Planning a first birthday party is exciting. From picking out the theme, to setting up decorations, to wrapping presents, as a mom, you try to make everything as special as possible for your baby’s first birthday.

While I was planning my daughter's first birthday party, it got me thinking about the traditions that I had in my family growing up. For instance, the simple happy birthday banner that was used my entire childhood or the themed birthday parties I had every year.

Here is a list of simple but special birthday traditions that you can start on your child's first birthday:

1. 1. The decorations
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Cover the room with balloons so when your kid wakes up, they will be surprised. Hang streamers from the bedroom door. Put up a happy birthday banner (even better use the same banner each year).

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2. 2. A letter from the parents
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Every year, write your child a letter and be sure to put the date on the letter. Then when your child turns 18, they can open all the letters. Write down your favorite moments from the past year and what you hope to come the following year.

1. 3. Special breakfast

In our house, we love making a big breakfast. We plan on continuing the fun on her birthday and make this a tradition. Even better, you can top the donuts or pancakes with birthday candles and start off the morning by singing Happy Birthday.

1. 4. Birthday Interview

Write down 5 to 10 questions and, every year on their birthday, fill it out your questionnaire and see how much the answers have changed each year.

Some questions you can ask include: their favorite color, what do they want to be when they grow up, favorite movie/show, and favorite food.

1. 5. Donate old toys
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With a birthday, you know your child is going to be getting lots of new toys. It's a good time to go through the toy box and gather all the toys your child no longer plays with or outgrew and donate to a child in need.

1. 6. Measure height
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Every year on their birthday be sure to measure their height and the date either on a wall or using a height chart. Then every year, you can go back and see how much your child has grown.

1. 7. Birthday countdown
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You can put a chalkboard up and change the date every morning. Make a paper chain, or get a super cute countdown calendar from the store.

1. 8. Birthday Fairy
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Every year on your child's birthday, put in their piggy bank the amount of their age in dollars. Put an extra dollar or two for good luck.

1. 9. Birthday scavenger hunt
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I know this tradition will only become more fun as my daughter gets older. Instead of just handing your child their gifts, make it into a scavenger hunt, where they must figure out clues in order to get their gift. The challenge involved will make receiving their gifts even more fun.

If you’re trying this activity on their first birthday, you can make it simple by hiding presents in different areas of the house while helping them locate the gifts.  

1. 10. Birthday dinner
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Let your child pick out where they want to eat dinner for their birthday. If choosing to stay in, ask them to decide what's for dinner. It will be a fun tradition that your child will look forward to each year.

1. 11. Baby pictures
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This is a perfect opportunity to pull out the baby photos and see how much your child has grown. For the first birthday, put up a banner using twine or ribbon and mini clothespin, and display one photo for every month from 1 to 12. You can continue this tradition as they get older.