Your child’s birthday is coming up – how can you possibly make it special during a time when parties and going out to a restaurant aren’t options? Fortunately, technology and WPP are here to help! Here are some ideas for how to turn your child’s quarantine birthday into the most special day ever:
- Wake up early and decorate for the party before your kiddo wakes up. Go all out – think balloons covering the floor (you can still order these on Amazon), streamers, a homemade banner, homemade cards from siblings, and even decorate the table for breakfast. Then make your child’s favorite breakfast – maybe chocolate pancakes, or eggs in a basket, biscuits… whatever your child wants!
- At breakfast, everyone gets an itinerary for the day’s activities. This may sound too planned, but remember – it’s a special day, and to go with the special day there should be some unique things to look forward to. These can be as easy or involved as you want, depending on the age of your child and what your child likes. Try dressing up as princesses or pirates, building a birthday fort (this can get elaborate – you could allow your kids to have their favorite treats/candy in their fort, or if they’re older put the microwave in the fort for them to make S’mores), having a water balloon or Nerf gun war, makeovers/spa time, giving each other temporary tattoos, renting a fun movie. Don’t forget to schedule down time or nap time, depending on your child’s needs. Some kids might find it fun to help bake and decorate their own cake.
- Don’t worry about being healthy on a birthday! Let your child choose on this special day. If this means pop tarts, hot dogs, and pizza, then go for it! You can make fun meals together – grill burgers out on the grill, make a homemade pizza together, make homemade ice cream.
- Think about how to gather loved ones and friends. This is an especially important idea for school aged kids, or kids who maybe had a birthday party planned but then got cancelled. There are multiple platforms for virtual group hangouts, including Skype, Google Hangout, Zoom, and Facebook Messenger. Gather a bunch of loved ones together to sing “Happy Birthday” and be a part of cutting the cake. Try having a virtual dance party! Or you could try a version of physical hangouts that still follow social distancing rules. Car parades are now a popular way to do this – each family can stay in their car and drive by the house with balloons and signs for your child. Check out this heartwarming video. Plan in advance to have family and friends send cards and letters via snail mail so that your child has something physical to open and read on this special day.
Remember, the most important part of a birthday is to make the birthday girl or boy feel special and loved. You can do this with a little creativity and a whole lot of love! Feel free to share pics of your kiddo’s memorable day with us on Facebook!