Brithdays

CIRCLE TIME

Ask parents to send in pictures of their children at each of their birthdays. What is a birthday? How old are you now? Have you grown? Why? What are you able to do now that you were unable to do when you were younger?

Animated discussion

(Open picture game-Birthdays) Print and laminate the pictures in the format you prefer. Use them to spark a conversation with your group. Ask children questions pertaining to the theme. Add to your discussion by presenting pictures of children’s past birthdays.

• What is a birthday?
• How old are you now?
• Have you grown a lot? Why?
• What can you do now that you could not do when you were younger?
• During which month do you celebrate your birthday?
• During which season do you celebrate your birthday?
• What do you like to do most when it is your birthday?

AREA SETUP

Thematic poster-Birthdays

(Open thematic poster-Birthdays) Print, laminate, and decorate the walls of your daycare with all kinds of posters.

Educa-theme – Birthdays

(Open educa-theme-Birthdays) Print, cut out, and laminate. Use the items to decorate the walls of your daycare and set the mood for the theme.

Educa-decorate – Birthdays

(Ouvrir educa-decorate – Birthdays) Print, cut out, and laminate. Decorate the walls of your daycare and hang decorations from the ceiling to set the mood for the theme.

My placemat-Birthdays
(Open my placemat-Birthdays) Print for each child. Have children color their placemat. Laminate the placemats when they are done. Children can use their placemat to practice setting the table.  

Door decorations – Birthdays

(Ouvrir door decorations-Birthdays) Print, cut out, and laminate. Use the items to decorate your daycare doors and set the mood for the theme.

Birthday Posters

(Open birthday chart) Print, laminate and display. Present the birthday chart to the children. Show them the date and month of each child's birthday. Variation: (Open birthday poster) Print and display.

PICTURE GAME

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with the group. Use them to decorate the daycare or a specific thematic corner. (Open picture game-Birthdays) Print, laminate and store in a "Ziploc" bag or in your thematic bin.

ACTIVITY SHEET

Activity sheets are suggested for each theme. (Open activity sheets-Birthdays) Print and follow instructions.

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS

Have fun with these great workshop ideas provided by Caroline Allard.

Construction or building blocks:

• Wrapping paper to cover wooden blocks
• Silk blocks and "Lego" blocks to create birthday cakes
• Figurines
• Decorative gifts which can replace blocks

Arts & Crafts

• A cake model which can be decorated with stickers, cardboard pieces, pompons, confetti...
• Create invitations for a party which will take place later in the week
• A cardboard cone or crown for party hats. Children decorate it as they wish!
• Ribbons, wrapping paper, tape, and a few boxes to practice gift wrapping
• Kraft paper (brown or white), stamps, paint, and stencils to create their own wrapping paper
• Frosting and waxed paper replace tactile paint. (Warning: this attracts ants, do not leave out)

Drawing:

• This is the ideal time to color with waxed crayons or draw with candles!
• Birthday-related coloring pages (cakes, candles, children at a party, etc.)

Role Play:

• Provide children with a thematic box for birthdays. Items to include are party hats, flutes, Hawaiian style necklaces, paper or plastic plates and glasses, utensils, plastic cake container, different sizes of gift boxes covered with "mac-tack" to play, birthday candles, plastic cake, music, streamers and lights to decorate, tablecloth, "Happy Birthday" sign, pastry set, cake decorating set, etc.

Manipulation:

• Memory game related to birthdays (Use educatall picture game)
• Birthday-related puzzles
• A box containing different sizes and colors of candles
• Modeling clay with a sweet scent and candles to make pretend cakes
• Pastry cutters
• Various board games depending on the group's age

Pre-reading:

• Books about birthdays, friends, etc. Let children choose the books themselves.
• A song box with the words to songs typically sung at birthday parties. Associate pictures to the words and display, they will enjoy singing them over and over again!
• A photo album with pictures of the birthdays you have celebrated at the daycare

Pre-writing:

• Various activity sheets related to the theme
• Game with educatall word flashcards
• A laminated cake which can be decorated using dry-erase markers
• A cake model for tracing
• Letters, numbers, and magnetic shapes with a board to "write" words on a cake, a hat, etc.

Motor skills:

• An obstacle course throughout which we must find hidden gifts
• Outdoor scavenger hunt to find gifts or ingredients for a special cake
• Walking on a beam holding a cake, don't let it fall!
• Organize a tombola
• Bin filled with musical instruments and original hats to have a parade

Sensory bins:

• Ribbons, wrapping paper, confetti, and birthday candles hidden in the bins
• Bin filled with granulated sugar or flour

Science:

• Balloons to rub on hair to create static electricity. They stick to walls!
• Color combinations to make various icings
• The melting candle...to be manipulated by the adult and observed by children who will be fascinated

Cooking:

• The inevitable birthday cake prepared from beginning to end by the children
• Make muffins and have children decorate
• A cookie bouquet (sugar cookies or other kind on skewers)
• Plenty of colors of icing to taste

WORD FLASHCARDS

Word flashcards-Birthdays

The flashcards may be used during circle time to spark a conversation or in your reading and writing area. They may also be used to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards-Birthdays) or (Open giant word flashcards- Birthdays) birthday, party, hat, cake, candle, gift, surprise, friends, balloon, greeting card, game, song

Educa-chatterbox-Birthdays

(Open educa-chatterbox – Birthdays) Print and laminate the cards. To create your chatterbox, you will need an empty shoebox or a small bin that you can decorate as you see fit. Fill it with tiny objects, illustrations, pictures, and accessories related to your theme. To help you, we have created a series of cards that you may use. During circle time or, for example, when children are waiting for their lunch, have them take turns picking a card or object out of your chatterbox and naming the corresponding item.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Modeling dough activity placemats – Birthdays

(Open modeling dough activity placemats – Birthdays) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Educ-clothespin – Birthdays

(Open educ-clothespin – Birthdays) Print and laminate. Children must find the correct illustration and identify it using a clothespin.

Birthday pyramid

(Open clown face) Print and use the stickers to create pyramid games. Simply press the items on colorful plastic drinking glasses and use them to build a pyramid on a table. Children must try to make all the glasses fall by throwing a frisbee towards the pyramid. Give each child 3 throws.

Celebration balloons

Inflate several colorful balloons in which you have inserted a battery-operated tealight. Turn the lights off and let children have fun tossing the balloons up in the air. Fun variation: Insert glowsticks in the balloons instead of tealights for an extra pop of color.

String activities-Birthdays

(Open string activities – Birthdays) Print for each child. Children trace the lines with glue and then press string or yarn in the glue to draw the outlines.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Educa-symmetry-Birthdays

(Open educa-symmetry-Birthdays) Print. Children must color the bottom picture (black & white) to make it look exactly like the one on the top (in color).

Educa-dots-Birthdays

(Open educa-dots-Birthdays) Print for each child and provide a small bowl containing poster paint and cotton swabs. Children must dip their cotton swab in the paint and then press it on each dot to represent letters or shapes. Let dry and display their work.

Game-Four cakes

(Open game-Four cakes) Print, glue the cards on opaque cardboard and cut them out. Arrange all the cards upside down on the floor or table (so you can’t see the illustrations). Children take turns rolling a die. Every time a child rolls a “1”, he can turn a card. If he doesn’t already have this cake in front of him, he keeps it and places it in front of him for everyone to see. The first child who has collected all four cakes wins.

I am inventing my cake

(Open I am inventing my cake) Print, laminate, and cut each cake into 2 pieces. Give children the pieces and invite them to assemble them to create cakes. They don’t have to use the pieces that initially went together. They can mix and match them as they wish.

Counting cards – Birthdays

(Open counting cards-Birthdays) Print and laminate. Prepare a series of wooden clothespins on which you can paint or draw numbers 1 to 9. Children count the items on each card and place the corresponding clothespin on the correct number.

Pin the tail on the donkey

(Open pin the tail on the donkey) Print, laminate, cut out the donkey, and press it on a wall. Give each child a small laminated donkey tail. Children take turns trying to pin the tail on the donkey as close to the correct spot as possible, while blindfolded. 

Color by number-Birthdays
(Open color by number-Birthdays) Print for each child. Children must color the picture per the legend. 

Snakes & ladders-Birthdays
(Open snakes & ladders-Birthdays) Print and laminate. Use a die and tiny toys as playing pieces. The object of the game: every child must reach the end of the board game.

Party hat patterns

(Open party hat patterns) Print and laminate the document. Cut out the various cards. Purchase several dollar store party hats, making sure that you have all the colors illustrated on the document. Children must arrange party hats in a row, respecting the order illustrated on each card. Invite older children to pick 2 cards and place them next to each other so that they have a longer pattern to reproduce.

Let’s count the candles

(Open let’s count the candles) Print and laminate the game. You will need 6 candles per child. Glue the pictures on the faces of a small box to create a die. Children take turns rolling the die and counting the illustrated candles. For example, if a child rolls 3 candles, he must search for a cake with a number “3” on it and add 3 candles. If both cakes with a number already have their candles, children must skip their turn. The first child to have set all 6 of his candles on his card wins.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Birthdays

Press a glow-in-the-dark sticker on one end of a Popsicle stick. Turn the lights off and recite a short birthday-themed rhyme as you dance with your group.

Photo booth-Birthdays

(Open photo booth-Birthdays) Print the different accessories, cut them out, and press them on drinking straws. Purchase dollar store hats, headbands, scarves, eyeglasses, etc. to complete your photo booth kit. Prepare a corner of your daycare by hanging a large piece of cardboard, a curtain, or a homemade décor and have fun taking pictures of the children in your group. Simply encourage them to pick the accessories they prefer and have fun! Why not invite parents to participate? Take individual or group pictures. They will represent great souvenirs. Print the pictures and use them to decorate your cloakroom walls or hallways.  

Makeup – Birthdays
Paint each child’s face and encourage them to admire their reflection in a mirror. They will love seeing their painted face!

Mandalas – Birthdays

(Open mandalas-Birthdays) Print for each child. Invite children to color the mandalas using bold colors.

Group gift
Draw a gigantic gift outline on a large piece of paper and press it on a wall. Provide a variety of arts & crafts materials that children can use to decorate the gift as a group.

Group cake
Draw a gigantic birthday cake outline on a large piece of paper and press it on a wall. Provide a variety of arts & crafts materials that children can use to decorate the cake as a group.

My favorite cake
Invite children to look at books containing pictures of different types of birthday cakes for inspiration. Ask them to draw their favorite cake. When they are done, they can present their drawing to the group and explain their choice.

THEMATIC PARTY SUGGESTIONS

Here are ideas of activities, costumes, decorations, and cakes for different themes.

KNIGHTS AND PRINCESSES

(Open knight or princess party)

Costumes
For a princess, use lace curtains or various fabrics and add jewellery. Draw stars on her cheeks and add sparkles. Don't forget the tiara! For a knight, use a black garbage bag and cut it so it is open on the sides to resemble a cape. Make a loose knot so it is easy to slip on. Add a crown. 

Cake
Bake a cake shaped like a crown. Use a square baking pan and cut the cake into two parts. Cut one of these parts twice diagonally to make triangular pieces. Garnish with icing and shiny candies to imitate precious stones.

Decorations

Organize a masked ball with the works: music, decorations, dancing, balloons, tablecloth decorated by the children, streamers...

ACTIVITIES

Crowning
Cover the child's chair with a large sheet. Place a crown on his/her head. He/she is king or queen of the day. He/she has the right to certain privileges such as choosing where to sit for lunch or the naptime spot, choosing a plate and glass from a special birthday selection, choosing the snack or meal...

Concert for the princess/knight

Children stand in a circle. Have one child leave the room and designate a conductor among the others. Each musical instrument will be mimed by the performers, with or without a violin, flute, piano, drum, guitar, or trumpet. The player who left the room must guess who the conductor is.

Knight's obstacle course
Build a maze. Add obstacles such as a rope tied between two chairs. Children must crawl beneath the rope or walk over it without touching it. Place a bucket of water on another chair. Children must crawl under the chair without spilling the bucket. Incorporate whatever you have on hand. Children can help you build the maze. Maximize the various methods children can move about (crawling, jumping ten times, hopping in hoops, walking on a rope, skipping, spinning, etc).

Statue
Choose one child to be "it". He must attempt to "tag" the other children. When he touches another child, the child is transformed into a statue. Others may free him by passing under his arms.

Invitations and greeting card

(Open invitation special day) Print and give a copy to each child. Along with the invitations, send the model of a crown for children to decorate prior to the party. They are to arrive wearing their crowns the day of the party. (Open king's and queen's crown) Print the model. Trace it onto a piece of cardboard covered with aluminum paper. Cut out and decorate with anything shiny. Measure children's heads, adjust the size of the crown and staple.

DINOSAURS

(Open dinosaur party)

Costumes
Paint your face like a dinosaur

Cake
Bake an oval-shaped cake and decorate it to look like a dinosaur egg.

Decorations
Cut out different dinosaur tracks (Open dinosaur tracks and dinosaurs) and glue them to the floor to form a path. Paths may lead to the bathroom, to the sink, etc.

ACTIVITIES

Archeology
Hide plastic dinosaurs in a sandbox. Using paintbrushes, children dust the sand in search of the hidden dinosaurs, just like archeologists.

Dinosaur route
Prepare a prehistoric route. Here are a few suggestions of obstacles: children go through a cave (a tunnel or simply a table draped with a sheet), cross over dinosaur eggs (fill a small pool with brown paper balls), jump over a lake (hoola hoops), and walk among the vines (hang garbage bag strips from the ceiling)...

Dinosaur nest
Place a basket full of large plastic eggs in the center of a circle. You may paint colorful spots with acrylic paint prior to the activity. In each egg, inscribe a simple activity (jump, dance, raise one leg, etc). Play music and have children pass the basket around the circle. When the music stops, the child holding the basket opens the egg and acts out the instruction.

Invitations and greeting card
(Open dinosaur tracks and dinosaurs) Write the party invitation directly onto the dinosaur tracks or use them to create a greeting card.

INSECTS 

(Open insect party)

Costume

Ask children to make themselves insect antennae. A great starting point can be a plastic headband with two pipe cleaners. Children complete the project using their imagination (decorated styrofoam balls, pompons, cutout pictures, etc.)

Cake
Butterfly cake. Bake the cake in a round mould. Remove from the mould and cut in two. Turn the two parts of the cake to create a butterfly shape. Decorate with "Jell-O" and jelly insects on top.

DECORATIONS

Insect ball
Blow up balloons and have children decorate them (dragonfly, bee, butterfly, caterpillar, ant, etc.) Hang from the ceiling.

Insect garland
Make a garland with leaves (Open leaf garland). Print and hang around the daycare. Add insects crafted by the children.

The caterpillar

(Open circle models) Print and cut out circles using the model of your choice on colored construction paper. Cut out the colored circles and glue them onto another piece of paper. Be sure to overlap them. Add googly eyes and pipe cleaners for antennae.

ACTIVITIES

The hungry ants
Use three small containers. Fill each container with sugar, maple syrup, or salt. Place the containers in an area where there are ants. Children observe which container the ants prefer.

Insect inspector
Search for insects using magnifying glasses, butterfly nets, or small exploration containers. Simple plastic containers with holes punched into the top for aeration are fine. Explore bushes, grass, and dirt...Help children catch insects and inspect them in the containers.

Grasshopper
Install a series of four or five hoola hoops on the ground. One at a time, the grasshoppers (children) must jump in the hoops without stepping out of them. Variation: Have all the grasshoppers follow each other. 

Worm
Hold a long piece of string. Walk and make it zigzag. Children follow and attempt to step on the string (worm) 

Flying balloon
For this activity, you will need sufficient space for the children to move about. Blow up one balloon for the group. Throw it to them. They must keep the balloon in the air.

Fly, fly, butterfly

Have children each hold a part of a blanket. Place a balloon on the blanket. Children move the blanket up and down so the balloon moves like a butterfly. Invitations and greeting card: Write the details for the party on insect stencils. (Open insect stencils) Print and trace onto cardboard. Children place stencils on a sheet of paper and cover with paint using a sponge to obtain insect shapes.

PIRATES

(Open pirate party)

Costume: Pirate's eye patch
(Open pirate's eye patch) Print, cut out, and make holes. Children decorate their eye patches as they wish. Attach a small elastic thread so children can place it behind their heads.

Pirate's hat
(Open pirate's hat) Cut the model out of cardboard. Children decorate with small beads, bunches of paper, buttons, etc.

Cake: Treasure cake
Bake two rectangular chocolate cakes. Cover with chocolate icing. Place the two cakes to look like a treasure chest full of jewels and gold coins (chocolate coins and candy necklaces).

Decorations
Create a pirate ship structure from an empty appliance box (refrigerator, washing machine, etc.). The structure should be glued to the wall as a decoration. Use fabric to fashion sails, empty paper towel rolls for the masts, etc. We have conceived a few crew members to add to your ship. (Open pirate ship crew)

ACTIVITIES

Treasure chest
Decorate a box. Add numerous surprises. Every day of the week, have children pick a surprise from the treasure chest.

Parrot Game
This is played like a telephone game. Sit in a circle with the group. Begin by whispering a word related to the theme to the child to your right. This child must repeat the word to the child sitting to his right and so on until the word has traveled all the way around the circle. BE CAREFUL not to say the word too loudly, it is a secret! The last one to hear the word says it out loud for everyone to hear. The word will certainly be distorted!

Treasure Island
Divide the group into two teams. Make a circle for each team (or use two hoola hoops). Be sure to leave sufficient distance between the two circles. Each island has a treasure (various object). The pirates (children) attempt to steal the other team's treasure. If a pirate succeeds and brings the other team's treasure back to his island without being touched, his team wins. Start all over!

Searching for gold
When the children are not present in the daycare, hide gold pieces (tiny rocks painted gold) in the sandbox or around the house. Don't forget to count the number of gold pieces you hide to make certain they have all been found.

Invitation and greeting card
Sword (Open sword) Print and inscribe the details of the party behind the pirate's sword. Cut out the sword model in very strong cardboard. Children may paint and decorate as they see fit.

FISH

(Open fish party)

Costume

Use fabrics with sequins. Cut out strips and attach to children's clothing to make fish scales. Paint their faces blue.

Cake
Make a fish-shaped cake decorated with jelly worms.

Decorations
Everything blue: balloons, streamers... Decorated fish can be hung everywhere. 

ACTIVITIES

Miraculous catch
Attach a cord to an old broomstick. Place a clothespin at the end of the cord. Hide behind a piece of furniture to hang objects on the clothespin. The object of the game is for children to each have a chance to catch fish. Fish can be replaced by toys or surprises. Variation: write points on cardboard fish (example: small fish=2 points, large fish=5 points, etc.) Set up gifts on a table (example 2 points= a miniature ball). Children exchange their "fish points" for surprises. 

Blue Jell-O bin
Allow children to manipulate blue Jell-O with their hands. Add small plastic fish in the bottom. Children plunge their hands in the Jell-O to retrieve them or they can use a fish net to catch them.

The fish and the minnows
(Played like the cat and mouse game) A player is designated to be the fish. He must catch all the minnows. Once a minnow has been touched by the fish, he becomes a fish too. There is only one way to be safe from the fish and that is for children to lower themselves either by crouching down, kneeling, or lying on their stomachs. If they are in these positions, the fish cannot catch them. 

Big fish, little fish

Cut out several fish of different sizes from paper or cardboard. (Open variety of fish models) Print and laminate. Slide a paperclip onto each fish to represent the mouth. Tie a magnet to a cord and attach the cord to a stick. Prepare two baskets, one for big fish, and one for small fish. Children go fishing and sort their catch according to size.

Invitation and greeting card
Inscribe the party details on the fish model of your choice. Have children decorate and use it as a ticket to attend the party. (Open variety of fish models)

TOMBOLA

(Open tombola party)

Costume
Paint children's faces with makeup. You may ask them to arrive at the party with a special hat.

Cake
Bake a cake and decorate with "smarties". 

DECORATIONS

Silly garland
Cut out different shapes from tactile paper (used for finger painting). You will need fruit and vegetables cut in half. Dip the pieces in paint and create characters and silly prints on the paper. Next, assemble all the sheets of paper with a colorful ribbon. Variation: use any kind of object to make prints.

ACTIVITIES

Clothespin race
Hang a long clothesline between two chairs. Make two teams. Each team receives a bag with clothespins. Upon your signal, children place the clothespins on the clothesline while a song plays. When the song ends, count the clothespins each team placed on the clothesline. Be sure to identify each team's clothespins with a different color to avoid confusion.

Hot potato
Sit in a circle with the group. Pass a potato around the circle to the sound of rhythmic music. When the music stops, the child holding the potato must sit in the center of the circle. The game continues.

Musical chairs
This is a classic birthday game. You will need one chair less than the number of children present (example: 10 children=9 chairs). Children form a circle and, to the sound of music, walk around the chairs. When the music stops, children quickly sit on a chair. One child will remain standing since a chair is missing. This child must sit out the rest of the game (he can play the music). Remove another chair and start the music again. Continue until there is only one child left. 

Somersault contest
Children perform somersaults in the grass followed by an original pose. 

Sponge game
Determine the start and end of the course. At one end, place a pail filled with water and some sponges. At the other end, place an empty pail. This pail should have a black line on it indicating the level the water must reach. The participants must wet the sponges in the pail containing water and then run to the empty pail and squeeze the water out. The game continues until the water level reaches the black line. 

Invitation and greeting card: Write the party information on the back of a large sun.

ZOO ANIMALS

(Open zoo animals party)

Costume

Make a mask. (Open zoo animal masks) Print and trace the models onto cardboard. Children choose their mask. 

Cake
Bake a cake shaped like a banana.

Decorations
Use a green tablecloth. (Open zoo animal models) Print and trace on construction paper. Cut out and fold the pieces according to the instructions. Draw the details (eyes, mouth...) directly on the construction paper. Use pipe cleaners for the ears and tail if necessary. Use the animals to decorate the table or hang them over the table with a transparent thread. 

ACTIVITIES

I'm a...
One by one, children mime the zoo animal you whisper in their ear. You can also show them a picture 

Musical animal
Children dance to rhythmic music (African style if possible). When you stop the music, children pick a card. (Open picture game zoo animals) They imitate the animal on the card. When the music starts playing again, the children resume dancing. 

Little fleas
Make teams of two players and put ten stickers on one player of each team. Upon your signal, the other child removes the "fleas" as fast as possible. 

I'm a monkey
Children pretend to be monkeys and try to imitate the daycare worker's actions (example: hop on one leg, make a silly face, scratch their heads, dance, laugh, scream, and fall down). Variation: This game may be played at lunch time in an attempt to include food children sometimes don't enjoy. If you're lucky, playing this game may help them devour broccoli!

Invitation and greeting card
Write the party information on the back of a mask. Children can arrive at the party with their masks already decorated. 

SCIENCE

(Open science party)

Costume

Children wear a white shirt. Dads can lend them one but they must be warned that it may not look new when it returns. 

Cake
Make a cake shaped like a test tube, a bubble, or a magnifying glass. 

Decorations
Use white, light blue, or grey balloons and streamers. 

ACTIVITIES

Nice and dry
Fill a glass half full of water. Pour baby powder on the water (we must see a thick film on the water). Gently plunge your finger in the water and remove it just as gently. Your finger will be dry! 

Runaway pepper
Fill a glass half full of water. Shake pepper into the water. In a small container, pour dishwashing liquid. Dip your finger into the soap and then, dip it in the glass of water. The pepper will run away from your finger! 

Moving grapes
Pour sparkling water (example: Perrier) into a glass. Add a few grapes and after a few minutes, they will move on their own. 

Rice bin
Fill a bin with rice and add figurines, measuring cups, containers, utensils, etc. Children will have fun manipulating everything.

Invitation and greeting card
(Open coloring pages theme-science) Print and write the party information on the magnifying glass.

CIRCUS AND CLOWNS

(Open circus and clowns party)

Costume
Use clown noses, wigs, and makeup. 

Cake
Bake cupcakes and decorate them like clowns using a small cone for a hat and candies for the rest. Thin licorice may be used for the hair. 

Decorations
Balloons, streamers, think high in color!

ACTIVITIES

Tightrope
Stretch a long rope out on the floor. Have children imagine it is high in the air. They must walk barefoot keeping two feet on the rope otherwise it is considered a fall! There are different ways of walking on the rope: backwards, hopping, crawling, etc...

Stilts

Make simple stilts using empty cans. Punch two holes on either side near the bottom. Measure the cord and cut it the correct length for the children's size. Thread one end into each hole and tie. To walk on the stilts, children stand on the cans and hold the cords in their hands. It's not an easy activity. Some children will need plenty of practice! (Make sure the edges of the cans are not sharp, you may want to add electrical tape or masking tape to be sure.)

Birthday game

(Open birthday game) Print and laminate. Display on the wall at children's eye level. The game is played like Pin the tail on the donkey. Blindfold the children and spin them around once or twice. Children attempt to place the party hat on the child's head. Invitation and greeting card: Select one of the circus hat models and inscribe the party information. Children can decorate it and arrive at the party with their hats on their heads. (Open circus hat models) 

BIRTHDAY

(Open birthday)

Costume

Makeup
Children find partners and use makeup pencils to paint each other's faces.

Party hat
Hand out sheets of construction paper and have children decorate their sheets as they wish using craft materials. When they are done, roll the sheet into a cone shape. Staple and add elastic to hold the hat under children's chins. They are then ready to try them on!

Cake
Cone cakes
Using a store-bought cake mix or your own recipe, prepare as indicated. Instead of baking in a regular pan, use the cake mix to fill flat bottomed ice cream cones ¾ full. Bake as you would normally do but check frequently since cooking time may be less than usual. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Make icing and various decorations available to the children and allow them to decorate their own.

DECORATIONS

Birthday garlands
Cut 7-10 cm wide strips out of construction paper. Roll each strip to form a circle and staple the junction. Pass another strip of paper through the first circle and staple. Continue until you obtain the desired length for your garland.

Birthday glasses
Purchase white or colored paper glasses. It is important that there be no designs on them. Give children birthday theme stickers. Let them stick them on their glasses to decorate them.

ACTIVITIES

Three-legged race
This game is for two players. Children stand side by side. Tie their legs together (example: right leg of first player to left leg of second player). Make a line at each end of the daycare and have children go from one line to the other and back.

The link
One child leaves the room. While he is out of the room, the rest of the group must entangle their arms and legs. The other player returns and tries to untangle his friends.

Blind walk
Children are two by two. One of the players is blindfolded and the other directs his friend throughout the daycare. Place obstacles on the ground such as cushions, a step, branches, etc. The guide must help his partner around the obstacles or help him over them.

Invitation and greeting card
(Open greeting card models) Print.

Collective card
Each child draws a picture. Assemble all the drawings together and present the child with the end result.

COLORING PAGES

(Open coloring pages theme-Birthdays)

SONGS & RHYME

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear _________
Happy Birthday to you

Hip Hip Hooray
by Patricia Morrison

Hip Hip Hooray
This is your day
We're going to celebrate
In a special way

Yeah....._____________!

Have fun!

The educatall team