Children's birthday party without stress
Simply baking a cake and a few candles is not enough: if it's your child's birthday, a theme party with a three-tier wonder cake in seven colours is the minimum requirement these days. A trip to the football stadium or a visit to the cinema with the whole class are also at the top of the popularity scale. Nowadays, the birthday child's parents send out a date request via WhatsApp and put a written invitation in the letterbox three weeks in advance, complete with a list of materials from the festival organisers (sunglasses, full Star Wars costume, tick spray or mud suit).
Today, children's birthdays are like an arms race that drives many parents into organisational madness. This was also the case recently with friends whose daughter Lea has just turned seven. The girl wanted a lavish party and suggested various themes to her parents. A «unicorn» theme party? Lea had already celebrated this on her fourth birthday. An Elsa party? There was one last year. Or a stretch limo to the children's disco? Lea already has that on her birthday party CV.
Chauffeured to kindergarten in a ladder trolley
Change of scene. «Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you ...» Outside Julia's front door, 15 children sing the birthday song. Julia proudly listens to the choir from her kindergarten and then climbs into the ladder truck. When a child from the Feld kindergarten in Suhr in the canton of Aargau celebrates their birthday, they are picked up by all the children in their class and chauffeured to the kindergarten in the ladder wagon.
Children's birthdays are very important to them. It's the day when they - and only they - are in the spotlight, when the world really does revolve around them. Cake, presents, singing: Every ritual is good for a child's soul, which is still very much centred on itself.
Birthdays therefore need to be savoured to the full. And of course, children don't just want to celebrate their birthday at home with their family and friends, but also at kindergarten. The mixed-age day nursery at the Rote Fabrik in Zurich combines both. Mum, dad or both parents come along to the «Chindsgi» on their birthday.
They cook their child's favourite meal on site, bake a birthday cake and recount the day of birth in the morning circle. «Children love these stories and are proud of every detail: What was the weather like, where exactly did they come into the world and how did they drink at first,» says kindergarten teacher Eva Hiltbrunner.
Birthday is «ego day»
On their birthday, children in kindergarten are king and queen for a day. At Suhr kindergarten, they enjoy undivided attention. Depending on the child's wishes, they can choose the games, choose who sits next to them in the morning circle, help organise an excursion, light birthday candles or perform something. They take a seat on the special birthday throne, are lifted into the air for each year of age or painted with a seasonal symbol.
Less is more - our tips for relaxed children's birthday parties
- Don't overtax your children! Let them play freely on their birthday and don't plan too long a party. At kindergarten age, two hours of celebrations is a good starting point. Rule of thumb: The child may invite friends to the birthday party in line with their age. Five guests for the fifth birthday, for example. Please note: Under the age of four, the parents of the little guests stay for the party.
- Set up a birthday calendar so that your child can see which of their friends and family have a birthday and when, and can look forward to it.
- Let your child do it! Write or design invitations, decorate the cake, set the table ...
- The invitation should include the birthday child's address and contact details. Details of footwear and clothing are also helpful.
- Establish a family ritual for everyone celebrating the birthday. This could be a crown or a special table decoration, for example.
- Instead of a giveaway, a found treasure (consisting of an iron-on picture, washi tape, sweets, a glitter pen, etc.) can be taken home.
- Do you remember the spin the bottle game? The Chindsgi version is that the children take it in turns to spin the bottle and the baby is then allowed to unwrap the gift of the chosen companion.
Not every child can handle so much attention. Shy children in particular prefer to observe first before being in the spotlight themselves. The fact that every birthday is celebrated in exactly the same way in kindergarten gives the children a sense of security through these rituals, observes kindergarten teacher Anja Kern. «They are also allowed to delegate on birthdays and thus remove themselves from insecure situations, such as lighting candles,» says Anja Kern.
Not all children like to be in the limelight. Some are therefore allowed to delegate on their birthday in kindergarten.
The Rasselchischte kindergarten in Zurich celebrates the children's birthday in the forest. In keeping with the children's book «A new house for Charlie», the birthday child receives a golden snail shell. «Of course, all the children knew what was in the little bag after the first birthday party,» says head Patricia Meier. «And yet they were all delighted to have their own little house.» And because every child receives the same gift, there is no competition between the children - and no pressure for parents or teachers.
No birthday without a cake! However, nursery school teachers do not recommend multi-tiered buttercream cakes because they are usually not at all to the children's taste and also leave unpleasant marks on their clothes and the floor. Muffins, cakes with Smarties or small pigtail animals with a chocolate bar are popular and practical. By the way: Lea, who was mentioned at the beginning, celebrated her birthday in a very unspectacular way in the swimming pool.
They played, splashed around and at the end each girl was allowed to choose something from the kiosk, donated by the birthday girl. Instead of cake with a wow effect, there was a simple ice cream. The highlight: under the supervision of the pool attendant, seven of the girls were allowed on the slide for a change. Rarely has a happier «Happy Birthday» been shouted.
