Parental Arts
5 Ways to Make Birthdays Special Right Now
With in-person parties on hold for now, make things feel festive--and your little one feel celebrated--with these out-of-the-box ideas.
- Written By
- Marnie Schwartz
Decorate Your Space
This is the year to go all out on the party decorations. Hang a “Happy Birthday” banner above the breakfast table, pile it high with festive paper plates, cups and striped straws, and make the meal extra special; think over-the-top pancake stacks with candles, or heaping bowls of fruit and whipped cream. Fill a hallway with balloons (the more the better!), hang streamers around their play space, leave happy birthday notes in surprising spaces, like their closets or cupboards. Stage a fun photo booth with creative props for birthday selfies with the family. .
Host a Virtual Birthday Party
Invite friends and family to join your little one for a party over zoom. Many kids party entertainers, from princesses to musicians, have started offering online options so you can have Spiderman make a virtual visit, or have Elsa lead the group in singing “happy birthday.” If your little one loves crafts, look for art studios doing virtual projects (mail the guests the materials in advance, so they can join in on the fun), or if she’s into magic, find someone to do a virtual performance. Older kids will love a virtual cooking or dance class together.
Bake a Special Cake Together
Skip the bakery cake and instead, spend some time in the kitchen together. Let your mini's creativity shine by having him choose a special cake project, like an ice cream cake, or a layered rainbow cake, or cake pops--and then pick all the flavors and decorations. He’ll be brimming with pride when he blows out the candles and sees the whole family enjoying his creation!
Make a Video Montage
The week before your child’s birthday, ask family members and the parents of his friends to send virtual birthday wishes to you. You can suggest short videos with birthday greetings or songs, or photos of her friends holding “happy birthday” signs for her. Then, compile them into a video to play on your little one's special day.
Schedule a Birthday Parade
Ask friends and family to decorate their care and line up in your neighborhood at a designated time. Set up folidng chairs on the lawn outside your home and once you're all settles, let the parade begin! Your little one will feel so special seeing her friends' smiling faces and hearing their "Happy Birthday!" chants. If you lve in a mostly pedestrian-friendly city, ask friends to walk past your building at spaced out times throughout the afternoon to deliver in-person birthday wishes. Seeing a familiar and friendly face will do wonders to lift their spirits. Bonus if well wishers and carrying signs.
This is the year to go all out on the party decorations. Hang a “Happy Birthday” banner above the breakfast table, pile it high with festive paper plates, cups and striped straws, and make the meal extra special; think over-the-top pancake stacks with candles, or heaping bowls of fruit and whipped cream. Fill a hallway with balloons (the more the better!), hang streamers around their play space, leave happy birthday notes in surprising spaces, like their closets or cupboards. Stage a fun photo booth with creative props for birthday selfies with the family. .
Host a Virtual Birthday Party
Invite friends and family to join your little one for a party over zoom. Many kids party entertainers, from princesses to musicians, have started offering online options so you can have Spiderman make a virtual visit, or have Elsa lead the group in singing “happy birthday.” If your little one loves crafts, look for art studios doing virtual projects (mail the guests the materials in advance, so they can join in on the fun), or if she’s into magic, find someone to do a virtual performance. Older kids will love a virtual cooking or dance class together.
Bake a Special Cake Together
Skip the bakery cake and instead, spend some time in the kitchen together. Let your mini's creativity shine by having him choose a special cake project, like an ice cream cake, or a layered rainbow cake, or cake pops--and then pick all the flavors and decorations. He’ll be brimming with pride when he blows out the candles and sees the whole family enjoying his creation!
Make a Video Montage
The week before your child’s birthday, ask family members and the parents of his friends to send virtual birthday wishes to you. You can suggest short videos with birthday greetings or songs, or photos of her friends holding “happy birthday” signs for her. Then, compile them into a video to play on your little one's special day.
Schedule a Birthday Parade
Ask friends and family to decorate their care and line up in your neighborhood at a designated time. Set up folidng chairs on the lawn outside your home and once you're all settles, let the parade begin! Your little one will feel so special seeing her friends' smiling faces and hearing their "Happy Birthday!" chants. If you lve in a mostly pedestrian-friendly city, ask friends to walk past your building at spaced out times throughout the afternoon to deliver in-person birthday wishes. Seeing a familiar and friendly face will do wonders to lift their spirits. Bonus if well wishers and carrying signs.