10 Ways to Celebrate Your Child’s Birthday Around the Holidays

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Does your child have a birthday near Christmas? Have you found yourself celebrating a birthday sitting around a Christmas tree in the living room? How can you celebrate a Christmas birthday or a birthday near Christmas and still make your child feel special? What’s the secret to making December birthdays special amid all the Christmas presents and Christmas decorations? Should we add birthday decorations to the party, too? What do birthday traditions look like mixed in with Christmas?

If you are looking for ways to celebrate birthdays near holidays, you’ve come to the right place.

Celebrate a Christmas birthday

Make Your Child’s Birthday Memorable

The holidays are usually a busy time of the year for everyone, which can make birthdays near Christmas difficult to celebrate with a group.. From traveling out of town, having family over, decorating, cooking, and wrapping presents, it seems like your ‘to-do’ list just doesn’t end. Throwing a birthday party for your child into the mix can make things even more overwhelming. Nevertheless, it’s important to make your child’s one special day of the year, just that…special!

Here are some ideas to help make the day all about them, and others you may want to avoid.

Plan Something Special Instead Of A Party

Sometimes, all the planning in the world won’t allow you to plan a birthday party that your child’s friends can attend. An actual party isn’t always necessary. Your child will be excited to have a day dedicated just to them with only having their immediate family involved.

Take them out on a day that works for your family, let them pick a fun place they would like to go (or surprise them). Try an entertainment center with games, bowling, or laser tag. Let them choose which restaurant you will go to for lunch or dinner, and take them out to pick out their birthday gift. This is an easy option that requires little planning but still makes your child feel special.

Birthday party at Christmas

Throw A Holiday Time Birthday Celebration: Close to Christmas Birthday Party Tips

Figure out the best timing

If you want to do a party, schedule the party a week before or a week after your child’s actual birthday. This is especially a good idea if your child’s birthday falls on the same date as the holiday. If your child’s birthday falls on Thanksgiving, consider celebrating the weekend before. The weekend after Thanksgiving tends to be a busy time for most people, as they are traveling home, bidding their holiday guests farewell, or starting their holiday shopping. If your child’s birthday falls on Christmas, consider scheduling their party even earlier than one week ahead. Some families travel for the holidays and head out of town as soon as the school winter holiday begins.

Get invites sent out early

If you plan on inviting friends and/or family to your child’s birthday party, give as much notice as possible. At any other time of the year, a one to two weeks’ notice would suffice; however, with people traveling or scheduling family holiday photos, it’s a good idea to give as much notice as possible.  This will also help if a majority of your potential attendees can’t make it to your party date- and gives you the opportunity to change it to a date that works for both you and your guests.

Decorate a ‘birthday only’ room

If you plan on having your child’s birthday party at home, and you have already decorated your house for the holidays, designate a room that is free of holiday decorations. Have your child pick a theme, whether it is a specific charter or color scheme, and decorate with balloons and streamers- away from all the snow globes and Christmas trees. Party City, offers a variety of themed birthday party supplies throughout the entire year.

Celebrate their half birthday

The holiday months tend to have cooler weather, so it may leave limited options for ways to celebrate your child’s birthday. Consider celebrating their ‘half birthday’ in the summer. The warmer weather opens up more outdoor options to celebrate, and schedules may be easier to coordinate since children are on school vacation. Try a local waterpark. You can still have a cake and sing happy birthday with the family on their real birthday, but wouldn’t it be a nice surprise for your child to celebrate their birthday by splashing around in the pool?

birthday gifts

Choosing The Right Gift: Birthday Presents Dos and Don’ts

Don’t use holiday wrapping paper

You may already have a closet full of holiday wrapping paper, and how convenient would it be to just grab part of a leftover roll and wrap your child’s birthday present in it? Although convenient, something as simple as ‘Happy Birthday’ wrapping paper can help separate their birthday from the holiday.

Don’t give holiday-themed gifts

During the holidays, themed or special addition toys often become available. As much as you think giving your child an Elf on the Shelf might be a good idea (since you need to buy one anyway), stick to something that doesn’t need to be put away after the holidays are over.

Get seasonal appropriate gifts

With keeping the last recommendation in mind, it’s important to stick to gifts that your child can use now. If their birthday is in December, don’t get them a blow-up swimming pool and slide for the backyard or diving sticks for the pool. While you want to separate the holiday from their birthday, it’s a good idea to get them something they can enjoy without having to wait to use it.

Skip the joint birthday/holiday gift

It sounds like an easy thing to do- two birds, one stone. It may seem like the opportune time to get your child that expensive gift they have been asking for, and make it a combined birthday/holiday gift. While it may be exciting for them for a moment, it takes out some of the fun and surprises that birthdays and holidays deliver to children.

Embrace The Holiday Birthday

As stressful as they can be, the holidays really are a fun time of the year. A holiday theme may not be a bad idea after all, if your child likes the idea. Have a birthday party where your child and their friends build gingerbread houses or decorate cookies, which they get to take home instead of a goody bag. Play ‘pin the nose on the snowman or make homemade ornaments. Michaels arts and crafts store is a great place to get seasonal crafting kits for children to make it easy to plan holiday crafts for the party. While this might not be something you want to do every year to celebrate their birthday, it’s a fun way to mix it up and embrace the holiday season!

Planning a birthday party? Check out the Kidding Around Guide to Birthdays in Greenville and Spartanburg, SC

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