While planning for our daughter's 13th birthday, I searched and searched for ways to make her day special and to make her feel celebrated. Most ideas I found were centered around a themed friend party or an expensive destination. Through my extensive search, I finally found some ideas that I used to make her 13th birthday, "the best birthday ever!"
Here are some low-key, inexpensive ways to celebrate your child or teen's birthday:
1. Hide a number of the same item in various places during the day. In our family, my son made 13 numbered origami swans and they just appeared throughout the day. You could number other items based on the preferences of your child or teen and hide them in random places.
Here are some low-key, inexpensive ways to celebrate your child or teen's birthday:
1. Hide a number of the same item in various places during the day. In our family, my son made 13 numbered origami swans and they just appeared throughout the day. You could number other items based on the preferences of your child or teen and hide them in random places.
2. Use their favorite candy to outline the shape of their age.
3. Balloon Door Hanging- Using scrapbook paper, cut out large and small balloon shapes (Have the same number balloons as the age of your child). I used a cool font and cut out the letters of my daughter's name in black paper to go on the biggest balloons. For the smaller balloons, friends and family gave a word or phrase they felt described Tera. I wrote those on each balloon with a black sharpie with the person's name who contributed. I tied silver and white curling ribbons to each balloon and gathered those into a bunch. My daughter does not have a flat door. So, I pasted each balloon onto a poster board for the ease of hanging.
4. Your pick! Every birthday our kids pick their choice of dessert and a special dinner. Some years, we purchase a cake or go out to eat. Mostly, our kids pick a homemade dessert and their favorite food.
Pumpkin cheesecake
5. Photo Collage in the shape of their age
6. Balloons and Flowers! Don't underestimate how much kids, girls especially, like balloons and flowers on their birthday.
7. Let the number of presents match their age. You can even number the presents, if you like!
8. Cool money that equals their age. Two dollar bills are especially cool for teens. You can even put each bill in a balloon to hang up as a decoration. Then, you have the added fun of popping them later.
9. Have important role models write your daughter or son letters of advise containing wisdom and scripture that are important to them. Tera's grandmothers and a special role model wrote letters. This meant a great deal to her.
10. Make the day about them. We planned little surprises throughout the entire day to celebrate this special milestone. From the time Tera got up until bedtime, she felt celebrated! She said over and over again that this was the best birthday ever. We didn't spend tons of money or go expensive places, but we put effort into making the day special. That's what your children remember more than anything!