8 Ways to Party Like It’s Your Socially Distanced Birthday

Kid birthday parties have always been my jam. I love attending the birthday parties of my friends’ kids and nieces and nephews. I love planning my kids’ parties. I love the socializing, the singing, the decorating, the creative cakes, the party favors, you name it. I love it all. Back in February, I was starting to brainstorm how we would celebrate my son’s 4th birthday on April 23rd. Would it be another train birthday party? Maybe he’d like to invite his friends to a play zone.

Unfortunately, all of that brainstorming was squashed last month, when the social distancing order went into place. I’m 100% for social distancing and doing our part of course, but that doesn’t make me feel any better about the fact that my son won’t get to celebrate his birthday with his grandparents, cousins & friends. So now, the pressure is really on to make his birthday feel special. But how do you manage to have a celebration that you feel is satisfactory for celebrating your pride and joy, when nobody can attend the fun?? Well.. you just have to get extra creative. Here are some ideas for celebrating your child’s birthday while in quarantine. 

1. Sidewalk chalk notes

Set up a table at the end of your drive with a box full of sidewalk chalk. (& maybe some latex gloves so people aren’t double touching the chalk) Ask friends and family to stop by the evening before your child’s birthday and write a special note or draw a picture on the driveway for them to see in the morning. Take pictures of each note/drawing, and put the photo into a photo book for your family to look at for years to come.

2. Yard Cards

There are several local yard sign companies that will place large signs in your front yard to help celebrate your child’s big day. They can put their name, age, and a birthday message. How fun would that be to wake up to on the morning of your birthday?! 

Some local sign companies are Card my Yard  & Smiles for All Occasions

3. ZOOM Birthday Call

Set up a Zoom call with friends and family where everyone can sing Happy Birthday to your kiddo while they eat cake. You can go one step further and have each family member grab a cake or cupcake for themselves, and you can all eat them at the same time “together” while on your Zoom call!

4. Cookie Decorating Kits

Sweets on the Side is offering the most adorable cookie decorating kits. You could order a few, deliver them to your child’s closest friends, and then decorate cookies together over a Zoom or FaceTime call! You could even just have fun decorating them with the family for a fun activity and sweet treat! 

5. Princess/Character Video Chats

A local company is offering video chats with their characters that would be sure to excite your child and make them feel extra special to get to talk to their hero on their special day! Forever After Parties OKC is a local company offering this service.

6. Video Messages: “Friends” Style

Have you seen the episode of Friends where Ross & Rachel’s daughter Emma is turning one and they go around the room with a video camera asking all the friends and family to leave Emma a message for when she turns 18? Now would be a great time to steal that idea! Have family and friends video themselves talking about why they love your child or why they are special, and let them open the videos throughout the day so they feel extra loved all day long.

7. Gift card/IOU

Let your kid choose a place they would love to celebrate their birthday at, and get them a gift card with an IOU attached so you can go have fun at that place once the social distancing order has lifted, and you’re also supporting a local business in the meantime!

8. Birthday Parade!

Have friends and family make posters and drive by your house at a certain time and honk and yell “Happy Birthday!” This would be fun for all involved and you would still feel like you were somewhat together! 

However you decide to celebrate with your kiddo on their special day, this year is sure to be one for the books. They will have celebrated their special day in the midst of a nation-wide pandemic. A time in history in which people are being forced to stay apart from one another, yet finding SO MANY WAYS to connect with and celebrate one another. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have thought of some of these ideas listed above had this not been the times we are living in. Let’s not get discouraged because we can’t give our kids a HUGE birthday celebration, but let’s do our best to get creative in finding ways to still make them feel special no matter what. In the end, that’s all that really matters anyway.

No matter how much or how little you are able to do in order to celebrate your kids’ birthdays this year, the time spent at home with their family members feeling extra loved is surely going to stick with them for a lifetime. What are some ways you have celebrated a birthday during this time of quarantine?

         

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shelbywilliams
Shelby is a wife and mom of 2 boys, Foster (2016) & Fowler (2018). She recently opened a real estate brokerage and is a work from home Broker who loves documenting her real life Real Estate adventures with babies in tow. She has a love of helping people and putting a smile on their face whenever she can. She never takes life too seriously, and can find humor in just about anything (even if that's cleaning up baby blowouts on her lap in the backseat in between home showings). Formerly a Heritage Hall preschool teacher, she enjoys spending her free time at home doing learning activities with her kids that fill the teacher part of her heart. If she's not playing with her boys or selling homes, you can find her doing home projects with her husband Jacob at their farmhouse in Guthrie!

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