Hellobee Boards

I am all about skipping if the child doesn't mind. You can go to a special restaurant just as a family, rent a special movie (or go to the movies), go out for ice cream. We have even just kept things simple by meeting a friend at the playground or the local pool.

My daughter is 4, and she is clearly overwhelmed by too many people at a party. Starting this year, she had the choice of a party with lots of people, or a really special activity with her cousin or some other one or two friends. She chose a party this year. She'll get that choice again each year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see her choose a smaller event in the future.

So far she's been asking for parties so that's what we've been doing but if she ever wants to do something else, we will do what she wants. It's her day after all

We always take the day off and do something special as a family on DD's birthdays. For DD1 on her first we had a picnic at the park then came home and made her favorite meal. For her second we took her too the zoo and again came home and made her favorite meal. For her third she asked to go to the zoo! Lol always a favorite meal and birthday cake. Now that she's older we have started asking what she wants to do ON her birthday. She very clearly wanted a party this year. We will still take the day off and have a special family day on her birthday too. I'm thinking of taking her up to the big Toronto zoo this year.

For E's 3rd birthday we went to a children's amusement park (just the 3 of us). His birthday is in August and the park had a huge splash pad thing, and we spent most of the day there.

I would take my daughter to American Girl Place once she older.

It's super random but my mom always made sure we had a special hat or crown or something similar we got to wear. And she usually made whatever our favorite meal was