My daughter is approaching her third birthday and as a birthdays are meant to be special, yet often the true meaning gets lost in all the presents and festivities. I love that the Montessori birthday celebration gives a concrete way for young children to understand the months of the year and the earth’s revolution around the sun each year. It also is a way for children to feel special and to connect with their place in the world. Mia is still young to understand full concept of earth’s revolution around the sun each year so I set up for her very simple version of ‘Celebration of Life’.

I’ve placed the Sun (which I made) and a candle in the centre. Mia held a tiny globe and the first picture in the series of her life. The picture of her birth. I begin telling the life story and lighted the candle to signify the moment when she was born. She walked around the sun while my husband and I were singing (to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell):

The Earth goes around the Sun,

The Earth goes around the Sun,

The Earth goes around the Sun,

and then Mia was 1!

After she stops and takes another picture of her life. This continues on until her life story was completed. To complete the celebration we sung Happy Birthday song. My daughter absolutely loved this simple yet special ceremony of celebration of her life.

Here are some other Montessori inspired birthday trays and books I set up for her.

I made a birthday books countdown in the lead-up to their special day, to get her excited. I had enough books for five days. Once I had collected them all together I wrapped them in paper and put them in the basket. She was really excited about unwrapping a book each morning and it didn’t matter at all that they were books she already owned.

lettice – the birthday party/ winnie and wilbur: happy birthday/
it is my birthday/ the birthday invitation/ charlie and lola: this is actually my party

Enjoy!

L,xo