Language focus: "Happy birthday!" "How old are you?" "I'm ____ years old."

Classroom benefits: Happy Birthday (How Old Are You Today?) is great for classroom birthday celebrations and allows children to practice asking and answering "How old are you?" in a meaningful context.


Lyrics and actions:

(Make a special seat in the center of the room for the child or children celebrating a birthday. You may want to make the first class of each month the birthday class, and celebrate everyone who is having a birthday that month.)

(Everyone marches in a circle around the birthday boy/girl. Birthday hats and noisemakers are recommended!)
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday. Happy birthday.
Happy birthday to you.

(Everyone stops in front of the birthday boy/girl.)
How old are you today? (Shrug your shoulders and gesture to the birthday boy/girl.)
How old are you today?
How old are you? How old are you?
How old are you today?


(The birthday boy/girl stands up to sing. If he/she is too shy, the teacher can sing with him/her.)
I'm __________ years old today. (The birthday boy/girl holds up fingers showing how old he/she is.)
I'm __________ years old today.
I'm __________ years old. I'm __________ years old.
I'm __________ years old today.

(Everyone marches in a circle around the birthday boy/girl.)
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday. Happy birthday.
Happy birthday to you.