public or private school - what's best for your child?

Every school year, numerous children get a special day in class where their birthday is celebrated and honored. Long gone are the days where it's OK to just send in a platter of cupcakes and let everyone chow down. Peanut sensitivities, gluten-free diets, and artificial ingredient restrictions have made it tough to plan meals. Luckily, celebrating a classroom birthday for your younger child has plenty of other options. This includes celebrations at both traditional schools and child care centers with preschool programs. The following five alternative birthday treats give children plenty to look forward to and can make the celebration memorable for everyone involved.

Birthday Puzzle Erasers

Pencils are a very common gift for classrooms, so you can take things one step further by offering children puzzle erasers. These erasers feature different components that can be pulled apart and placed back together again.

For birthday themes, you can purchase bulk quantities of puzzle erasers in designs that include cake slices, party hats, and balloons. Along with birthday designs, puzzle erasers are available in animal shapes, holiday shapes, and a variety of foods like hamburgers and pizza. When shopping, look for a variety pack that provides you with plenty of options for the young children.

Food Treat Coupons

Even if you cannot bring food directly in the classroom, you can provide a nice snack for every child to get at a later date. Many fast food restaurants offer small food coupon books. These coupons contain a variety of treats like small ice cream cones, apple slices, and hamburgers. Sometimes these treat books are not advertised, so it's a good idea to request them or research a specific restaurant.

If there are not food-specific coupons available, then you can find one dollar booklets to give each child a special certificate. This all depends on the classroom size, so it's important to budget and plan accordingly.

Food Accessories

Another food-related option are food accessories. Instead of giving a treat, you can give young children an entertaining way to enjoy snack and lunch time. One of the easiest food accessory gifts for the classroom are silly straws. Available in multiple shapes and colors, the straws are cheap and easy to distribute among a classroom full of children.

Additional food accessories include novelty spoons, plastic cups with character designs, or fun party supplies like plates and napkins that children can use in the lunchroom. If you find good prices, you can mix two or more of these items together to distribute with the classroom.

Papercraft Printouts

Give young children a fun activity that will also encourage the growth and development of fine motor skills. Papercraft projects are small folding projects that can feature a number of designs. They are printed on cardstock paper, and children can cut and fold the pages to create various designs. For younger children, like a preschool classroom, you could even pre-cut the papercrafts so they just have to fold them.

As you select the free papercraft projects, there are numerous designs to choose from. Birthday themes include a birthday cake design where children can fold a realistic looking piece of birthday cake. Pop-culture papercraft designs include a number of cube characters. This includes cartoon characters like Super Mario, SpongeBob Squarepants, or heroes like Captain America. Choose designs that cater to your child's interest.

Surprise Egg Toys

Egg toys are trendy all over the world and they can provide a nice classroom treat to help celebrate the birthday of your younger child. One of the best parts of giving egg toys is the mystery and surprise that comes with it.

When purchasing bulk toy eggs, you can find a variety of options that are pre-packaged and have small novelties on the inside. These toys are not just available around Easter; you can purchase them all year long from a variety of websites.

As you plan any treat or special birthday celebration, it's important to communicate with the classroom teacher. You want to ensure that the celebration is approved and will not hinder on specific classroom activities. For more information about what may or may not be acceptable in a classroom, contact a child care center like Learning Tree Schools.