Buy birthday cards in bulk at the beginning of the year. Write students names on the envelopes and sort them in order of birthdays. Keep these in a small box on your desk so you are ready to write in them as the date approaches and then hand them out or mail them.

Keep a stack of birthday hats to use for classroom celebrations.

Received a gift in an extra-pretty box? Hold onto it to keep small gifts inside. Let birthday students choose an item from this box, which should be separate from a normal prize box. Keep it on a high shelf so students can’t reach it, but within sight as part of class decor.

Your school probably won’t supply you with a birthday tablecloth for each student, but probably does supply you with access to bulletin board paper in bright colors. Take a long sheet of this to cover a table (or desks pushed together) to make the room look more celebratory. Bonus: it’s more eco-friendly than plastic tablecloths!

Even if you want to light a candle with your students, most schools won’t allow it. But you can add some fiery colors to a regular candle with tissue paper or even buy an electronic candle that students can pretend to blow out over their own cupcake.

Display birthdays on your wall with a gift bag, yarn and these balloons printed onto color paper.

You can also open that bag, fill it with whatever small gift you will give to each child, even tying it to the string, and then remove the balloon with the gift tied onto it on the child’s birthday. As the year progresses, the balloons will disappear, showing everyone how many more birthday celebrations lie ahead.