Birthdays are so special for our younger students. In fact, many of them think it's a holiday. But, birthdays can be a PAIN for teachers, especially when you are surprised the day of with over the top gifts for the class, treats that some kids can't eat, or the dreaded two birthday treats on the same day.
Many teacher avoid this by celebrating birthdays once a month for all the birthdays. That's not for me. It's too special for kids to have to wait and share with others, at least in my opinion.
So, what I have done to try and avoid crazy birthday treat disasters, is to send out monthly emails, directly to the families of kids with a birthday that upcoming month. This has helped tremendously. For the uber organized, you can even schedule send the whole year, so you don't have to think about it after the beginning of the year. Below is an example of my current birthday email, which I keep as a Google doc:
Hello!!!
If you are receiving this email, I noticed your child has an upcoming birthday in the next few weeks. Just a few reminders/info:
If you are sending birthday invitations, I kindly ask you to address them with names and have your child give them to me. We will put them in the students' Friday folders. If you don't want to put names on, please just let me know if it's something like all the boys, the whole class, etc.
Birthday treats are allowed any day: on your child's actual birthday or a date close to it. Please give me a bit of notice that you will be sending something in. Sometimes we end up with two birthday treats on the same day.
We have 25 students in class. We have several food allergies including all nuts (tree nuts and peanuts), gluten, eggs, and dairy. With the eggs and dairy, they can be baked into a cupcake or cookie. Some great ideas that should be safe for all are popsicles, fruit snacks, gluten free baked goods, and lollipops. Because of the allergies, treats need to be store bought so I can verify any allergens. Little goody bags are also fun! We ask that there is nothing more than either treats or goody bags for your child’s special day.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime.