Birthday Party Ideas During Pandemic – “I felt like a princess,” says Georgia Stephen, who turned 8 in June. She was all smiles as she waved to adoring family, friends, classmates and teachers in an hour-long car parade organized by her mother, Janine of Olmsted Falls.
“Georgia’s birthday was right after school let out in the summer,” explains Janine Stephan. “Normally we have a pool party at our complex, but given the circumstances, we opted for a car parade—Georgia got to pick out a new dress, my friend Christy made a coordinating balloon booth (common grounds don’t allow lawn ornaments), and I emailed friends and family for a Friday night time slot. I sent the invitation. Everyone was on board.”
Birthday Party Ideas During Pandemic
After cake and gifts with close family, Georgia greeted guests who paraded down the sidewalk — including more than half of her classmates. “Some gave her gift bags through the car windows, and many decorated their vehicles, shouted the birthday song, honked and honked and waved as they drove,” says Janine Stephen.
Making Birthdays Happy
To his surprise, neighbors joined in the fun, watching the parade or playing music and wishing him a happy birthday from their windows. “It made her day,” she says.
Already rounded the block for a birthday parade? Regardless of your comfort level or gathering preference, there are plenty of other fun, creative ways to celebrate safely with a live, virtual or hybrid event. Here are eight more ideas to make your birthday child feel special:
Multiple siblings and schedules to coordinate can make it difficult to focus on one child’s wishes, but choose a day for the birthday child to be the star. Display pictures or favorite memories of his or her child somewhere in the house, have each family member write a letter or list what they like about the birthday child (eg 10 things in 10 years). What makes your child happy? Let him choose everything — dinner and dessert, the day’s music and a family activity, whether it’s a movie, a board game, a visit to the playground or another outing — within a reasonable amount of time, of course. Create a schedule or menu with blank options if you need to set limits, but keep it to the child’s birthday.
Pre-pack simple games like bingo boards or coloring sheets and birthday boxes or goodie bags to take home, depending on the theme of your child’s choice. For example, are you a fan of blues clues? Search the web for tons of free printables, favor ideas and more. Create paw print “trails” that lead to your child’s gifts or treats for guests to follow to your home, then log into Zoom or another video conferencing service to play a game at a specific date and time, learn a dance (try the Go Noodle or Koo Koo Kangaroo videos) and/or sing “Happy Birthday” and other favorite songs together. If you’re not tech-savvy, practice screen sharing in advance and remember to give guests clear links and instructions beforehand. For an extra surprise, ask guests to dress up in costume.
How To Have A Zoom Birthday
Meet friends for lunch or dinner or catch a movie at a drive-in diner with self hop service like Swenson’s, Sonic or Green Leaf in Wooster (be sure to check the current hours). Call the venue ahead of time to see if seats can be reserved, line up the cars, open the tailgate or roll down the window and “visit” from afar. If you can take some of their cards, consider providing gift cards with the invitation, or handing out a prepackaged treat (check the theater’s guidelines on this) or a non-food “thank you” favor for coming. Mark the party cars with balloons or bows.
Plan an outdoor adventure where kids can roam freely with a parent or guardian but still interact as a group at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Akron Zoo or Majestic Meadows Alpaca Farm in Medina. (Think: “All Llama Fun” or “Jungle!”) Join us) Designate a time and place to exchange gifts and favors. For example, consider buying each guest a KeyBank Zooki (available at the Cleveland Zoo box office) or a bag of alpaca beans from Majestic Meadows Boutique (reserves and food can be purchased online) to unlock educational messages during their visit. Their guest experience, especially if they get other tickets. Fishing and nature walks are economical options depending on the age group. Feeling more ambitious? Set up a scavenger hunt based on your destination and reward those who complete it with an extra reward.
• Roll Arena in Elyria offers private “safe skating” facility rentals ($150 for hour and half sessions, including skate rental and free printable invitations) outside of regular public skating hours and lessons.
• Want to relax more? Movie theaters such as AMC Theaters, Atlas Cinemas and Cleveland Cinemas now offer private theater rentals. Prices vary depending on the type of film (classic or new release), the number of people in your group and the day of the week. Cedar Lee Theater and Chagrin Cinemas allow you to bring in your favorite DVD or Blu-ray or buy the movie currently playing on the screen for a fee and minimal discounts. Contact them for specific pricing and requirements.
The Best 40th Birthday Party Ideas During Covid 19
• Got an aspiring astronomer or astronaut? The Lake Erie Science Center offers personalized planetarium programs for groups of six ($40 for a half-hour session). Choose from Twinkle Tots (recommended for ages 0-3), Stellar Stars (recommended for ages 3-7), and Mini Missions (recommended for all ages). Register online.
Not ready for an in-person event? Stream a movie with friends using a platform like Netflix Party, Amazon Watch Party, Hulu Watch Party, Disney+ GroupWatch, or Seiner. Not sure which service is right for you? There are many articles on technology that highlight the differences. Note that each person may need to have an active (paid) account to participate, so you may want to consider having one person subscribe and share their screen via Zoom.
From bedroom door moldings to personalized yard signs, make your celebration more festive than ever with additional decorations inside and out. Shop the window of a balloon company or party store, or create a simple DIY balloon arch or standout banner with a giant foil or character balloon. Turn off flashing lights or create a dance party-like atmosphere with color-changing smart bulbs and strobe lights. You may be familiar with the Philips Hue and its app, but there are other inexpensive alternatives that work with Alexa and Google Home.
Are you an inquisitive scientist or an aspiring artist? Great Lakes Science Center virtual parties and themed kits are shipped to your home with activities and a personalized badge for the birthday child. Additional kits can be sent to guests for a fee. Each 30-minute party is held via Zoom (cost $100 or $80 for members), and topics range from Rainbow Connection to candy and rocket chemistry or circuits for younger students. Canton’s Mad Science of Northeast Ohio also offers options for virtual parties, including ready-made goodie bags with science-themed toys. Order craft kits online or go the DIY route by packing art supplies from nearby craft stores or dollar stores. Deliver them to guests or have them pick them up before going online for a virtual art party. Be sure to complete a sample craft beforehand to show kids what the finished product will look like, then walk them through it step-by-step in a fun video conference.
It’s Ok To Give Up On Your Kid’s Birthday (as You Knew It)
Be creative, but remember, projects don’t have to be elaborate to be meaningful. Whether you celebrate together or separately, do it from the heart. This is one of the sad consequences of the coronavirus pandemic – canceled parties and events. Our friends with Aries, Taurus, and possibly Gemini won’t be able to celebrate their birthdays the same way!
My son Ryan has been looking forward to his birthday and birthday party for months. (Yes, months!) He turns four today and he helped me choose his party theme and all the party supplies. Like his mother, this kid loves parties! He’s still young, so he doesn’t really understand what’s going on, why school is closed, or why he can’t go to the park with his friends. He was quite disappointed as his birthday party also had to be cancelled. But I told him we still had a party – it looked a little different than the party we had originally planned! (Challenge accepted, right?!)
So here’s the big question…how to organize a birthday party for your child during a global pandemic?! And how do you make it fun?!
I have some tips and ideas to share with you so you can still celebrate all the fun milestones in your family
