Are you in need of some Socially Distanced Birthday celebration inspiration? It’s a crazy time, and with everything going on it’s important that we stick to these instructions and do out part to help flatten the curve of Covid-19. Despite the rather unfortunate set of circumstances, there are still loads of great ways that we can celebrate our birthdays and make tons of beautiful memories. It all starts with a good mindset.

Here are some fun ideas to try out for the next birthday!

• Request Cards or messages from friends: Get in touch with your kid’s friends (or their parents) and request that each friend mail a card or send a video text to wish your child Happy Birthday. If you want you could have each friend share a favorite memory of your child or include a joke.

• Arrange drive-by visitors: Organize a few friends or family members to drive by, honk their horns and wave to wish them Happy Birthday. If they want, they can even decorate their cards with streamers or window paint.

• Decorate your home like it’s a party: It is a fun and easy way to make your child’s birthday special. It’s just you and the family, so why go through the trouble? It matters to kids. Waking up to balloons, streamers, and banners will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

• While your child is still asleep, fill in their bedroom with balloons. Kids love surprises and this will make them start the day with a smile on their face.

• Prepare a special birthday breakfast. Create a small ‘cake’ using pancakes, whipped cream, and sprinkles and adding a candle on top.

• Decorate the table for breakfast and wear birthday hats while you eat.

• Create a “What we love about you” jar for your child. All you’ll need is a jar and little note cards.

“What We Love About You”

• Ice-Hacking Challenges: Put some toys into a plastic container, top it with water, freeze each container and once it is frozen, remove it from the container. Then start breaking the ice block (preferably outside) and release the toys. The winner is the person who releases all of their toys first.

• Present Treasure Hunt: Making the present element of the day take longer can really inject some excitement to an at home birthday. For younger children it could just be done on a hot and cold basis and for older children you could write fun clues that they have to work out before running to find the next clue and so on until they reach the gift. Gifts and a game in one. How fun!

• Spread out Present Time: When you spread out the gift opening you will utilize more parts of the day. Open parent gifts in the morning. Later during a zoom call you can open family and friends gifts. When you spread it out it carries the excitement throughout the day.

• Mini Sports Day: Go to the park and have a mini family sports day. If the parks are too crowded go to your backyard. This is such a great way to burn off energy.

So Fun!

• Water Fight: If the sun is shining where you are have a birthday lockdown family water fight.

• Lockdown Crepe Paper Obstacle Course: For this all you need is the crepe paper and tape. You just stretch the paper across the hallway so they have to work their way through it to get to their birthday presents. Get Crepe Paper Here: https://www.dollartree.com/search/go?w=crepe%20paper

• Kids Birthday Menu Planning: Let the birthday kid set the menu for their special day. You know that all healthy eating will go out the window, but that’s the fun of it.

• Family and Friends Zoom: Make those zoom meetings special by blowing out candles for each call. Have your family on the call eat cake at the same time. It will make it seem like they are with you and the kid will love it.

• Movie Night with a friend: Arrange for a friend of theirs to watch the same movie at the same time during a facetime call. They will be able to mess around like they usually do. It will be so fun if you add snacks to it.

• Build a kids lockdown are: Get a tent and set it up in your living room. The kids will love experiencing this because it is something they wouldn’t normally do. The novelty of it feels special and exciting. To top it off add some twinkle lights and fun snacks.

There is definitely a new normal that we are heading into and there are so many things you can’t do as a family. This doesn’t mean you can’t make your child’s birthday a magical part of their childhood. Take these ideas and make your child’s party a memorable one.