This is a great activity for group or circle time in pre-school or kindergarten. It can also be a good project to have at home to help celebrate each and every birthday in the family.

Materials needed:

• Box – with a lid
• Birthday wrapping paper
• Books about birthdays
• Playdough
• Real birthday candles
• Birthday decorations such as plates, cups, napkins, banners, hats, party noise makers
• Paper, folded in half (to make birthday cards)
• Crayons

What to do:

1. Wrap the box and the lid separately with the birthday wrapping paper
2. Put the books about birthdays inside the box
3. Put playdough, birthday candles, decorations, folded paper and crayons inside the box
4. As soon as you have the box ready show it to your children and explain that this will help to celebrate birthdays by reading books about birthdays, making cards, baking a pretend playdough cake and singing “Happy Birthday” to the birthday boy or girl
5. Use the box whenever someone has a birthday – make sure that you do it for each child so that they all have a special day.

Good birthday books:
Happy Birthday to You!
The Night Before My Birthday
Curious George and the Birthday Surprise
Little Miss Birthday (Mr. Men and Little Miss)
How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday?