5 Birthday Traditions with Kids to Try

We love celebrating our kids on their birthdays and making them really special and memorable days for them. There are a handful of traditions we do each year, so if you're looking for some birthday traditions with kids to try, here are some that we've really loved doing in our family the last several years.

Birthday Traditions with Kids:

The thing to keep in mind when it comes to birthday traditions with kids is that it has to be something that you as the parent enjoy, and that it is something you can sustain multiple years in a row. One thing to note also is that you do not need to do every tradition every year. Sometimes circumstances don't allow it, but the main point I want to get across is that if I do a tradition that you think is insane, then it doesn't need to work for you or be a part of your life. My hope is that these traditions that we do with our kids will spark thoughts for you of things you can implement in your own family, in a way that feels practical and meaningful for you.

Let the Birthday Child Pick the Meals:

One tradition we've always done that has been really easy for Derek and I to stick with year over year is to let the child pick all of the meals for that day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner- they plan it all. We do add a fruit or a vegetable onto whatever they choose, and only one meal can be eaten out of the home, but other than that it is completely up to the child we're celebrating that day.

This year for his birthday, Kyle chose cinnamon rolls for breakfast (I added on apple slices), mac n cheese and hot dogs for lunch (I added on carrot sticks), and he chose going to Super Chix for dinner for his eat out meal. The choices that the kids pick are usually along these lines and fairly reasonable, so we've never had to fight back on anything.

A Store Bought Birthday Cake:

I know this tradition isn't for everyone because some parents LOVE making their child's birthday cakes each year. I totally get and respect that, and it is so fun and special if that is a tradition you have. I don't personally love making birthday cakes, and so I've always gotten a fun themed cake for my kids at the grocery store. The store bakeries can make any of those fun specialty character cakes for about $20, and it's something that my kids have really loved. We typically get the cake to match the theme of their party decorations, and it's always been really fun for the kids.

Birthday Decorations:

We usually get some birthday decorations (which are actually so cheap on Amazon in basically any theme or character you can imagine!) in whatever is interesting the kids at that particular time. This year Kyle was obsessed with the Mario Movie, so he is having his friends over for an outdoor Mario movie night, and we got the cake and decorations to match.

A Birthday Party with Friends:

We have typically done birthday parties for the kids each year, but they always look different depending on the child and the year. Kyle typically will have a handful of friends over and we do something small in the backyard (like the movie night this year, last year was a slip n slide). Kinsley we typically do more of a one-on-one outing with her and a friend or two. This year for her birthday she's having two friends over to the farm where she does horse riding lessons and they'll all take turns riding her horse and then have cake. So we like to keep the parties fairly inexpensive, and low-key for each kid, but we do like to celebrate with a small party for each of them.

A Family Birthday Activity:

On their actual birthday we like to let the child pick which activity they want to do that day. This year Kyle requested to go swimming at the local pool, other years we've gone to a lake, to the children's museum, or something along those lines. Never anything too extravagant, but just something that they picked themselves, and that they will enjoy.

These are all the things we've done for well over the last 5+ years that we've really loved and enjoyed doing with our kids. I'd love to know what birthday traditions with kids you do in your own family in the comments below!