A Cure for the Hospital Birthday Blues!

In honor of my birthday week being last week, I thought it would be fun to do a birthday themed post!

On an "All About Me" activity I did in 1st grade I made the mistake of putting "my birthday!!!" in the blank where it asked "What's Your Favorite Holiday?" Needless to say, and to my dismay, I was quickly informed by my bubble busting teacher that my birthday was not to be considered a holiday...Well too bad lady!! Birthday's should always be treated like a holiday! The more memorable and special the birthday celebration, the better the outlook is for the year to come!

But that's just my opinion :)

24 years in and I can say one thing about birthdays...they were much more exciting and anticipated in my younger years!

All that being said, I wanted to take some time to think about those little ones having to celebrate their birthday's from the confines of a hospital room. Things such as balloons, birthday cake and presents are what make birthday celebrations so special...yet those are also some of the things Child Life Specialists are unable to give to their patients. So is it even possible to make their birthday something joyful, unique and unforgettable? 

ABSOLUTELY!!! 

And in my opinion it's imperative to do so! This day could either be the "worst birthday ever", or the most fun and memorable! All it takes is a little extra thought, creativity, and lots of paper! Here are just a few ideas I thought could be useful for creating a hospital birthday celebration!

Hospital Birthday Decorations

A Couple of Fun and Easy Birthday Crafts

It is also always a great idea to get together with the patients family and find out what they might want to do for their little one's celebration. This would be a great time to help answer any questions and concerns they may have about other family members and friends coming in to visit. It would also be great to see if they had any other special requests, such as a room with more space, special guests and/or entertainment options!

I hope these simple ideas can help you make their birthdays as special as they are!