Who would have ever thought we would be planning birthday parties without a gathering? Not me. But with a birthday to celebrate at the end of April, we sat down and put our thinking caps on to come up with ways to make it equally as awesome.
Here are some great ideas for planning a birthday celebration while social distancing.
Start with the Invitation
Since the birthday boy or girl can’t physically hand out their party invitations, an e-vite is the next best thing. I suggest using Wish & Give. Their online e-vites encourage attendees to donate to the birthday child’s gift and their charity of choice. If your child has their eyes on that very expensive LEGO set, this is a great way to get them their perfect gift from all of their friends!
Decorate
Go all out with the décor. This is no time to scrimp on the streamers! Wait till they’ve gone to bed and watch their surprise in the morning!
Plan a YES Day
Have you had a Yes Day before? It’s simple. Anything your child asks, you say Yes to (within reason). “Mom, can I have chocolate for breakfast?” Yes! “Dad, want to play ball in the yard?” Yes! Other requests, like seeing friends, may need a “Yes, once this is all over”, but this is a sure-fire way to have a positive birthday.
Bring the Movie Theatre Home
If your child is a movie fan, they’ll love to stream a movie! There are so many amazing streaming sources to watch movies for free or for a small fee, on-demand. Universal Studios Entertainment is releasing movies that are “still in theatre” to streaming services On Demand.
Once the movie is chosen, turn your living room into a theatre by closing your curtains and blinds to make the room dark. Make sure to pop some popcorn or get the real stuff delivered from Film.ca, and of course, don’t forget the candy and drinks. ACTION!
Chalk Art Messages from Friends
I loved seeing the creativity of the #chalkyourwalk movement – so use it to display birthday messages! Drive over to a friend’s house and #chalkTHEIRwalk! Send them some birthday love from 6+ feet away on their special day.
Order Take Out/Curbside Dining from their Favourite Local Restaurant
Delicious food is always a great way to make a birthday celebration successful. Thankfully, many restaurants are still open and offering delivery and pick up. Go to the restaurant’s website to see if they are open or check out my facebook page with a list of restaurants still open.
Organize the Great Canadian Bake-Off!
If your kid loves to bake, or just loves to laugh, why not have a baking challenge with their friends?
First, contact the parents to arrange a FaceTime or Zoom party time. Next, drop off all of the cake baking needs and decorations (while maintaining your distance). The party starts with everyone having their naked cake ready to decorate. The mess, the laughter, and the friends will make for some great memories. You can even record the Zoom call! You can also have cookie dough delivered from a local bakery.
Balloons
Balloons brighten anyone’s day and Ettridges has kept up their balloon creations and delivery during this time. Daffy Dill The Clown is our favourite balloon twister and she can deliver unicorns, princesses, rainbows and more!
Have a Netflix Party
Netflix Party is a new way to watch Netflix with friends online. Netflix Party synchronizes video playback and adds a group chat to your favourite Netflix shows. Kids can watch and message the group at the same time. You can even deliver some movie-watching supplies like popcorn, candy and drinks to all the kids in the party. Bonus points for a small pizza!
Our world we live in may be changing, but celebrating people should never go away. Use the many resources out there to make someone’s special day one of the best they ever had.
