Social distancing and lockdowns make celebrating birthdays a bit more difficult. But, it doesn’t have to stop them completely!
My modern party supplies company Party Dash is bringing celebrations to families affected by COVID-19 with our Give Joy campaign. You can donate a magical party box filled with beautiful party supplies and other goodies to a child affected by the crisis. (We don’t want anyone to feel forgotten on their special day!) And the icing on the cake? All profits will go to additional Coronavirus efforts.
Does your child have a birthday coming up? You can still make your kid happy with a fun party that everyone can be a part of. Though it’ll be different than your usual party, you may end up liking it even better. Keep reading for our tips to make the best quarantined birthday party!
1. Do a party over Zoom or Instagram Live.
If you don’t want to cancel the party, you can still do it over Zoom! Call all of the party attendees, get your child dressed up, and improvise. (Just a heads up: If you have a basic account, the party will last for 40 minutes if you have more than three guests. So either borrow a friend’s pro account log in or get one for the month for $15.)
Throw on some music and challenge them all to a dance off. Have them wear their favorite costumes, or choose a party theme and invite them to dress up for it. You can still have 20 astronauts, mermaids, and dinosaurs in your living room thanks to a virtual party. (Psst! You may even like it better. Fewer kids at your house equals less clean up!)
You can also use IG Live if you want to stream you celebrating with your child and have other kids comment while you film. Since Live has an hour time limit, this is a great option to use while opening presents. However, everyone would need to have an Instagram account and be able to read/comment, so this is best for older kids’ or for a grown up’s party!
2. Have a drive-thru party.
Ask your friends, neighbors, and your child’s friends to drive through your street on your kid’s birthday. They can do this and honk their horns, wave streamers and balloons, decorate their cars or posters. Because they’re just driving by with their windows down, you can remain six feet away and keep social distancing. But, your kid will be able to wave to their friends, talk to them across the sidewalk or driveway, and not feel so alone.
This is pretty easy to coordinate with a simple social media post or a group text. Tell everyone what time to come on by (usually a set time of about an hour is best), and get your child excited for it! Have them wear a special birthday shirt or hat to help celebrate (and definitely make sure they wear appropriate personal protective equipment). It’ll be like their own personal parade!
Another way to celebrate is to drive by your child’s friends’ homes. Have them come outside holding posters that say happy birthday. Your child can sit in the back of the car with the windows down, waving to their friends. Most of these kids see each other every day at school, so not being able to see each other can be difficult—especially on birthdays. This way, they can still see them and know the friendship hasn’t changed.
3. Have a Netflix Party.
Want to be able to watch Angry Birds 2 or another popular Netflix film? Thanks to the newest Chrome extension, Netflix Party, your child can watch a show with their friends. They start and stop all at the same time using the browser, and you can call their friends or do a Zoom call so they can interact.
Or, if your kid is a little bit older, Netflix Party has a chat option on the side where all the friends can talk to each other throughout the movie. It’s the perfect way to quarantine!
4. Have friends and family send a video with birthday wishes.
We’re so lucky that we have technology today! It’s easier than ever to send your birthday wishes.
Ask all of your family and friends near and far to send a video with their birthday wishes for your child. To make it even more fun, tell them to slap on some Instagram or Snapchat filters. Who wouldn’t love seeing Grandma as a puppy?
5. Have friends send a letter in the mail.
You can also go a bit old school and have it be interesting for the kids because every kid likes receiving mail! However, this one you’ll need to plan a bit ahead. Talk to the other parents about having the kids send some birthday love in the mail. They can hand decorate a card, draw or paint a picture, or even send cool things like stickers and temporary tattoos.
As the letters come in, save them. Then, give them all to your child on their birthday so they can have a bit of happiness on their day!
6. Ask neighbors to help with a scavenger hunt.
One really fun idea is to ask your neighborhood to help with a special birthday scavenger hunt. Neighborhood Facebook groups were made for this! With everyone at home in social isolation, people are a lot more willing to get involved in any way they can.
All they have to do is put something in their window. It can be a stuffed animal, a painting, or anything else that you choose! Then, you can take a walk (or drive) through your neighborhood while your child finds all the different window items.
7. Go to a virtual museum.
Did you know that some of the top museums and zoos in the country are offering online virtual tours? If your child likes seeing artwork, animals, or anything else that may be offered at the museums, log on! Some of the top ones to see are:
- The Louvre
- Getty Museum
- MoMA
- Cincinnati Zoo
- San Diego Zoo
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
8. Play party games at home.
Everyone’s feeling a little anxious right now, and your child probably just needs a little extra love on their birthday. They know they can’t have a party, and this may be overwhelming for many of them. But you can do your part to help them cope by playing some party games at home. No matter how many people you have at home, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun!
Pin the tail on that donkey. Play duck-duck-goose. Challenge them in Fortnite. Do what makes your child happy!
9. Party with stuffed animals.
This suggestion is inspired by Masika Kalysha, reality star from Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta. Another way to celebrate without spreading the virus is to change the attendee list. Masika posted a video of her hosting a mad hatter tea party and all the guests were stuffed anima and her daughter’s dolls. By the huge smile on her daughter’s face, we know it was a huge success!
10. Go crazy with decorating the house.
Last, but arguably the most important, go above and beyond with your decor. This is a difficult time for any kid, and they need some birthday cheer! But decorating your home doesn’t have to mean going out for supplies. Stay safe and secure in your home and order some of our exclusively unique party supplies, which you can see above. Make your home a party oasis so that your child wakes up feeling loved on this hard day.
Though we’re all adjusting to this new life, social distancing doesn’t mean you have to give up simple pleasures. Celebrate your child’s birthday with Party Dash!
