Whether you are self isolating or social distancing, celebrations may continue to look different for the foreseeable future. Many of us have put our lives on hold recently to prevent the spread of the virus which unfortunately has meant no birthday celebrations. Our kids may not fully understand what is going on in the world but they sure miss their family and friends. As parents, it breaks our heart to see them so sad. However now more than ever, we need to continue to celebrate and make special moments at home.
Here are the TOP 40 ways to continue to celebrate with the ones we love while social distancing.
1. Birthday Car Parades – These drive bys have become extremely popular lately and likely one of the only things on your social calendar. Coordinate a car parade with family and friends to drive by and say Happy Birthday. You can even have them decorate their vehicles with signs and balloons. Some may opt to throw presents out the window for the birthday boy or girl too. For more fun, reach out to your local police or fire stations to see if they could join in on the parade too.
2. Reverse Car Parade – Invite their family and friends to line up at a school parking lot creating a tunnel and drive down the middle. Decorating the vehicles, displaying signs and banners, or drawing on the parking lot with sidewalk chalk will add to the experience. Another version would be to drive by each person’s house and have them decorate outside with signs in windows and sidewalk chalk too.
3. Hatch Back Party – This idea has been popular with the adults but may work for older tweens and teens too. Set up a meeting time in an empty parking lot to chat while sitting in the back of their vehicles.
4. Virtual Video Calls – Zoom video calls have been used by almost everyone at this point in time. Sing Happy Birthday and share a dessert with the birthday person virtually. Canva offers several options for a virtual background to add to your zoom video at https://www.canva.com/templates/search/zoom-virtual-backgrounds/. You can also download Google Meet or Skype Meet Now as other platform options.
5. Birthday in a Box – Send a homemade care package filled with items that the birthday person will love or their favorite things. Consider supporting a local small business like The Confetti Post to send them for you. They offer customized boxes for any occaison and have the coolest gifts. You can also purchase birthday boxes and themed activity boxes like DIY family movie night from Party City.
6. Hourly Presents or Activities – Recreate a countdown similar to a New Year’s Eve countdown with balloons or bags filled with presents and/ or activities to open every hour. You could even countdown to the hour that they were born. For ideas on what to put in each bag, check out New Year’s Eve Countdown Bags With Kids.
7. Yard Signs – Display Happy Birthday in your yard with signs and banners. We are planning to use Yard Signs by Jess for when Lucas turns 4 but you can also check your local area for similar companies too. Another option would be to order personalized signs or banners from party stores like Shindigz. Shindigz is local and offers a wide variety of personalized signs and banners including large banners for your garage door.
8. Party for One – Create boxes for each of the invitees to enjoy the party from their own home complete with a plate, napkins, cup, drink, cupcake, party hat, game, and party favor. You can include as much or as little as you want. Deliver the boxes and set up a virtual video call time for the party to begin.
9. Favor Boxes – Give your friends something memorable to let them celebrate with you. Drop off favor boxes to each of your friends to share in the celebration. If you are local then check out A Spoon Full of Sugar for some delicious candy for your next party. The amazing store is a must see in person once they are able to open again.
10. Slide Show – Have friends and family members send you pictures of them holding a sign, or a short video then combine them into a slide show. Use apps like Videoshop or Splice to combine them easily.
11. Surprise Mailers – Request each family member to send a letter and/or a photo in the mail.
12. Favorite Take Out – Let the birthday boy or girl choose their favorite resturant to get take out from for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. Heck why not them all? Our favorite local ice cream place is Just Cream Ice Cream Boutique and they just started online ordering with local pick up.
13. Disney Character Call – Set up a time for their favorite Disney princess or character to video chat or FaceTime. Your Party Princess offers virtual visits sure to provide pixie dust to your celebration.
14. Flower and Candy Boutiques – Order a flower boutique or candy arrangement for the birthday person. Edible arrangements are also a fun idea too. Fleur To Gather is local and creates some of the most beautiful floral arrangements.
15. Movie Watch Party – Simply install Netflix party to allow family and friends to watch a synchronized movie together. You can also interact during the movie in group chats.
16. Facebook Group Party – Create a private Facebook group where people can send birthday messages or photos, get information on a parade drive by, or even go Live to blow out the candles.
17. Video Chat Game Time – Play games like BINGO, How well do you know the birthday guest, Pictionary (whiteboard on Zoom), Price is Right, or synchronized board games through virtual video chats like Zoom. You could also conduct a scavenger hunt with items found around their house where the first person to show the item on screen wins the round. Another idea would be to play charades with the host sending a word individually to one player to act out while the rest of the group guesses what it is. Saving the best for last with Disney trivia and other digital trivia games in which each member can participate at home with a smartphone or device. Simply set up screen-sharing with Quiplash, Kahoot, or Quizizz then have the participants log in and answer the questions from home. It’s super fun for adults too!
18. Neighborhood Sing Along – Schedule a time when all the neighbors come outside and sing Happy Birthday from their driveway or front porch.
19. Happy Birthday Song – Request each family or friend to video themselves signing Happy Birthday and send it. You could play one by one or if you are super tech savvy then combine them into one.
20. Birthday Savenger Hunt – Create a scavenger hunt for them to find their presents or just with common household items as a fun activity.
21. The Party Must Go On – Go ahead and put up the decorations still as if you were having a party. You can go all out or use what you have around the house. Here was Lucas’s Paw Patrol party from last year. This year we are planning a Hot Wheels theme with decorations from a local party supplies store, Shindigz. Why not leave the decorations up for several days too? Celebrate the entire week!
22. Quarantine Themed Party – Throw a quarantine themed party for the current times we are in complete with a toilet paper cake and caution tape. You could also do Zombie or Apocalypse theme too.
23. Picnic – Set up a picnic with their favorite meal and go outside to enjoy the fresh air.
24. Fancy Dinner or Tea Party – Dress up in your formal wear or Sunday best for a fun dinner at home complete with invitations to each member of the family. Locally owned and operated, Flourish and Flounce has complete tablescapes available for purchase and she delivers locally.
25. Decorate Their Door – When the birthday boy/girl wakes up in the morning, surprise them with a decorated bedroom door covered in signs, balloons, reasons you love them notes, streamers, or any way you want.
26. Yearly Traditions – Continue the yearly traditions that you already started like birthday donuts, eating on a birthday plate, making their favorite meal, or whatever that looks like for your family. If local, check out Rise ‘n Roll for some of the best donuts around.
27. YES Day – Make their birthday a YES day by saying yes to as many requests that you can. Dessert before dinner, YES! Stay up late, Yes!
28. Bake Off – Host a bake off similar to the shows Cupcake Wars or Nailed It. Drop off a box of supplies that each person will need to either bake and/ or decorate beforehand. Cookie decorating kits would work too. Then set up a video chat call to have each person show their progress and final product. You can find all kinds of mixes, icing, sprinkles, decorating kits, and other baking supplies at Country Kitchen Sweetart online (also offering curbside pickup if local).
29. LEGO Wars – Challenge each of the party invitees to a brick-building competition similar to the new show, Lego Masters. Supply each person with a small kit beforehand and allow them to supplement with LEGOs at home. I mean who doesn’t have LEGOs at their house these days. Then set up a video chat call for them to start and display their final masterpiece.
30. Let Them Eat Cake – Go ahead order their cake or make it just as if you would in the past and continue to share in the joy of their birthday. We always get our birthday cakes from Halls Takes the Cake so this year will be no different.
31. Virtual Birthday Trip – If you had a birthday experience trip scheduled or you want to take them somewhere fun then recreate it as much as possible from home. Some ideas could be to set up a beach day, at-home spa, Disney experience or camping site in your house or backyard. You could also take a virtual trip through one of the many museums, zoos, and more that are available online.
32. Gifts – Create a wish list on Amazon for grandparents and other family members to purchase from and deliver right to your door. Some local stores will also deliver to your home like The Monogram Shoppe and Fancy & Staple.
33. Dance Party – Invite friends to download Just Dance Now on their laptop or desktop and also add the app to a smartphone. Play over zoom by entering ‘party rooms’ and dancing together. Your phone acts as the controller. There are more than 500 songs to choose from including Disney. Enjoy a friendly dance off competition from afar.
34. Bring the Party Home – Schedule a small animal farm or a reptile entertainer to come for a private visit with all their pets. Remember to practice social distancing by having them set up beforehand and watching your interaction with the animals from afar if possible. Some local options include Animal-Grams and Mark’s Ark.
35. Interactive Video Game Party – Invite friends to play video games together while online like with Minecraft, Super Smash Bro’s, NBA 2K20, Fortnite, or other multiplayer games for friendly competition.
36. DIY Art Party – Obtain DIY craft kits online or from a local small business to pass out to each party guest before the video chat call. Some options could be pottery painting, small wood and stencil project, jewelry making or even DIY slime. Painting Fun Spot, Bisque It Pottery Painting Studio, and Board and Brush are all offering take and make kits if you want to go local.
37. Talent Show – Host a talent show with your family and friends. Give each person a set amount of time to share their talent and take turns. Show artwork, play an instrument, tell a story that they wrote, perform a dance, walk everyone through a Minecraft castle, or whatever they want to share. Be sure to encourage and clap for each person.
38. Animated Greeting cards – Request friends and family to send animated greeting cards. You can use websites like Smilebox.com or 123greetings.com.
39. Party Rentals – Go ahead and rent that bounce house, inflatable obstacle course, or other item that they always wanted for your whole family to enjoy for the day. We have always rented from Bob Mutton’s Party Rental and they have provided great service over the years.
40. Half Birthday Party – Consider celebrating their half birthday with friends when things are hopefully better.
Happy Celebrating!
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