celebrate as close to your child’s actual birthday as possible.
Embrace the Season
Winter – and its accompanying holidays – is already a great theme. So embrace it and take advantage of the wealth of decorations, supplies and activities at your disposal. For my girl’s January birthday we did a winter wonderland theme with a hot chocolate bar and woodland animal decorations. Other fun winter birthday party ideas include going ice skating, sledding, and making cookies or gingerbread houses.
Or Don’t Embrace the Season at All
Just because it’s the holiday season, doesn’t mean that has to play a role in your child’s birthday party. It might even feel more special if it doesn’t, depending on your child’s age. Go all in with the party theme of your kid’s choice and you’re guaranteed to have a great time and a happy kiddo.
Reschedule
Just because your child’s birthday falls on a specific date, doesn’t mean you have to have a party on that day. Celebrate early before the holiday madness really takes off, or push back a party until after New Year’s Day. A lot of parents with children born around the holidays even postpone parties until the summer and celebrate a half-birthday instead. This will help spread out gifts and save some of your sanity.
Make Gifts Big and Small
Some parents suggest saving smaller gifts for Christmas or Hanukkah, and bigger gifts for birthdays, or vice versa depending on the date. So far, we haven’t had to navigate this one much as the grandparents have done the majority of the gifting. But as my daughter gets older, I’d love to settle on a tradition around presents that feels right for us.
Have a Birthday Tree
This was one of my favorite ideas that I came across in my research. Before or after you decorate the tree with Christmas ornaments, turn it into a birthday tree instead: think streamers, balloons, bunting and a fun topper. This is such a creative and unique way to embrace both celebrations, giving your kid serious bragging rights in the process.
I love that my daughter’s birthday gives us something to look forward to after the wind-down of New Year’s, in what is otherwise a rather dreary month. It also gives me the opportunity to be intentional about making the most of our family’s time together as we enter this season of celebration.
Do you have kids with birthdays around the holidays? Let us know what special traditions and tips you have for making their day extra special.
