If your child’s birthday is coming up, you may be thinking of how to make it an extra special day. Maybe you’re even feeling pressure since birthdays have become a big business, with parents spending an average of $287 on their child’s birthday party last year. One out of seven spent $1000 or more! If those numbers sound crazy, don’t despair. There’s a lot more to birthdays than their budgets, and there’s plenty of creative ways to brighten your child’s birthday without emptying out your 401k.
You could fill their bedroom with balloons before they wake up or when they come home from school. Or if your child enjoys a fun challenge, you could try setting up a scavenger hunt. You can hide their presents around the house, or create a more elaborate scavenger hunt around the neighborhood for your child to experience with their friends. Unlocking your child’s sense of adventure is one of the greatest gifts of all.
Speaking of activities, one of the best ways to make your child’s birthday memorable is to plan something special to do with the whole family. It could be a hike, a bike ride, an out of town trip, or even just a visit to the bowling alley or museum. Extra points if it’s something your child has never done before!
Of course, the most popular birthday tradition is cake and ice cream – sometimes combined together. The U.S. actually leads the world in ice cream consumption, with each of us eating an average of nearly seven gallons every year. So if you let your child pick out their own cake, don’t be surprised if they pick an ice cream cake! Whatever kind of cake you have, though, don’t forget to put candles on the cake and sing Happy Birthday when the time comes!
For more fun birthday traditions to add to your yearly celebration, check out the infographic below:
