Yes, yes, I know I only have 11 days to finish writing Birthday Ranch (gulp!). But I got to thinking—how are people making birthdays special in the age of self-quarantine? As a huge fan of birthdays (obviously) I feel it is my duty to share some ideas.
Video Party
Since most of us are conducting our lives on Zoom these days, lots of people have figured out that you can video conference a birthday party. But this isn’t so easy for younger kids, who may have a hard time sitting still or not shouting out every thought that pops into their head. If you have a little kid, ask their friends’ parents to video record their children wishing your child a birthday greeting and email the videos to you. Be sure to make you request about a week prior to the birthday so that folks have a chance to send you videos in time.
Celebrate In Style
Even if you’re on your own, birthdays are more special with fabulous decorations. Order a set of matching decorations and make your home a festive party space. Have a birthday cake and flowers delivered and, voila! Now it’s a party!
Create a Treasure Hunt
You remembered to order birthday gifts from Amazon a month out so that they’re delivered on time, and now you can make gifting extra special. For younger kids, draw a treasure map with landmarks around the house. Choose a spot to leave the birthday presents and mark it with a big X. You can make an X-marks-the-spot using anything you find around the house: construction paper, ribbon, even masking tape,
Make it a little more challenging for older kids and adults by creating a scavenger hunt. Start with a clue to a spot around the house where they will find a clue to the next spot, and so on until they find their birthday loot.
Remember, birthdays are ALWAYS a reason to celebrate!