I remember when I was a kid, my years would be spent counting down the days to my birthday. My bestie, who was born in June, would count down to Christmas and her birthday, but given mine are on the same day, the event was a pretty epic celebration in my world.
We're rather limited to what we can do during these crazy times, but that doesn't mean 2020 will go down in history as the year of forgotten birthdays.
We've compiled our favourite ways to spoil the kids while you're in isolation or lockdown.
How To Plan A Birthday Party At Home: Activities To Try
Have a virtual house party!
You've probably heard about this cool app in recent weeks. I downloaded it a few days ago and I'm constantly receiving notifications to let me know when another friend has downloaded it. The House Party app allows users to have a virtual party with their webcams. You can be a big party animal and move from room to room if you're fielding more than one party at a time, and you can also play trivia against each other.
It's pretty cool although at times can be glitchy depending on the speed of your internet connection.
One warning though: some of the content in the in-app games isn't suitable for kids, so make sure you're always supervising.
Want more stories like this? Here are three at-home activities you can do in self-isolation. We've also got homeschooling hacks to help you keep your sanity and the ten-second breathing tip to calm you in this anxious time.
Order in a special cake
You may not be able to go out and select an elaborate cake for your little one, but they certainly don't need to miss out! Bake Believe delivers deliciously simple cake and cupcake kits straight to your door. There's a great variety of super adorable themes, the ingredients are natural and organic, and the baking itself is child-friendly so you can enlist your little helpers too.
Fiona Jones, Founder of Bake Believe says sales have definitely surged since Coronavirus started to affect people's lives.
"Parents still want to make their little ones' birthdays special, especially as parties have been cancelled, which is a hard lesson for any kid to learn," Fiona told Kidspot.
Some of her top sellers are the 'Winter Princess', 'Polka Dot', 'Bunny', 'Unicorn', 'Dinosaur' and 'Bat Boy' designs, and many add-in cupcakes or even design their own.
Collect photos and videos
If your little one has a birthday during the lockdown period, start asking friends and relatives in advance to send you some videos of them singing Happy Birthday or even just saying hi. If they can't manage a video, ask them to take a photo or younger kids can draw a picture and send a photo of it to the birthday kid.
It might not seem like a big deal to those sending them, but imagine sitting down to stream all the videos and photos onto the family TV while you enjoy breakfast together on the morning of their birthday. It's a very sweet way to have your loved ones in your lounge room while remaining safe and healthy.
Coordinate a song
This will only work if you're familiar with your neighbours, but even if not, it's worth a try.
Drop notes into the mailboxes of those in your street and allocate a time just like this dad did just a few days ago. Ask them to join you in singing Happy Birthday out the front of your homes. Your fellow neighbours, stuck in the same situation as you, might just surprise you and rise to the occasion. I know I'd do it!
Have a family party
Look, it may not be the same as the elaborate parties they're used to, but you can still make it a special night. Order takeaway from their favourite restaurant or food outlet and stream the latest family movie online while you enjoy a bowl of popcorn and a late-night up together as a family. It's not like you all need to get up early for work and school, so really make the most of it and chill in your PJs together.
If you plan enough in advance, order some of their favourite treats and a cake from your local supermarket. My favourites are Lollygobble Bliss Bombs and the Cadbury Picnic ice creams. Yummm!
Take a virtual tour
Look, it may seem a little nerdy (which is actually cool depending on who you ask!), but you can take your kids on a virtual tour of their favourite place. There's a long list of places here that are offering online tours such as museums and zoos. You can take it one step further AND help the economy by buying a voucher so you can all go on a real tour when they re-open and we're allowed to venture back out in to the wilderness again.
Online shop
This one may not work depending on how long you wait, but don't forget, you don't need to leave the house to get some cool birthday presents. Here's a hot tip though: LEGO will serve as a gift to them and also to you! And there's even a group with daily LEGO challenges to help the gift keep on giving.
Ring in the experts
Like many other businesses, StarDust Kids has rolled with COVID-19 and come up with an online birthday party package that takes place via live stream.
StarDust Kids will provide a unique party link that can be sent to children’s ‘guests’ so that they can join in from the safety of their own home. And the party is then hosted by one of StarDust’s many great characters including fabulous fairies, super superheroes, and even perfect princesses.
It's a 30-minute event where kids can enjoy plenty of classic kids' party games and activities, and even get to take part in a Q&A with the entertainer.
This post was first published on Kidspot and was republished on theAsianparent with permission.
Also read: COVID-19: Things To Do To Make Staying At Home Fun For The Kids