Given that we are in the middle of a global pandemic, many people have had to put carefully thought-out plans on hold this year. 2020 has just not shaped up to be what we all thought it would be as the entrance to a new decade, and there are plenty of us dealing with the fact that our kids have their next birthday during lockdown. Socially distanced birthday parties aren’t exactly all the rage, and yet here we are having to consider them as an alternative!
The thing is, you may be in the middle of lockdown and you may be quarantining right now, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun for your kids. You can still plan a lockdown birthday party – you just might have to compromise a little. The booking at Stratum Laser Tag may have to wait until next year, but you can have fun. You can make it a meaningful day for your birthday child and you can give them a birthday to remember. Let’s not forget that we are living in something that will one day be in the history books – so, how do you want to make birthday history? Here are some tips to make your pandemic party pand-epic!
- Get Online. You can schedule a birthday party for the whole family by getting everyone on Hangouts, FaceTime, Skype or Zoom. A couple of days before, drop some party hats, balloons and blowers (along with a cupcake!) at each home – socially distanced, of course – for them to use during the party. You can still set up the house to look like it’s a birthday party, and all of your online participants can have cake, sing happy birthday, play party trivia games and engage. It can still be a good giggle in the family and you can even create an awesome party playlist and have a dance together!
- Send A Party! We just mentioned dropping off bags of party goodies to the homes of those you want to attend a party, but it’s not always possible. If you’re in isolation or you are shielding to keep your family safe, you need a reliable business to do those drop-offs on your behalf. There are plenty out there who can deliver a “party in a box”, so why not spend a little cash to do this instead?
- Arrange A Card Drop-Off. If your child is having a birthday in lockdown and the postal services are going a little nuts, why not have all of their friends and family do a card drop on the front lawn? All day on their birthday people can come by and leave cards on the lawn at the front of the home. It’s a beautiful gesture if your child is disappointed that they didn’t get the birthday that they expected! We did this but as a car parade!!
- Have Gifts Delivered. So many companies will gift wrap birthday gifts and deliver them to the house. Some will even send birthday candy boxes and pinatas. Schedule a range of deliveries for your child’s birthday. When you do this, you are saying that they have parcels come all day – and they won’t feel forgotten about!
- Pay For A Celeb Visit. Are your children crazy about Elsa and Anna? How about Mickey Mouse? Well, you can find services that will allow you to pay for actors who will come in full fancy dress and arrive at your home to say or sing happy birthday to the child in question. So many services do this and you can really give them a day to remember.
- Subscribe To Something Awesome. Kids don’t really get a look in when it comes to subscriptions, though they often benefit from your Netflix renewal! However, they could get so much out of a year’s worth of Marvel or Disney+ subscriptions! You can pay for bath bombs, fashion boxes and even monthly pajamas! It’s the gift that quite literally keeps on giving.
- Shower Them! Gifts have to be the backup for birthdays when you can’t get out to do an activity as a family. Buy in as many gifts as your budget allows and hide them around the house. A scavenger hunt is the most fun way they can enjoy themselves this year, and you can make it a huge deal when they have to go and find their presents!
Birthdays don’t have to suck in a pandemic. A little creativity and a boost to the budget should give them one to remember!
