Throwing a socially distant birthday party is actually simpler than you might think. For a memorable event, you should think outside the box and tailor the party to fit the birthday person’s interests. While in the middle of a global pandemic, it can be easy to cancel the party, but instead, you should make the effort to celebrate each birthday. It doesn’t have to be a large event or decorated perfectly, but it’s important to celebrate each birthday.
- Picnic in the Park
Whether you celebrate with just your immediate family or invite friends, having a picnic in the park is a great option for a socially distant birthday party. If it’s just your family, you can pack your food or pick it up from a local restaurant, and if you have guests, you could use a catering service or ask everyone to bring their own food. For entertainment, you can plan a few outdoor games, walk nature trails, or organize a scavenger hunt.
- Virtual Event
Hosting a virtual event for a birthday party is one of the safest ways to celebrate a birthday, and thankfully there are many ways to make it unique and memorable. A plus side of virtual events is that out-of-town guests can participate as well. When planning your birthday event, you could keep it simple by watching a movie together, playing sleepover-type games like truth or dare, or having a karaoke contest. If you want to give treats to your guests, you could have porch pickup or drop them off at their homes.
Science Experiments- For science lovers, hosting virtual science experiments is the way to go. You could send each guest a kit with the items needed or choose experiments based on items that people have from around the house. For example, you could make slime together or have each child build a device for an egg drop. If you’d rather have a group activity, you could have a science enthusiast lead a few activities that the guests can virtually participate in.
Magic Show- Magic shows are always a crowd favourite, and your virtual magic show party will be just as entertaining for your guests. You can book a magician to perform at your virtual party or look for tricks that you can do yourself. If you’re worried about guest participation, many different tricks can still be performed virtually.
Dress Up Party- If your child enjoys pretend play, hosting a virtual dress up party would be a celebration they would always remember. You could have a themed party (ex. Pirates and Princesses, Animal Safari, Superheroes, or Dragons & Dinosaurs) or simply encourage everyone to wear their favourite costume. For entertainment, you could book a character to virtually appear and read a book or lead an activity.
- Drive-by Parade
In the past year, drive-by parades have become popular because they provide an easy way for the birthday person and guests to safely celebrate. At a drive-by parade, the host designates a time for the guests to drive by whether as a come-and-go event or all at once, and everyone can celebrate while remaining socially distant. If you want to take your drive-by parade to the next level, you can have bakery treats packaged to hand out, and you can use streamers, balloons, and other supplies to decorate an area for the birthday person to sit.
- Field Day or Obstacle Course
Outdoor parties are easy ways to celebrate while remaining socially distant, and for a unique outdoor party, you could plan a field day or obstacle course. For the field day party, you could lead different activities like a race, hula hoop contest, or egg and spoon race, and for the obstacle course, you could structure it where guests have to jump over items, perform a set number of jumping jacks, or throw the ball through a small hole. It’s important to choose activities that allow guests to remain spaced out and don’t require them continually touching the same items.
- Crafting Party
Whether it’s a canvas paint party or decorating pirate swords, hosting a crafting party is a wonderful option for a socially distant birthday party. You could set up individual stations for each guest in a large area or even outdoors, or you could send the supplies to each guest and host a virtual event. To make it memorable, you could choose a craft that fits your party theme or is based on the birthday person’s interests.
- Birthday Party in a Box
To celebrate the birthday person, you could send a birthday party in a box. You could include either bakery treats or a cake mix, a few activities based on the birthday person’s interests, decorations (ex. balloons, streamers, festive paper products), and celebratory accessories (ex. crowns, wands, jewelry, 3D glasses, party hats). The most important thing when sending a birthday party in a box is to tailor it so it fits the person’s likes and interests.
- Movie Night
Celebrating a birthday with a movie night is always a good idea, and thankfully, there are several ways you can host a socially distant movie night. You could rent out a local movie theatre or invite friends to a drive-in theatre. If you have an outdoor movie screen, you could invite your guests to watch a movie in your backyard.
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When planning a socially distant birthday party, it can be overwhelming, but it’s important not to let the details overwhelm you and remember the reason for your celebration.
Valerie Cox is a contributing writer for American Paper Optics. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, playing with her dog, and volunteering in her local community.
