15 Easy Birthday Photo Ideas – I Watch Them Grow (2024)

I kept my eye out for birthday photo ideas that show the child’s age and are super simple. And now I’m sharing a list of 15 easy birthday photo ideas so you can be inspired to try some out for your little one’s birthday photo!

I really love doing a birthday portrait of each of my kids on their birthdays. It’s a great way to capture who they are at that age, and to have a consistent progression of portraits over the years.

Plus they’re great to pass out to family or to feature in your scrapbook, photobook or album.

15 Easy and Creative Kid’s Birthday Photo Ideas

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1. Wood letter blocks spelling the age. This idea is perfect for little ones working on their block towers or learning how to read. They’re colorful, classic, and easy!

2. Paper bunting banner age. This works for any age and can be customized with any color or style to suit the birthday boy or girl. A little prep = a big statement!

3. Number written on a chalkboard. Chalkboard signs are popular these days for a reason – they’re classic and simple! You can’t go wrong and it works for any age.

4. Birthday photo chalkboardprintable. In case you don’t have a chalkboard, or neat chalk-writing skills, you can use these free printable chalkboards(designed by yours truly!). Put it in a picture frame or just have your child hold the paperfor an easy and timeless birthday photo. Click here to getthe free printable birthday photo chalkboard.

5. “I’m this many!” Child holds up fingers for their age. Does it get any easier? Well maybe this would be hard for a one year old, but for years 2 to 10 this is perfect! No props, no preparation, just those sweet chubby little fingers.

6. Large wood number. This works for any age, and it’s a great prop for the child to hold without the risk of it messing up. Win! (You can get these ones on Etsy here).

7. Balloons number the child’s age. What kid doesn’t love balloons on their birthday? This would be best for one to five year olds, but if you want to get 10 balloons for your 10 year old go for it! I think it would be nice to let the birthday boy or girl choose their balloon colors each year, or coordinate them with their outfit or birthday party colors.

8. Age on shirt. These are big on Etsy (find this one here) but of course you could DIY with a plain t-shirt and iron-on transfer, or pick one up from a store (Old Navy has sold them in the past.)

9. Age number formed by favorite small things (cars, rocks, marbles, crayons etc). I really love this idea because it adds a lot of personality to the birthday portrait. You’ll have to lay it out on the floor or ground and take the photo from above.

10. Find a large number outside. I love the urban feel of this idea and how small the girl looks next to that huge number four! It could be fun to hunt down numbers around your town for birthday photos too.

11. Say it with scrabble. Spell your child’s age in Scrabble pieces they hold in their hands for a unique and adorable birthday photo!

12. Digital overlay age. All you need to do when taking this photo is leave enough empty space around your child. Then you can add their age in a photo editing app, and if you want you can add their name or some fun facts to really personalize it!

13. Painted number. Tape a big piece of paper to the wall or use an easel and let your artist paint their age. You can get some action shots during painting and then some portraits next to the finished masterpiece.

14. Chalk number on sidewalk. This is a great idea for nice weather birthdays. Keep it simple with just the number or add some personal touches like a crown for a princess, get creative! Or let your child doodle around their number for a memorable portrait.

15. Birthday cake candles. Does it get more “birthday” than this? It’s simple, colorful, affordable, brilliant!

It’s time to start a birthday photo tradition! You could pick one thing that you do every year, or do something different each year to mix it up. Whatever you do, have fun with it!

And don’t forget to grab the free chalkboard printables 🙂

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