Many of us have now had to celebrate a birthday in lockdown. Particularly with more significant birthdays, it can be a major letdown to be unable to celebrate with friends and family.
This doesn’t mean, however, that birthdays should go uncelebrated. Here are a few ways that you can make a loved one’s birthday special even from a distance.
Planning
Organise a group chat with everyone you think might want to help organise the party. You can have different people in charge of various party elements and this way you’re more likely to find someone that has access to a premium account on Zoom – meaning that the party won’t have to stop after 40 minutes! Having a group chat will also help you get ideas for a birthday gift, and you could organise a group present. If you have teenagers and tweens who are celebrating their birthdays, here are some useful virtual birthday party ideas.
Decorations
No party is complete without decorations! You could organise a whip around to fund the decorations for the birthday boy or girl and have them delivered to their door. If they live with housemates or a partner, you could recruit them to put the decorations up while they’re out of the room.
One great way to make a remote birthday party memorable is to get personalised photo banners from Dom and Geri. All you need is a few pictures of the birthday boy or girl, and you can make a unique and personal birthday banner.
Guests
Decide on a video meeting platform and make sure that everyone knows what time the festivities start. It is worth having the guest list looked over by the birthday boy or girl to ensure that they are happy with who you plan to invite and make sure you’re not missing anyone!
If this will be a surprise virtual party, make sure everyone arrives 15 minutes early so that when the birthday boy or girl logs on, they’re greeted by a screen full of friends.
Presents
You can have presents delivered to your loved one’s house for them to open during the party. While it’s not quite the same as seeing the joy on their face in person, giving a thoughtful present can be a great way to make their birthday special.
Aim to get a big birthday card that you can pass around to the participants to sign beforehand (socially distanced) and deliver it along with the gifts on the big day. Personal touches are perfect for showing you and others care about them on their big day.
Activities
Now you need to decide what to do for the party. Will they enjoy a pub quiz, a group watch-along of a favourite film or just a general virtual hangout? No matter what you choose, make sure that it’s something the birthday boy or girl will enjoy.
If you are hosting, make sure you have everything in order before you begin, especially if you’re hosting a quiz. Once everyone is online and the birthday boy or girl has joined, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the virtual party!
