Healthy Celebrations

Birthdays and other celebrations occur often when you have groups of young children attending a childcare centre, family based daycare, preschool and/or parent participation program. Offering healthy food or food alternatives will allow you to celebrate the occasion without eating snacks high in sugar and fat.

For special occasions other than birthdays, prepare a menu specific to a country, culture, or holiday. Have the children dress up, sing songs, play games or create crafts to learn about and acknowledge the celebration.

Celebrate by allowing the birthday child to:

• Be the leader of the day
• Wear a birthday crown
• Choose a healthy snack
• Help prepare the snack
• Choose the game for outdoor/indoor play
• Choose the background music for the day 

Celebrate with healthy snacks such as: 

• Vegetables and fruit mosaic platter (arrange cut up fruits or vegetables into a fun shape like a flower, a gold star, or the number of the child’s birthday)
• Fruit salad cones  (fill flat-bottom ice cream cones with cut up fruit salad)
• Fruit fondue with yogurt dipping sauce
• Mini muffin (smaller portions help limit the added sugar)

Adapted from Healthy After Schools