Unfortunately we can’t postpone birthdays. But just because we are stuck at home doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate birthdays the best way we know how! We have put together 9 of the best social distancing approved, virtual birthday party ideas to make this year extra special!
Hosting a Virtual Birthday Party
1. Host a Virtual Birthday Bash: Just because you’re quarantined doesn’t mean your child can’t have a birthday party with friends! Just switch to a virtual quarantine birthday party with these fun ideas.
- Set the Guest List – Choose a few of your child’s closest friends to participate & send a digital invitation for the day/time of your child’s virtual party.
- Pick a theme for your party – Order or gather some appropriate decorations and decorate the area that will serve as the “background” for your virtual party.
- Mail a treat or goodie in advance to each of the young party invitees – For example, if your child has 4 friends coming to the virtual party, you can place 4 separate Amazon orders and have them shipped directly to the friend’s house (for the parents to hide until party day).
- On party day, host a group Zoom, FaceTime or Skype call with your child’s friends. If possible, do it on a TV screen or the largest screen you can. (Be sure to test this in advance to troubleshoot any technical difficulties.)
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- Host Your Virtual Quarantine Birthday Party (Example):
- Initial Chat: Give the kids a chance to talk to their friends while you wait for everyone to join the call. (If they don’t know what to talk about, use some conversation starters.)
- Sing Happy Birthday: Lead the virtual group in singing happy birthday to your child and have them blow out a candle!
- Gifts (optional): You can have your child open some presents from you while the kids watch.
- Goodie Bags: Have the friends’ parents bring out the treat/goodie that you mailed in advance and present it to their child!
2. Text/Video Flash Mob: Secretly send out a message in advance asking friends & family members to reach out on your child or teenager’s birthday with calls, texts, video messages, and voicemails throughout the day. Then send out a quick reminder on the actual morning of your child’s birthday and let the flash mob of birthday messages commence.
3. Drive-By Birthday Parade: If you live close by to some friends and family members, coordinate a birthday parade drive-by on their big day! Then surprise your child by having them stand outside at a specific time on their birthday as friends and family members slowly drive by the house and wave, honk the horn, hold signs, blow bubbles, throw candy or favorite snacks, etc.
4. Host a Netflix Watch Party: Let your child choose a favorite movie or show from Netflix and host a watch party for your child and their friends to watch it! You can even mail or drop off a little care package to their friends in advance if you want, like popcorn & candy. Then let them enjoy the film and chat as they watch it together.
Social Distancing Ideas for Celebrating Your Birthday
Celebrate with you quarantine group! Here are some fun virtual birthday party ideas to celebrate with your isolation crew!
5. Plan a Special Meal: One of our favorite parts of birthdays is the food, of course! Either let your child choose in advance or surprise them with a meal they might not get other times of the year. Here are a few ideas:
- Taco Bar
- Waffle Bar
- Build your own mini-pizzas
- Nachos
- Bacon Mac & Cheese
- Chicken nuggets & fries
- BBQ Chicken sliders
Or get takeout from a favorite restaurant!
6. Have the Sweetest Dessert: You can still have a traditional cake if you want, but why not change it up a bit for something memorable? Check out these awesome birthday dessert ideas:
- Pineapple Coconut Cake
- Ice Cream Sundae Bar
- Fairy Cake
- Root beer floats
- Banana Cake
- Decorate cookies or cupcakes
- Kit Kat Kitty Cake
7. Scavenger Hunt: What kid doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt? Set up a list of things for them to find or a series of clues that leads them to their gifts and let them enjoy a fun treasure hunt! (This is one of my favorite virtual birthday party)
8. Virtual Shopping Spree: This is especially good for tweens or teens! Make a special snack or drink and sit down with the birthday girl or boy for a virtual shopping trip. Give them a “budget” they can spend and let them peruse clothes, toys, or electronics at their favorite online stores and shop for their own birthday present!
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9. Plan an Outdoor Adventure: Maybe you can’t hit up a playground right now, but there are still plenty of outdoor options for a fun birthday celebration that respects social distancing. Here are a few:
- Have a picnic in your own yard
- Go for a hike
- Roast marshmallows over a fire pit
- Set up an outdoor obstacle course
- Go for a bike ride
- Create a sidewalk chalk masterpiece
- Make a mini-golf course in the yard
- Break out the sprinkler, slip-n-slide or kiddie pool
More Birthday Ideas You’ll Love
Here are a few more fun birthday ideas to add to your social distancing approved virtual birthday party!
- The Sweetest Dog Birthday – Celebrating our sweet pups birthday is high on our list. Not only is it nice to remember their special birthday, but also the kids just LOVE celebrating their animals. They might have enjoyed throwing our dog a birthday even more than planning their own! Here are 28 creative ideas for throwing a dog birthday party that will inspire your own puppy loving fun.
- Birthday Balloon Bouquet – Looking for a fun way to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday? Send them a birthday balloon bouquet made of sweet and kind sayings from their favorite people. I came up with this idea for a recent friend’s birthday and recreated it to photograph and share. It is an easy way to get everyone close to the birthday girl involved in wishing them the happiest!
- 13th Birthday Party Ideas – Turning 13 is a BIG deal! Going from kid to teenager is enough to make any parent giddy and a little nostalgic at the same time.
Let us know in the comments your favorite virtual birthday party ideas!
