Walking Around the Sun: A Montessori Birthday That Truly Honors the Child

How to Celebrate a Montessori Birthday at Home or in the Classroom with Walking Around the Sun

The Guidepost Team

Birthdays are more than cake and candles. In Montessori, they are a quiet, meaningful celebration of who a child is and how far they have come. At Guidepost Montessori, we honor this day with a simple ritual called Walking Around the Sun. It is joyful, symbolic, and centered entirely on the child.

What is “Walking Around the Sun”?

The celebration begins with two symbols: a picture of the sun placed at the center of the circle, and a small globe to represent the Earth. The birthday child holds the globe and walks around the “sun” once for each year of their life.

With each orbit, a photo and short memory from that year are shared by the guide or a parent. The ritual is simple, but the meaning is powerful:

  • The sun represents a steady, life-giving center.
  • The globe shows our Earth moving through time.
  • Each orbit marks a year lived, making the passage of time real and concrete for children.

Beginning in our Children’s House classrooms (ages 3–6), month labels may also be placed around the sun, connecting the child’s journey to the rhythm of the year. In Toddler environments, visuals are kept simpler and fully safe, while older groups may choose to add a candle-lighting ritual if appropriate.

Why This Matters

Walking Around the Sun reflects Montessori’s deepest values:

  • Respect for the child. Each life is honored as unique and worthy.
  • Connection to time and nature. The child can see and feel how the Earth’s orbit marks the passing of a year.
  • Community. Classmates listen, celebrate, and witness the child’s story together.
  • Reflection. The child remembers where they’ve been and looks forward to what’s ahead.

It’s a way of saying: your story matters, and we celebrate it with you.

A Montessori Birthday in Practice

At Guidepost, we prepare for birthdays with care so that each child feels truly seen:

  • The classroom team plans in advance and invites parents to contribute.
  • Photos and short stories are shared during the walk.
  • The celebration ends gently, with the child choosing whether to be sung to.
  • Optional elements — such as a friendship circle, a healthy snack, or a small gift for the classroom — may also be included, depending on the family’s wishes.

Parents are invited to contribute one photo and a short memory from each year of their child’s life. Some choose to attend the celebration in person, others virtually.

Celebrating at Home

One of the gifts of Montessori is that its rituals can extend into family life. You can try a version of Walking Around the Sun at home:

  1. Place a picture of the sun (or even a candle) at the center of your table. If you'd like to purchase the items we use, you can find a Celebration Sun mat here and a Seasons mat here.
  2. Invite your child to hold a small globe and walk around the sun once for each year of life.
  3. Share one photo and memory from each year.
  4. End with a simple family song or words of gratitude.

(Pictured above: a lovely home photo from Home and On the Way's version of an at-home Montessori birthday walk around the sun)

Siblings often love joining in, sharing their own memories of the birthday child. It becomes not just a birthday tradition, but a family tradition.

There are several versions of “The Earth Goes ‘Round the Sun” song. This is the song we sing in our classrooms:
(Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)

The Earth goes ‘round the sun,
The Earth goes ‘round the sun,
And every time it goes around,
Another year is done.

Why These Celebrations Matter for Children’s Development

Long after the cake is gone, children remember these moments. Walking Around the Sun helps them feel connected to time, to nature, and to the people who love them. It gives them the chance to step into the center of the circle, not just as “older” but as someone with a story worth celebrating.

Birthdays remind us not only how old a child is, but who they are becoming.

At Guidepost Montessori, we are honored to walk with them — one year, one orbit, one sunlit step at a time.