Birthdays are joyful milestones in a child’s life, and early childhood settings often look for ways to mark these occasions in meaningful ways. However, the question of whether teachers should buy birthday presents for children sparks debate across the sector.

While some see gift-giving as a kind gesture, others raise concerns about professional boundaries, equity, and sustainability. This article explores the perspectives shared by educators and leaders, highlighting both the risks and alternatives to ensure birthday celebrations remain inclusive, ethical, and child-focused.

Birthdays are milestones that matter deeply to children. In early childhood settings, a birthday wall display is more than decoration; it’s a visual celebration of belonging, identity, and joy. When educators design these displays thoughtfully, they create opportunities for children to feel seen, valued, and connected to their peers. A well-crafted birthday wall also links to the EYLF outcomes, supporting children’s sense of identity, community, and communication.

A mum was attacked for handing out lunch boxes at her daughter's party and got called out for being gender discriminative.

The Birthday Playdough Counting Mats encourages children to recognise the number on the birthday cake and use playdough to create candles to add to the birthday cake. This is a great way for children to recognise and learn numbers and for one to one correspondence.

The Birthday Colouring Pages are a great way to celebrate children's birthdays. Friends can colour, paint, collage a birthday colouring page which then can be collected from all friends and put together to form a special birthday book to present to the child on their birthday.

The following are birthday certificates for a child's birthday.

This template is to be given to a child on their birthday.

The following is a birthday display poster.

The following is a birthday display poster.

This template is a list of questions to ask a child on their birthday.