With six people in our family, we manage to make our own party, even if no one else is present. So, this week one of my daughters is having a birthday and it happens to fall on a weekday, leaving us to have a family party on the actual date. She’s planning to have a friend or three over on the weekend, but we’ll make sure she feels special on her big day.
Some of the things we like to do for family birthdays are listed below. I hope you’ll like some of these ideas, or maybe you’ll share some of the fun things your family likes to do for birthdays and other celebrations.
Special Meal
At our house, the person celebrating a birthday gets to choose the menu on that date. From the entrée and side dishes to the type of cake, frosting, and ice cream, that person gets to make every selection. While this usually does not include dinner out, which can be quite expensive for six people, we let them choose nearly anything they want and we make it at home.
Special Decorations
Even if it’s just us, we decorate. The theme is usually the birthday girl’s favorite color or a favorite theme. One of my girls loves Teddy Bears, another loves dolphins. We try to decorate in a way that’s special and unique for each child.
Outdoor Greetings
A few helium balloons tied to the mailbox makes a nice greeting as the birthday girl returns from school. A birthday sign in the front yard works too, but in case of bad weather it’s usually attached to the front door, protected by the storm door.
Getting it on Film
Even if we’re just having a simple family celebration, we still take pictures and break out the video camera. This stuff is always fun to look at later, and it’s fun to watch old films each year to see how much the girls have changed with every birthday.
Some Twists on Family Movie Night