For a kid, a long-awaited birthday seems to take forever to arrive; for a parent, the years fly by in the blink of an eye! Maybe that’s why so many families create little birthday traditions. The familiar routine is special to kids, and lets parents hold onto our babies… for a little bit longer. Here are some of our favorites!

For kids who can’t wait for the big day to arrive, a birthday advent calendar is a fun way to count the days. (We love this beautiful hand-sewn one featured on home and harmony.) You can keep it simple and just use the pockets to count the days. Or you can tuck a special little note or drawing in each pocket.

birthday countdown chain from Modern Parents Messy Kids

For a simple, no-sew solution, check out this countdown chain from Modern Parents Messy Kids. Just create a chain out of construction paper with one link for each day. Every morning, the child can cut one link off the chain, until finally there are no more links and the birthday has arrived!

cardboard crown from Made by Joel

For a special birthday craft, what can be better than a crown? This cardboard crown tutorial from Made by Joel is fun, easy, and can be customized to suit any kid. It’s fun to make a new crown every year and watch how the designs change.

Snow White crown from Make and Takes

Or for a crown with a little more glitz, check out this clever Snow White sparkly crown from Make and Takes – all you need is silver piper cleaners and clear pony beads.

scrapbook handprints from Mod Podge Rocks!

Clay handprint kits are great for tiny babies, but what about big kids? These scrapbook handprints from Mod Podge Rocks! are a great birthday memory craft. It’ll be a treasure to keep even if you do just one, or you can keep adding new ones each year to create a lovely wall.

Birthday traditions from Kiwi Crate

Or for a no-supplies-needed memory activity, try a birthday interview. The answers will definitely make you laugh, and might even make you cry (in a good way).

photo series from Making It Lovely

Even parents of big kids can use some of the tips on this beautiful photo series from Making it Lovely. The keep it simple plan: pick one spot for birthday photos, and include a chair or something in the background for scale as your child grows.

And finally, in case you wanted a good cry about how quickly babies grow, don’t miss this amazing time-lapse video of a little girl growing from birth to 12 years.

What birthday traditions are you doing this year?

p.s. If you are in need of a creative gift or some super fun party activities / favors, check out the Kiwi Crate Celebration Shop!