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With everything that is going on in the world it means that you are having to think outside of the box in order to celebrate your child’s birthday at home. Here are our 5 top tips for creating lots of fun and wonderful memories for your birthday boy or girl.
1. A Virtual Birthday Party
Why not hold a virtual party at home via a video calling app such as House Party or Zoom. This way you can invite some of their friends to join in the celebrations but they won't physically have to come to your house (I can see this catching on when we are out of lockdown, lol). The apps work by allowing you to invite a set number of guests into a private chat room. All the children can see each other and speak to each other too. Thus creating a virtual birthday party at home. You could even hire an entertainer to play virtual games with the children too.
Another great idea would be to drop off little goody bags, to each of your guests, with items in to make the party even more special. You could include things like party hats, a balloon, a slice of birthday cake, bingo cards, bubbles or what ever your heart desires.
2. A Birthday Video
Video messages are a great way of showing the birthday boy or girl just how much their friends and family are thinking of them. Ask everyone to record birthday messages and send them to you prior to the day. You could then use video editing apps such as Spark or iMovie to create one huge birthday video that your child can keep for ever. This also means that they can watch it as many times as they like too. There are some great tutorials on the web to help you make these.
Alternatively, If you use social media, ask everyone to post birthday shout outs to your Facebook page or in a private Facebook event page. Don't forget about Instagram stories - they're a great way to stagger the birthday messages across the day. That way your child can take time out to watch them. We also offer FREE birthday shout out videos on our Facebook and Instagram pages, complete with virtual birthday balloons and fireworks. Just send us a message on either platform to receive yours
3. Have a Family Sleepover
What better way to celebrate a birthday at home than a family sleepover. For my April born sons birthday we had a sleepover in our living room that included all 5 boys and both my husband and I. We put up posters wishing him a happy birthday, blew up balloons. We found a new movie that no one had seen before and all settled down for the night with our quilts. We even had a sneaky midnight feast too. Check out your TV/Network providers to see what new release movies they are providing for free or for a low cost.
If you like to be outside, why not pitch your tent in your back garden and all camp out together. You may not have gone far, but children will love the excitement of doing something that little bit different. If you include some balloons or birthday bunting it certainly will be a birthday at home that your birthday child will remember for all the right reasons.
4. Have a Street Party
Celebrating a birthday at home doesn't mean you can't be in your garden! Why not arrange with your neighbours to have a street party! You must pay attention to social distancing rules, however this can still be done. You could ask your neighbours to all dress up in a fancy dress costume and come out in their gardens at an agreed time to sing happy birthday.
Alternatively, organise for everyone to bring their garden table and chairs to the edge of their drive way. You could then play some games together, like the much loved game of bingo! You may want to ask the children to take part in a dance competition where the neighbours can judge and give prizes. Or, you could have birthday lunch together. These are all great ideas for celebrating a birthday in good weather.
5. Be Extra!
By this I mean to go all out with the birthday celebrations at home. Start the day with a birthday breakfast of choice (even if that's donuts or cake). The birthday breakfast in our house is always pancakes with bananas and Nutella! You could deliver breakfast in bed or have a specially decorated breakfast table. Use balloons, confetti and a nice table covering to add that extra bit of excitement to the birthday.
Organise the birthday child's favourite meal for lunch or dinner and decorate the table as elaborately as possible. Maybe you could theme it to their favourite interests. Use the days beforehand to make the accessories to decorate the table. If the weather is nice you could even have the birthday lunch outdoors. Use colourful bunting to decorate the outdoor space. Bright and colourful bunting is just the trick to add that extra special touch on an outdoor party.
A mocktail station with a selection of mixers and a backdrop for those all important selfies is a must for any teen celebrating a birthday at home. Most of all make sure that the elements of the day suit the things the birthday child enjoys. Its a birthday that will never be forgotten!