08/02/2026
Some ways I slow down the pace of birthday parties .
🌟We make the cake. Sometimes they help, sometimes they watch, sometimes it's looks good, sometimes it tastes good and sometimes it doesn't 😂. They don't remember the taste, just how it made them feel to participate. Yes, my 1 yr old participated in making the cake. Yes there were 2 years where I was overwhelmed with dietary allergies and postpartum, and we didn't make the cake. Be gentle with yourself.
🌟 We pack giveaway bags together. Great for math. Counting, 1:1 correspondence, we even did some division because toddler wanted to pack 2 of a certain item. It helps them to learn the joy of gift giving. And they get a giveaway bag themselves too 😂
Next year we plan to do a book swap instead of giveaway bags.
🌟 We do birthdays old school at home. It's like a playdate but with cake! Even if you can't host people at your home, making it a smaller group makes it less overwhelming for little children.
🌟 If gifts are allowed, we spend the whole morning after the party slowly unwrapping them one by one, letting the children explore the packaging, predict what it might be, and donate the birthday gifts that don't fit our family (eg. G*ns, or electronic toys) . Sometimes instead of gifts, we ask friends to donate experiences.
What are your family's favourite traditions?
Waking up to a room full of balloons? We did that one year! 😅
Let us know below in the comments 👇
