Sprout English’s featured lesson this week is a writing activity called The Party. Do you have parties at your school to celebrate special occasions like birthdays? Here are two fun ideas for celebrating birthdays in the classroom.
1. Create a Class Birthday Book
Print this Birthday Book template. You’ll need one cover page and as many filler pages as you have students.
A few days before a child’s birthday, send a blank birthday page home for the birthday boy or girl to fill out. Your student can fill in the blanks and draw or paste photos in the boxes. The first box is for a baby photo and the second box is for a picture of the student at his or her current age.
Your students may need help filling in the blanks. Here are some ideas:
When I was a baby, I loved dogs.
When I was a baby, I liked stars.
When I was a baby, I was cute.
When I was a baby, I had no hair.
When I was a baby, I cried a lot.
Now that I am 7, I love cats.
Now that I am 7, I like reading.
Now that I am 7, I am tall and strong.
Now that I am 7, I have long, curly hair.
Now that I am 7, I play hockey.
Add the completed birthday page to the Birthday Book. On the day of a child’s birthday, have the birthday boy or girl read the whole book to the class, ending with his or her own page.
Note: For kids with summer birthdays, assign the birthday pages at the beginning and end of the school year. For example, assign August and early September birthdays at the beginning of the school year. Celebrate late June and July birthdays at the end of the school year. (Don’t forget to add a page for your own birthday! It will probably be your students’ favorite page.)
2. Buy a NEW Book for the Classroom
Another fun tradition for celebrating student birthdays is to buy a new book for the classroom. To make the child feel special, try to find a book on a topic that is important to the birthday boy or girl. For example, choose a book about a student’s favorite animal or sport. You could also look for a story with a character who shares your student’s name.
Share the book with the class on your student’s birthday. You could ask the birthday boy or girl to help you read it to the class. (New books can get expensive. Find used books at garage sales and secondhand shops, or ask for donations from friends and neighbors.)
Here are some book plate labels you can print and personalize to place inside the birthday books.
At the end of the year, you can give the students their birthday books as a keepsake, or keep the books in your classroom library as a reminder of the students you had each year. If you don’t have room for a lot of new books in your classroom, or if you already have a large personal library, you could borrow a special book to read to the class on your student’s birthday. Even if you decide to borrow a book, wrap it up and let the child open it. If the book is staying in your classroom, let the birthday child place it in your classroom library.
Please Leave a Comment
What do you do to make your birthday boys and girls feel special? Please take a moment to leave a comment and inspire a teacher!
