Celebration of Life
Montessori Celebration of Life (Birthday Celebration)
Everyone wants to be remembered and cherished on the
special day that they were born.
In our family we talk about the journey from their birth to the present day. We walk down memory lane with photos, funny stories, and wonderful memories. We let the birthday child know how cherished they are, and how our life and world is better because they were born in to our family.
We always complete the celebration with either a homemade cake or cupcake tree that suits the celebration.
In our family we talk about the journey from their birth to the present day. We walk down memory lane with photos, funny stories, and wonderful memories. We let the birthday child know how cherished they are, and how our life and world is better because they were born in to our family.
We always complete the celebration with either a homemade cake or cupcake tree that suits the celebration.
The same kind of celebration can happen
in a Montessori classroom! Children love sharing the story of their
life, and with the help of their parents this is possible.
Many
Montessori schools use some form of a sun, the months, a candle, and a
globe to help show the passage of time and the growth of the child from
birth to this birthday celebration.
Photo from Parts of Wonder Blog
In preparation of this
celebration, the parents of the birthday child are asked to bring in a
picture of each year of the child's life, and write a short life story
to accompany the pictures. We have a sample of a life story that you can
download.
We found this sample life story many years ago - but we're unable to
recall where we found it and if we made any alterations! If you know the
original author, please let us know so that we can give proper credit.
Birthday Walk around the Sun
The earth goes around the sun,
The earth goes around the sun,
The earth goes around the sun,
and then __________ (insert child's name) was 1!
The reading of the life story continue until the age of two. The birthday child begins to walk around the sun again, and the children in the circle repeat singing the verse, changing the ending to '2'.
This continues on until the child's life story is complete.
Then to complete the celebration the following can be sung to the birthday child (to the tune of Happy Birthday):
We celebrate your birth,
And your place on the Earth,
May the sun, moon, and stars,
Bring you peace where you are!
There are lots of variations to the above celebration that can be used in a school setting. On a more personal note, many families use a Waldorf inspired Birthday Ring ... which makes a beautiful celebration for a child and their family.
Photo from Waldorf Mama
Photo from My Child's Diary Blog
Photo from Chasing Cheerios
Photo from Pure Mothers