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As self isolation due to the worldwide pandemic continues, we are all adjusting to the new normal. This time last year I was planning and organising my son’s 4th birthday party. This year, there will be no actual party, but that doesn’t mean we will not have fun for his 5th birthday. I chatted to a few of my blogging friends and asked them how they celebrated their kids birthdays in corona virus lock-down.
Here are a few lovely ideas to celebrate your kids birthday in self-isolation.
1. Decorate house
Make it a special day with birthday decorations – balloons, banners, number balloon, birthday bunting and other decorations that you like.
2. Special breakfast
Let the birthday boy or girl choose what to have for breakfast. My children love pancakes with a selection of lots of different toppings.
3. Host a virtual birthday party
A great idea from Leyla from This Day I love:
My daughter’s birthday is in two weeks, she will be 8. We’ve arranged for a local pottery painting company to drop paint and bisque to us, her grandparents and 4 close friends. We will all paint together via online video maybe zoom or Google meet so a virtual birthday party.
Another great idea from Star from Autism kids on tour:
We are celebrating my daughter’s 16th birthday next week. After a lot of thinking I finally came up with the idea of a murder mystery dinner party using zoom for all the guests. I sent everyone their booklets for the party in the post and we are all dressing up and making our own 3 course meals then connecting via zoom and playing and eating together 🙂 We are then doing a joint birthday party with my mum the next day by playing an escape room in Florida all together via video link!
4. Video calls with friends and family
Video calling your friends and family on a birthday can really make a day. You can also ask your child’s friends to record a little happy birthday video for them to watch.
5. Birthday Interview
Birthday Interview is something that I saw on Pinterest and thought it would be a great thing to add to our kids’ birthday celebrations.
Print the following questions on the paper and then fill out birthday Interview on the day. Examples of questions to ask:
Name, Age, Hight,
What’s your favourite thing to do?
What do you want to do when you grow up?
Who are your best friends?
What makes you happy?
What do you do really well?
If you had lots of money, what would you buy?
If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
What’s your favourite toy/game?
Favourite colour/movie/food/book/holiday/treat?
6. Have a special birthday t-shirt
I found this cool quarantine birthday t-shirt on Etsy
7. Bake a cake
What’s a birthday without a cake?!
Nicole from Well Parenting: We’ve had two child birthdays during quarantine. They were special mainly because I did all the baking, which I never do. The bakeries being closed forced us to make it a little more personal and intimate.
8. Camping in the garden
Why not go camping … in your garden?! Lots of fun for kids.
9. Movie night
Decide on a family favourite movie to watch while finishing all the birthday sweets.
10. Special meal
Weather it’s a homemade pizza, Sunday roast or a selection of nibbles – let your child choose his special meal.
11. Tea party
If your child likes tea parties, you could bake some sweet treats and organise a cute tea party, invite siblings or teddy bears and dolls to the party.
12. Treasure hunt for birthday presents at home or garden
It is a lovely idea to give the child little clues and let him find his birthday presents in the house and garden. The treasure hunt adds that bit of excitement.
13. Family game night
Weather you like doing puzzles, play with Uno cards or board games, it is a great idea to spend time together playing your favourite family game.
14. Garden party
If the weather is nice (and it’s been so far while we were all self isolating in Scotland!) it’s a great idea to have a garden party – get some bubbles, water sprinkler pad (like the one in the photo), paddling pool or even a hot tub!
15. Spa at home
If you have an older girl it could be a great idea to have some spa treatments at home – warm feet bath, manicure, pedicure and put on some age appropriate make-up.
16. Picnic
Grab a picnic mat and some picnic food and head to the garden or nearby remote nature spot.
17. Virtual play-date
If kids are older, they could play video games with their friends through XBox live, Nintendo Switch Online or PlayStation Plus.
18. Get birthday letters and postcards
Ask friends and family to send their birthday wishes and cards ahead of the birthday and read them on the day.
19. Let the birthday child be a boss for the day
Hannah from Tilly Hobbs and Co blog: We told my girl she was the Birthday Boss! We would do whatever she wanted (at home obvs 😂) could eat whatever she wanted etc and she loved it! Her requests were surprisingly tame, involving having a picnic outside and a dance party in the kitchen ha! We had a lovely Zoom singalong with all the family too!
20. Go on a virtual trip
Depending on child’s age you could watch Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo, appreciate art at Louvre Museum in Paris or admire underwater creatures at Georgia Aquarium .
21. Give a gift of a photo book
Claire from The Happy Weaner suggested: Buy them a photo book all about them. Including pictures of grandparents and other key people they may be missing.
