Skip to main content

Day care birthday party ideas: Celebrate your toddler’s big day in style

What to do if you want to plan a birthday party at your toddler's day care

Birthdays are such a special event and when it’s your child’s birthday, they want to celebrate everywhere. School-aged kids love to share birthday treats with their classmates and with their sports teams. Toddlers aren’t any different. Birthdays are a source of excitement for toddlers. Toddlers want to share that excitement with everyone, especially their day care friends. It’s not out of the question to have a birthday party at a day care center and there are certainly plenty of fun day care birthday party ideas.

Before planning a day care birthday party though your first stop in the planning process is the day care center director. Most day care facilities have specific policies regarding marking birthday celebrations, and it is important to know what your day care center’s is before planning something. Once you know the rules, you can plan accordingly. It’s vital to abide by the day care center’s birthday policy; doing so helps to keep the day special for your child and will avoid any future issues with the day care staff.

happy birthday cupcakes in a row with candles

Check available times

Many day care facilities allow birthday celebrations at breakfast, snack, or lunchtimes. Parents are typically allowed to attend, but that is definitely a question to ask when speaking with the day care director.

Cupcakes with blue and pink frosting
Michele Walls/Shutterstock

Keep food simple

Since day care centers cater to children from infancy through kindergarten age, many of the attendees may have food allergies or special diets. It’s important to know if there are any food allergies or dietary concerns before planning a birthday snack.

The snack should also be quick and easy. Cupcakes or doughnut holes with a juice box usually works best. Cake is hard to eat for most little kids and can be messier for the day care staff to clean up. A large number of day care facilities have a no-sugar policy and prefer healthier birthday snacks like fruit, frozen yogurt, or muffins. Many will require the snacks to be store-bought with listed ingredients. When setting up the day and time for your kiddo’s day care birthday celebration, ask what foods are okay to bring.

A little girl having cupcake to celebrate a birthday at day care
Arina P. Habich/Shutterstock

Figure out how many children will attend

Day care facilities typically divide children into classes by age. It is important to know if birthday snacks include just your child’s room or all the children at the day care center. When you speak to the day care director about arranging a birthday snack for your toddler, be sure to ask how many snacks are needed. Then, plan on bringing extras to the celebration. Day care numbers fluctuate often, and kids drop or spill food. To avoid tears, have extras on hand to save the day.

colorful birthday party table with plates and food
Lidya Nada/Unsplash

Choose a theme

The best way to present a birthday party theme at the day care center is through plates and napkins. Pick a fun design your toddler likes, whether it’s dinosaurs, superheroes, or Disney characters. Ask beforehand if you need to come early to set up the party plates and snacks or if you just need to send it in with your child in the morning. Many times, the day care staff will put the birthday snacks out on the tables for the children in preparation for snack time.

Birthday Party Balloons

Forgo presents and balloons

While you may want to shower the birthday boy or girls with balloons or gifts, day care is not the place. Little ones often have trouble recognizing when presents are not for them. You can avoid the whole issue by surprising your toddler with a balloons and presents later when everyone is at home.

Four red goodie bags
Max Fischer/Pexels

Don’t forget goodie bags

Take-home goodie bags for your toddler’s day care friends are a nice gesture and help make the day more festive for your little one and everyone else. When making goodie bags, try to avoid food or candy because of allergies. Consider the size of the objects, since your child’s day care friends might be at different developmental stages. Just like with food, get a head count first and make up at least two or three extras just in case.

Happy boy with hat at a birthday party
Maria Sbytova/Shutterstock.com

Other day care birthday party ideas

If your child’s day care center isn’t keen on birthday-snack celebrations, there are other ways you can come in and make your child’s day a little more special:

  • Story time: Make arrangements with the day care director and your child’s teacher to come in and read a story. Choose a story that is your birthday boy or girl’s favorite.
  • Lead a fun activity or craft: With the permission of the director and your child’s teacher, plan an age-appropriate arts and crafts project or activity on your child’s birthday. Bring in all the necessary supplies and be sure to cut any paper or patterns beforehand. If you’re doing a science activity like bubble-making, make sure to bring all the supplies with you. Don’t forget to clean up when the activity or project is over.
  • Donate: Day care facilities are always in need of toys, puzzles, CDs, books, or arts and crafts supplies. If your child’s day care doesn’t host birthday snacks or allow parent volunteers, consider donating a new set of puzzles or books in honor of your child’s birthday.
  • Birthday poster: For show and tell on the week or day of your child’s birthday, send in a collage of photos showing your toddler through the years. Your child will love showing off adorable photos of themselves.

There isn’t any shortage of day care birthday party ideas. When it comes to celebrating your toddler’s birthday at day care through it really is up to the policy of the facility. Once you speak to the director, you can plan accordingly whether it’s for a yummy birthday snack, a fun story time, or a special art project in honor of your toddler’s special day. Always remember to follow the rules of the day care facility even if you are disappointed by them. They are, after all, taking care of your little one while you are at work, and it’s important to respect their policies.

 

Editors' Recommendations

Dawn Miller
Dawn Miller began her professional life as an elementary school teacher before returning to her first love, writing. In…
Why you should celebrate Valentine’s Day with your kids, especially if you’re single
Single for Valentine's Day? Your kids should still see you celebrate the holiday
Paper artwork for Valentine's Day

Other than sending your kids to school with the required Valentine's Day cards for the class, you may not want to do anything on the day of love if you're a single parent. But that's why you should celebrate it, even more so than if you had a partner. Don't let your kids grow up to hate celebrating love if they don't have a partner.

Celebrating Valentine's Day with kids puts a whole new spin on the holiday that single parents everywhere need to embrace. We all need more love and less bitterness about being single. Start with yourself by modeling for your children that loving yourself is the best reason to enjoy this holiday.

Read more
An expert party planner reveals the top kids’ party trends for 2023
Need birthday party inspiration for 2023? Meet Viginia Edelson Frischkorn
Happy kids at a birthday party

Kids' parties may have been put on the back burner during the pandemic, but they've never gone out of style. Busy parents are always on the lookout for birthday party ideas for kids and Virginia Edelson Frischkorn has made it easier than ever with her newest endeavor Partytrick.

Frischkorn is one of the top event planners around. Even Martha Stewart Weddings, Vogue, and Brides have recognized her work. The single mom of two hails from Colorado and is also the founder of Bluebird Productions and Aspen Picnic Companies. With over 10 years of party planning under her belt, Frischkorn is the one to talk to when it comes to the top kids' party trends for 2023.

Read more
How many presents should your child get for Christmas? Here are some insights
Less is more when it comes to holiday gift giving
Family decorating tree

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and what brings more joy on Christmas morning than your children running toward the tree to see what Santa brought for them? (A quick cup of strong coffee also helps.) A child's wish list can seem endless and no parent wants to see their child disappointed on Christmas morning. However, parents should consider budget and need and know where to draw the line when it comes to gift giving.

Before arriving at that point, you’ve been planning and shopping for the gifts on your child’s list for Santa. If you have ever wondered just how many presents an average child gets at Christmas, we have a few insights to share with you about gifting your little ones.

Read more