On Saturday my husband and I had our wedding anniversary and we celebrated with the most exciting thing we could think of… a takeaway (shared with the kids), a gin and tonic (not shared with the kids) and looking at all the Facebook time hops of those meals out every year! This got me thinking about kids’ birthdays and how we can make them really special during this time of lockdown. I’ve put together this list of ideas, I hope it’s helpful and please let me know if you had any fun with these. You are all doing a great job (though it probably doesn’t feel like it) and I know what the kids remember from this time is not going to be what we think they will. They will just remember all the fun and the good times you had as a family. So go and create for them a memorable birthday!
Present treasure hunt:
It’s all about the presents, so why not make this a big event and create a present treasure hunt? Hide the presents around the house and the garden (weather permitting!), depending on the age of the child you could create a trail of cryptic clues to lead them to the next gift.
Go all out on the cake:
Who doesn’t like cake? With kids cake matters! Either homemade or shop bought a cake that’s themed around their favourite characters is bound to make their day. Josh (5) from Stevenage asked his mum to make his favourite character, SpongeBob, and boy did she deliver! If you’re cake decorating skills are lacking (as are mine!) then try a local cake maker like birds beautiful cakes (they look amazing!).
Decorations:
Spend the going out budget on staying in and pull out all the stops for decorations. Helium balloon numbers, their favourite character or go for simple quantity, either way they will have a ball!
Virtual happy birthday songs:
A birthday’s not a birthday without a bad rendition of Happy Birthday sung by all of your relatives. So, set a time and get them all on Zoom and get those candles lit. Will it be tuneful? Probably not but it sure will be memorable.
Zoom call entertainers:
If your child is super disappointed to not have a party why not see if their favourite party entertainer is offering digital services over Zoom? They still get to see and speak to their favourite character and you are supporting a local business during the pandemic. For Disney princess fans try Zoe's Fairytale Parties.
Virtual day trip:
If you would normally take a day trip out for your child’s birthday then why not try a virtual tour instead. It might not be quite the same but many museums, zoos, attractions, even theme parks are doing virtual tours for people to enjoy. For something really ‘out there’ take a tour of the International Space Station here.
Celeb shout outs:
If your child has a favourite celebrity wouldn’t it make their day to get a personal birthday message from them? Some people have had luck asking via Facebook or for fans of people like Joe Wicks or Steve Backshall they are doing shout outs on their daily videos. If that doesn’t work then Cameo is a service you can use to pay for a personal message from celebrities.
Camping:
Camping is a great way to do something really different for your child’s special day. By camping I mean in your back garden; pitch your tent, snuggle up and have a really special time. Maybe if you have a fire pit go as far as to toast some marshmallows….yummy! If that sounds too adventurous (or cold!) for you then build a den indoors and let the kids sleep in that.
Games tournament:
Make a day out of a family games tournament. Not only is this quality family time but it’s guaranteed to bring out the competitive side in everyone! Whether it’s board games, outdoor races or for older kids computer games it doesn’t matter, there is still fun to be had!
Family talent show:
I LOVE this idea! Each member of the family performs an act of some sort and the birthday child gets to be the judge and choose the winner. Guaranteed to be heaps of fun!
Bowling:
My son always asks to go bowling for his birthday and if this is your child’s idea of fun too why not make a bowling alley at home. Print off a chart to fill in your bowling scores or use an online calculator (because if you’re like me you have no idea how the scores work) and mark out a ‘lane’ using masking tape. If you don’t own a bowling set there are some really cute or character based sets on Amazon.
Video message montage:
I know my kids are really missing friends and family so a great way to mark this birthday is to get their friends and family members to record a short video message for the birthday child. This may get a bit emotional so be prepared! If you aren’t tech savvy enough to put together a montage (like me) or you're happy to pay for a simpler process then consider using a service like Tribute.
Arts & Crafts:
If your kid loves to make and create then why not try something new like sand art? Its real simple, just peel off the section you want to ‘colour’ then sprinkle on the sand and shake off the excess. Birthday packs can be ordered from local business Creative Critters.
Book a photoshoot:
With photographers now being allowed to provide socially-distanced outdoor shoots what better way to show your child that they are valued and celebrated (not just on their birthday) than by displaying beautiful photographs of them at home. The mental health and self-worth benefits as a result of this are well documented plus they are loads of fun! For more details of my upcoming outdoor sessions click here.
Netflix party:
For older children a Netflix party is a great way for them to connect with friends. A Chrome browser extension allows users to watch the same thing at the same time and provides a chat box for group messaging. You could even drop party packs off to friends with supplies such as popcorn, snacks and hot chocolate or pamper products earlier in the day to make it more of a ‘shared’ experience.
As always please let me know in the comments if you used any of these ideas. I’d love to hear from you and don't forget to take lots of photos!
Stay safe!
Emma xx
Great ideas... I hope by the time my birthday comes along, we'll be out of lockdown :)