Bag 'Em Up! {Birthday in a Bag}

I've been on Spring Break all week, and I am not going to lie, it has been amazing!  I have done my fair share of relaxing, enjoying the weather, working out, and generally having a nice time with my loved ones. I even tackled a few organizational projects at home, namely organizing our closets and my office.

In my quest to forever be organized, I stumbled upon some materials/items I've been stockpiling for next year.  More specifically, items to be bagged up as student birthday gifts. I was going to save the project for summer, but I figured now is as good a time as any!


I know it isn't necessary to give students a gift on their birthday, but it is a nice way to let them know that you care about their special day.  And, who knows, for some kids, it might be the only gift they get.  Here's a look at what's included in my birthday bags.

What's Included
A homework pass!  I mean, who wouldn't love a night off from homework.  If you work with younger kids, be sure to explain how this pass works.  The concept is new to many of them.  :)


A special birthday reward tag.  My students absolutely love reward tags.  You can read more about reward tags here.  And, you can find these specific reward tags here.  I also have a black and white set available here.


Finally, they get a super fun pencil and a mini container of bubbles.  How cute are these pencils I found at Michaels?  Thankfully, they have had them for a few years now, but of course, any fun, cute pencil would work here (I've used basic mechanical pencils in the past and they were a hit too). The mini bubbles are from the party aisle at Target.


That's it!  I live by the philosophy of K.I.S.S. (keep it simple silly).  They get a homework pass, a fun pencil, some bubbles, and a new brag tag.  The gift is by no means over the top, but the kids are always happy to get their bag of goodies!

Click {here} to grab a free copy of the homework pass!


How I Wrap Up the Goodies
For me, the easiest way to give the students their goodies all at once is to bag 'em all up.  It's a birthday in a bag!

I simply put the items into a cellophane treat bag and tie them with some curling ribbon.


Storing Birthday Bags Throughout the Year
I store all of the bags in a storage bin from Target.



How do you recognize birthdays in your classroom? Tell us in the comments below!

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19 comments:

  1. You're definitely not the only planner! I am already thinking about next year. Your birthday bags are cute. This year I gave each student a silly straw with a happy birthday balloon topper. They get so excited about even simple things as long as we notice their special day!
    Crystal
    www.funandlearningatbba.blogspot.com

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    1. I'm so glad I'm not alone in the planning department, and I couldn't agree more! They just enjoy the love and attention! Your gift sounds adorable, and I can imagine just how happy your students are when their special day rolls around!

      Aimee

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  2. Thanks for sharing--I love the idea of having them all ready at the beginning of the year. That way you don't end up scrambling to find a pencil or whatever (as I do now) every time a birthday comes around. Your summer to-do list may have gotten shorter, but mine just got longer! ;-)

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    1. It is really nice having them all finished ahead of time. I simply grab a bag and hand it out. Easy peasy! Sorry I caused for work for you (hehe), but it will be so worth it in the long run. ;)

      Aimee

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  3. I love your idea of having the bags ready to go at the beginning of the year. But I have a question. What do you do for the kid who has a birthday during the last week of school or over the summer? A homework pass won't do them any good then.

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    1. Thank you! Like many teachers, I actually recognize summer birthdays on the the student's half birthday. So, if their birthday is in July, I will recognize it in January. And, if by chance, a student has a birthday the last week of school (the only time I don't assign homework), I just make sure they get their bag sooner. I hope that helps!

      Aimee

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  4. I need to do something like this for next year! So cute!!

    Butterflying Through Teaching

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  5. Thanks for the adorable free homework passes. Your birthday bags are too cute.

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    1. You're so welcome, Shauna! I'm so glad you can use them. :) Thanks for stopping by!

      Aimee

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  8. I like the idea, so now that it is Nov. and some of my friends have already had their birthday, maybe I will give them all one for my birthday or their half birthdays. I will have to think about it. Love the cute bags too!

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    1. I'm so glad you like the idea, Susan! Whatever you decide, I hope they are a hit with your students. Thanks for stopping by!

      Aimee

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  9. I LOVE it! So cute and easy to do!

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    1. Hi Amber!

      Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and taking the time to comment! I'm so glad you liked the idea! :)

      Aimee

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  10. Hi Aimee. I stumbled upon your brag tag post and am in love. I am currently having problems downloading the homework pass from your birthday bag post. I think it's an issue with the fonts on my end. Would you be able to share the name of the KG Fonts you used? I will install them in hopes that will fix the problem. Thanks for your products and ideas. Angel

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    1. Hi Angel,

      The homework pass is actually a PDF, so you wouldn't need to have any special fonts installed on your computer. If you are having issues with things displaying correctly, it might be your PDF software. It might be in need of an update. You can check for updates by selecting the "Help" drop down menu from the top of the toolbar(open any PDF document to do this). From there, you can check for updates.

      Aimee

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  11. What do you do for the kids with summer birthdays?

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    1. During the last 4-6 weeks of school I set aside days to recognize these students. Some teachers opt to recognize summer birthdays at the six month mark (half birthdays). Thanks for stopping by!

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