How to Celebrate Your Kids Birthday During Social Distancing

The number one job of a parent is protecting their children. Protecting our kids gives us hope that we will be successful as guardians and raise healthy human beings with an opportunity to thrive in life.

COVID-19 has created a new world reality, and for parents, protecting the health and safety of their children has become even more paramount. As a result, social distancing has become the norm, and parents have to do their best to adapt.

Due to the need for distancing, many parents are facing the worry that their children will experience disappointment and sadness as family vacations, summer camps and other social activities get canceled.

Why You Can’t Fail Your Kid’s Birthday

If there is one event a parent cannot bear to see their little one unhappy, it is on their childs’ birthdays. Kids take a huge amount of pride from reaching these milestones which are so emblematic of becoming a “person.” Not to mention, the love and connection they are surrounded with when friends and family celebrate with them at their very own party.

All of this makes birthdays the day parents most hate to disappoint. It can be so heartbreaking when a parent has to tell their child that they can’t be with their friends and family to celebrate this most important of occasions. It can be made even worse by the fact that they have to remain home for everyone’s safety.

RiseBrite empathizes with your worries. That is why we set out researching the web, its forums, as well as friends and family to find some of the creative ways parents are putting smiles on their beloved kids faces in these difficult “stay at home” times. 

We have come back from our research with some helpful ideas for you to do the same. As usual, we have limited our recommendations in this list to simple, easy to recreate ideas for stay at home kids birthdays.

1. Balloon Surprise

This is a great way to start out a most special indoor birthday. In a balloon surprise, all you need to do is find something that can hold a bunch of balloons against a door. A sheet or several streamers should do the trick. 

When your little one goes to sleep, hang or attach the sheet or streamers to the door jam behind the closed door, outside their room. Leave it a little loose so that inflated balloons can be fit in the space between. Once attached, start filling the space with as many balloons as you can.

When your kiddo wakes up, excited to come running into your room and shout IT’S MY BIRTHDAY, they will be immediately showered with a flurry of colorful, fluffy balloons as soon as they open the door! What kid would not love a balloon bath first thing in the morning?

2. Car Parade

Fortunately, there are still ways for your child to feel the love and connection on their birthdays. A car parade is one of the best! Secretly set up a time for your kid’s family and friends to drive by your house in a parade of cars, one after the other. Encourage them to honk, wave and shout the best wishes as they pass by. This social distancing virtual party tactic has even been adopted by the Kardashians

Another good idea we have heard is to put a “It’s My Kids Bday! Honk Your Hello!” and see how many well intentioned neighbors sound their good intentions.

3. Zoom Birthday Celebration

Zoom has quickly become the “Stay at Home” technology darling for adults, with so many people using it for work or stay connected with friends and loved one. However, we have seen lots of kids using it too! These virtual gatherings have run the range of baking parties to painting lessons. A birth is another perfect excuse for a virtual gathering. Call all your child’s friends and family and have them all join in on the fun! Try and see if they are all able to sing happy birthday together. 

There is another great way to use video conferencing we have been seeing a lot! Lots of kids from all over the world are meeting online and doing baking and decorating parties. One adorable brother and sister duo leading baking demos is Treats By Ash. We definitely recommend checking them out.

4. Scavenger Hunt

Your child may not be able to have a party with all their friends and family over, but they can still participate in some of the games that are typical of a birthday celebration. One birthday activity that can easily done alone is a Scavenger hunt.

A quick search of the internet can give you some creative scavenger hunt ideas that will best fit your youngster’s age and personality. Combining it with a virtual party like a Zoom or FaceTime call can allow others to participate in the fun, especially if they can give hints and help out.

5. Video Message

Kids love to hear happy birthday from friends and family, and it may be one of the things they risk missing during a “stay at home birthday.” There is a way you can collect happy birthdays from everyone, even if they can not join a virtual party.

Have people create video message saying “Happy Birthday” and wishing the best. Short messages will be relatively easy to send to you using SMS. Larger files can be sent through email or even a shared dropbox folder

6. Yard and Sidewalk Decorations

One friend of RiseBrite told us how they celebrated their little girl’s birthday in a creative such a creative way, we had to share.

Early in the day they closed the curtains to the outside and secretly had friends and neighbors come by and either draw sidewalk are with chalk, or post a happy birthday sign they painted at home earlier in the yard.

When they opened open the curtains as a surprise, their daughter was over come with joy from all the love she felt. She told them it was her “most special birthday ever!”

7. Special Meals

Cooking a meal with your children is a great way to be creative, bond and share memories and tradition with them. A “stay at home” birthday is a great excuse to really get really creative and elegant in your meal creation.

You have the whole day so don’t hold back, but if you can’t think of something extravagant, you can always cook their favorite food together, whatever that may be.

Your child will really appreciate the attention and the shared experience, and may become the birthday they remember forever as their most cherished.

8. Cards In The Mail

No one sends snail mail anymore! But with COVID, this classic may be the only way some people will be able to pass on a tangible momento to your child on their birthday. Just make sure you have people send their salutations early as the physical mail takes longer than its virtual cousin, especially now!

9. Movies

Perhaps the easiest go to indoor family activity, simply queue up a bunch of movies and watch away. Your kids will appreciate it more than you know.

10. Bake And Decorate A Cake

Let’s face it, you are going to have a cake. Why not take advantage of the extra time you have at home to really go all out?

Your kid will find joy in knowing you baked and decorated cakes together. As with cooking, not only will your kid love eating cake, they will also have the opportunity to be creative in the kitchen, as well a create memories that will last a lifetime.

Additionally, you will strengthen familial bonds, helping to raise that happy, healthy well adjusted human we all know we are capable of guiding.