Adine Le, an event planner herself, knows a thing or two about kids parties. While traditional birthday parties may have been put on hold for a while, that doesn’t mean the celebration has to stop. Adine is here today to share her tips on making your child’s birthday special while self-isolating because every birthday should be fun, even if that fun looks a little different this year. Thank you, Adine, for sharing with us. You can follow along with more of Adine’s party advice and inspiration on instagram. We’ll let you take it from here, Adine!
Having a child whose birthday falls during this period of self-isolating and social distancing can be incredibly stressful and challenging. Planning a party filled with your child’s favorite things, friends and family is a yearly tradition that some families will have to forego this year. However, at the end of the day, what matters most is making your child feel celebrating and happy on their special day, and there are ways to make them forget that things are a little different this year! Here are some simple and creative ways to make your birthday kid feel special.
Have a virtual birthday party via Zoom. By now all the kids are used to using Zoom, so set up a meeting time so all their friends can come on and sing happy birthday! Set it up to grid view and watch the smile on your kid’s face grow. If possible, set up a time with the parents beforehand to start the happy birthday song, and really make the birthday kid feel special when all their friends start to sing.
Buy a basic cake, but make it special. Use a topper, a special candle, or even a toy figure can work. While ordering a custom cake or cupcakes might be hard at this time, you can still find a basic cake at your local grocery store (thank you to all our essential workers for keeping those open for us) and dress it up on top with a pretty topper or candle from Amazon or Target. Just make sure to allow for extra shipping time.
Organize a birthday caravan. All the kids are feeling cooped up and crazy (and their parents are feeling the same way) so if you have some neighborhood parents who are game, have them throw the kids in the car, drive by your house during a designated window of time and honk, (bonus points if they decorate their car or make a sign). The sight of their friends, whom they haven’t seen in person, even at a distance, sticking their heads out the car window, waving and smiling will bring joy to your birthday kid’s day and make it memorable.
Have friends and family send cards. The easiest way to show them love is with cards. If it’s not possible to have a card dropped in the mail, have friends and family send one via an e-card service like Paperless Post. Have the birthday kid check the mailbox when you are expecting the cards to arrive, and they’ll get a kick out of getting old fashioned snail mail!
Decorate their room or the yard. The house is already a mess thanks to self-isolating, so what’s one more mess to clean up to make the birthday memorable. Simple décor items like streamers, basic balloons inflated with regular air and covering their room floor, or a handmade yard sign will go a long way in setting the celebratory mood. Feel like amping up the décor with some party supplies? Support small party businesses who are still shipping at this time.
Send a party favor to their friends. If possible, send friends a small party favor, like a mask or party hat. Bonus if they all can put it on during the virtual birthday party on Zoom. This gives the kids a sense that while they are alone, they are also together. After all, we are all in this together and we will all get through this!
Let the birthday kid plan the entire day’s menu. Distract them from these less than ideal circumstances and ask them to plan the day’s full menu. Get their picks for their birthday breakfast, lunch and dinner. During a time where things feel uncertain, letting them have some control over the day will make the birthday kid feel like a million bucks.