Cancelled! The headline that took over our inboxes, calendars, and life events a little over a month ago as hostesses everywhere scrambled to postpone, cancel, and reconsider how to celebrate upcoming special occasions.
At first, we thought this might past swiftly over a course of a couple weeks, but it’s clear we needed to find a new thoughtful, safe, and socially distanced way to recognize special moments for our families, after all birthdays can’t really be cancelled for the year!
How to Celebrate During a Quarantine
So how does one celebrate without leaving home? Here’s the real mom advice on how to celebrate during a Quarantine:
- Take 20 minutes and build a plan – if you want it to feel special, you need to plan the day out a bit, so it doesn’t blend into all the other chaos right now
- Treats make a huge difference to young kids
- Inviting others to join from afar is what will make this year memorable
Pick a Theme you can Lean Into
Okay, I know it sounds a little cheesy, especially for us modern mamas, but picking a “theme” or at least a color palette for your celebration early can be a big help to making your child or even spouse feel special for their birthday. By picking a theme early on you can scour the house for items you’ll be able to use to decorate with on the big day, you can do a bit of advance planning online shopping if needed, and you can come up with a meal or activity that aligns with your “party theme” for the day!
Don’t overcomplicate it, but if your little loves Firefighters, then have a day all about our Firefighting heroes. Fire Engine soup, red balloons, and a drive by the local fire station to see if you can spot the firetruck from the driveway? Or maybe you have a unicorn loving daughter? Then make her day special with all the magical moments you can come up with… bubble blowing contest anyone?
SOCIAL DISTANCING TIP: Many bakeries are still offering pickup services, so order a cake or a set of customized sugar cookies which not only pulls together your party theme in a big way, it also helps a small business during this challenging time! Consider it a win, win!
Decide if You’re ordering Decor
You don’t need to go all out since you can’t host a big gathering, but if you still want to decorate a bit then consider a party in place kit, the few essential you need to make a birthday lunch or dinner feel extra special. At Sprinkles & Confetti, they have a few small kits already put together for the most popular themes, but there’s loads of options to customize a small party box in the theme or colors that fit your celebration best.
Invite Family & Friends to Join Your Celebration from a Distance
You might not be inviting your guests over for a party this year (yay for less prep and clean up!) but don’t forget to actually invite your guests to still join in the birthday celebrations. Here’s a few easy options for how to include those that are closest to you:
- Ask neighbors to decorate and leave signs on your lawn or the front of your house early in the morning on the birthday girl or boy’s big day, it’s pretty fun to wake up to a yard full of love and creativity.
- Have school aged children? Ask the teacher if she’d consider recording a Zoom happy birthday call from classmates or do it yourself with close friends videoing messages for the birthday boy or girl to view!
- Does your child enjoy mail? If your kiddos birthday is still a while out – you can invite friends and family to send cards, notes, or homemade drawings to your birthday boy or girl! One mom simply posted a request to her Facebook page and her daughter received mail from tons of family, friends, and the community! Mail can be fun and unique for children to receive and could be a nice surprise all birthday week!
- Birthday Parade! Honestly, I participated in one of these recently and it was fun for more than just the kids, even the parents enjoyed getting out of the house for a bit for a quick drive by and to see the smiles from everyone celebrating! Organize a time and have everyone get in line to honk, wave, and say happy birthday to the guest of honor! This works just as perfectly for a 40th birthday as it does for a 4 year old birthday.
Want to get really fancy? If you plan ahead you can have a customized birthday banner created for your yard or a custom lawn sign with a special message for the birthday boy or girl!
Celebrating a Little?
One of the most difficult celebrations right now is the milestone 1st birthday party, we all know that party is typically more a celebration for the parents than the one year old, but it is still a milestone that shouldn’t be skipped! Don’t regret not capturing that classic first taste of cake!
If you do want to decorate, I recommend skipping all the fancy customized decor right now instead consider a balloon garland kit or contact your local balloon shop to see if they can do a porch balloon delivery. Balloons add tons of impact, create great backdrops if you are taking pictures or streaming your family and friends in, and little kids love the colors!
No matter what you decide to do remember it’s all about enjoying the day! Some families will get super creative with items they have around the house and other moms will really amp up the decor to make this birthday at home feel special in its own way, no matter what you choose just don’t forget the birthday treats!
Browse pre-designed options here or reach out anytime for a custom request at info@sprinklesandconfetti.com
MEET THE AUTHOR | JACKIE WALTER
Jackie Walter is the mother of two children, ages 7 and 5 and owner of Sprinkles & Confetti party supplies as well as creator of your stylish custom party boxes! She is a retail veteran of 15 years and pro entertainer who built a business around making parties easier to host! Sprinkles & Confetti takes the stress out of party planning and also spreads joy through their support of The Birthday Party Project helping bring joy to children in homeless and transitional shelters through the magic of birthdays across the country.
Comments
These are the best ideas!! Such creative ways to celebrate during these crazy times!!
Loving the party in place kits. Great practical advice!
My kids would LOVE getting cards and birthday wishes in the mail. so fun. Love all these ideas. especially how easy the party in a box makes it to celebrate in style.