Birthday Books

Our school is probably one of the few in our area that still allows birthday treats. Last year, however, I decided to shake things up a bit and change the way birthdays were run in my room. That's right - the witch inside of me took the treats away! I must say, I was nervous to share this information with the parents that I had barely met at our Go-to-School night at the beginning of the year. No joke, there was an audible gasp in the room when I mentioned that treats were not allowed in my room. You would've thought I had told them I most certainly would NOT be teaching reading this year!

I did this for a couple of reasons. Our district had updated its guidelines and suggested celebrating parties (birthdays and holidays) in a healthier way. As much as I love 20 sugared-up 1st graders, I couldn't argue with the fact that going cupcake-less would benefit everyone. Also, my room had multiple severe allergies last year, and it was one more thing I could control to make sure that all of my kiddos were safe.

I still wanted my students to feel special - so, along with the birthday crown, certificate, and pencil, each student wrote a birthday page for the special student. We bound the book and gave it to them during their celebration later in the day. Yes, I still let family members come and read a book to the class, play a game, or do a small art project - I wasn't that much of a witch! :) 

And to be honest, the kids didn't seem to notice a difference that they weren't eating a cupcake. We got to focus on the birthday student, and they were able to walk away with a book that they can keep for many years to come.

If you'd like to purchase the birthday book, head on over to my TPT shop!

Graphics courtesy of Scrappin' Doodles and KPM Doodles.