Be sure to make your preteens feel extra special on their birthday this year. Try one of these 16 best-ever birthday ideas.

16 Quick and Easy Best-Ever Birthday Ideas for Preteens

1. First Greeting

The week before the preteen’s birthday, send a card home with his or her parents or caregivers. In the card write, “I wanted to be one of the first to wish you…happy birthday!”

2. Party-in-a-Box Birthday Idea

Wrap an ordinary shoe box in birthday paper, keeping the top separate from the bottom so the box can be opened easily. Fill the box with enough balloons, streamers, hats, noisemakers, and individually wrapped cupcakes to provide a ready-made party for the birthday girl and her family. Top off the box with a bow and a card signed by you and each class member.

3. Drive-by Birthday Idea

Drop by the preteen’s house, ring the doorbell, and leave a balloon bouquet attached to a birthday card, an inexpensive toy, or coupons for the family to enjoy ice cream together. Make a quick getaway. Make sure to give the grown-ups a heads-up first!

4. Card-Blitz

Invite church members to send homemade cards to the child’s home every day for a week.

5. Birthday Cheer

In your best cheerleader voice, lead the class in spelling out the birthday child’s name. Say: “Give me a [letters of child’s name]!” Then end with a big hooray!

6. Wall of Fame

Create a bulletin board with the birthday child’s photo, a birthday banner, a Scripture, balloons, and streamers. Gather around the board and lead children in a prayer of thanks for their special friend.

7. Birthday Photo Booth

At a children’s church or Sunday school class, gather photo booth items like fake mustaches, funny glasses, and dress-up clothes. Let the birthday preteen choose his or her special costume first. Then let the other kids in the class choose items before you snap a class picture to commemorate the preteen’s birthday.

8. Instant Party Birthday Idea

In a large box or picnic basket, layer the following items to be used in the order you take them out of the box: on the bottom, treats for everyone to enjoy; next, a card and gift for the birthday child; then, one or two games kids can play; on top, decorations the whole class can use to decorate the room together. Then party!

9. Gift Giving

Donate the children’s offering that Sunday in the birthday child’s name to one of your church’s favorite charities or missions. Have the birthday child lead the class in a prayer for the people who’ll be receiving the gift.

10. Wild Waves

Have the birthday child stand; then have everyone wave enthusiastically and shout, “Happy birthday!”

11. Sur-prize!

Keep a special box in your classroom and fill it with small, colorfully wrapped gifts. When a child has a birthday, let her choose a prize from the box.

12. Song of Praise

Sing to the birthday person, but change the words of “Happy Birthday to You” to “We Praise God for You.”

13. Birthday Helper Idea

Let the birthday child be your special assistant for the day. Create a festive birthday emblem for the child to wear, using a banner, crown, button, or visor.

14. Family Fest

Invite a child’s family to bring a snack, lead a game, or present a family hobby. A parent might also show a baby picture or tell something about the child’s first birthday.

15. Birthday Buddy Idea

Have the child whose birthday was celebrated last bring simple treats or non-food items for the next child’s birthday. This helps kids learn to give and receive. Remind parents before their turn.

16. Banner Day

Design a birthday greeting on fabric or poster board and hang it at the beginning of class. Have all the kids sign it. Then give it to the birthday preteen.

Compiled by Kathy Dieterich and Nancy Friscia.

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