Celebrating students’ birthdays is a great opportunity to take a break from rigours of the usual classroom life. Teachers like to have these special days on their classroom calendars, however, managing 15-20 birthdays in a year can be tricky for a classroom teacher. So, it may be the best to keep it super simple. We have prepared some useful ideas on how to have a birthday lesson with students aged from 8 to 15 y.o.
First, keep a track of students’ birthdays with the help of Birthday Display Boards, charts or calendars. Here are some ideas on how to make them: Free printable birthday charts and calendars, Classroom birthday charts, 54 ideas for classroom birthday boards.
You may like to create a Whatsapp or Facebook* group with your students where you can receive regular notifications about upcoming birthdays. Groups can also serve you well for sending compliments and good wishes to those students whose birthdays fall on the vacation time.
Once you get your birthday calendar organized, choose a simple way to make the B- day special!
1) Start the lesson with a Different Birthday Song
Birthday students soak for some extra attention more than for presents ? Singing a birthday song has become so typical however it can still be fun if you change the lines of the song, add cha-,cha-,cha- in the end of each line or simply use any other students’ favourite song.
For YL opt for “Happy Birthday Song for Kids” by Pancake Manor
or “Birthday Hooray” by Koo Koo Kanga Roo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovoCPdaO4gE&t=40s
For teenagers:
“Say it is your birthday”” by Beatles.
This song may be good for very friendly and rock-n-roll classrooms in which students enjoy singing and dancing together, the song is easy even for elementary level students.
“Celebration” by Kool
This is an easy catchy song which can be effortlessly performed in elementary and beginner classrooms as well. Moreover, it might be used as background music during the lesson.
“Happy Birthday” by Steve Wonder
This atmospheric and bright song can be chosen for intermediate and higher levels to sing out loud together.
Once your song is chosen, have your birthday student stand up and enjoy the special moment of singing and dancing together.
2) No homework pass
Make your birthday students feel so special and happy by presenting them weekly or daily ‘no homework’ pass.
Think about designing classroom unique ‘no homework’ passes in advance, you may even insert students’ photos using application Canva.
3) Teacher for the day
We all know about how some of our students would like to take over the teacher’s role for the day. You may give this opportunity to some birthday students. Think about preparing a simple funny lesson plan for your birthday teacher. Ideas: classroom news reading and discussion, a talk about favourite films and songs, or birthday questions from the flower pot. Each student gets to ask the birthday student a question from the flower pot. For ideas on how to make the flower pot and a downloadable question bank check here.
4) All good about me
Teachers may use birthday events for building up students’ confidence and improving classroom relationships. ‘All good about me’ is about creating classroom special note, poster or a compliment book. Teachers get each student to write a positive note or remark about a birthday student. Teenage birthday students will appreciate to know that their peers think well about them.
5) Birthday desk
Teachers who like decorations and craftwork may enjoy preparing birthday crowns, decorating students desk with balloons or brightly coloured garlands. This way everybody gives extra attention to birthday students and make their day a bit more special.
You may practice some traditional birthday games within kids classroom. Here are some ideas:
1) Pass the Parcel
A dressed-up version of Hot Potato, kids toss the mega-wrapped “gift” from hand to hand—when the music stops, a layer gets unwrapped. Choose to put a surprise in every layer or wait until the end! You can buy some funny surprises as birthday pen, birthday hat or T-shirt in a one dollar shop.
2) What’s the time, Mr.Wolf?
Here is one more game which is loved by children aged 8-11. Follow the link to check the rules of this game.
3) Please Mr. Crocodile
This is one more easy engaging game for your classroom aged 7 to 12. Check the detailed game description by clicking the link.
Don’t hesitate to launch some simple classroom birthday traditions as it brings so much fun and precious happy moments in your classroom.
Маргарит Аветисян 
Вероника Аветисян 
