
We’re working from home (if we’re lucky), we’re not seeing friends and our travel plans have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. We’ve had to pivot our routines and adjust to this (temporary) new normal. One thing we keep thinking and hearing about is birthday celebrations during this time. We know, what a bummer! When this is all over, there will definitely be a time and NEED to celebrate with loved ones. And while you may not be able to take that big trip or have that huge party you’ve been planning, there are definitely some things you can do to still make your birthday celebration special during self-isolation. Whether it’s for the kiddos, your spouse or yourself, here some fun and unique ideas on how to make a quarantine birthday one to remember:

1.) Host a Virtual Party
Okay, you probably saw this one coming, but we had to include it on the list. FaceTime, Zoom and Google Hangouts have been SUCH a game changer during self-isolation. Create a fun e-vite and send it out to all your friends. Maybe do a virtual theme, and ask everyone to change their background (easy to do on Zoom!) to a fun tropical destination. Send everyone the ingredient list for your favorite cocktail, maybe a spicy margarita to keep with the tropical theme! When the time comes, and you all sign on, it might surprise you how much fun this can actually be. And, if you haven’t tried Houseparty yet, it’s SO addictive and will add some hilarious game activities to the party.
2.) Have a Birthday Parade
This trend started with teachers driving by student’s houses to say hello (SOB!) and is another fantastic idea to celebrate a birthday and still see each other from a far. Organize a group drive past the birthday house where everyone can honk, wave and hold up a “Happy Birthday sign.” Another fun extension of this idea is to leave out some sidewalk chalk with a sign and let neighborhood family and friends leave you a colorful birthday message on their daily walks.

3.) Hire your favorite character for a special birthday message
To make the day extra special for kids, you can actually hire their favorite characters like Elsa, Cinderella or Aladdin to wish them a happy birthday. One company doing this is Prestige Princess. You can sign up for a video message or even a video party, which includes story time, Q&A and even a singalong.
4.) Baking Party + Cake Decorating
Round up the whole family, put on some cute birthday aprons and work together on some epic birthday treats! We recommend doing something big and colorful, like a 3-4 tier cake in your/their favorite colors. We love this recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking. But since you have the whole day, why stop there? Make some fun dessert “appetizers” like tarts or cookies. You could even try a hand at candy making! This is a fun and delicious way to spend the day together.

5.) Self Care day

6.) Paint Party for Kids / Paint and Sip for Adults
7.) Make your home a decoration wonderland – with a theme!

8.) Game Night
9.) Plan an elaborate scavenger hunt
10.) Cook a beautiful dinner at home