The COVID-19 pandemic has had its effect on many areas of our lives. Our jobs and personal lives have been impacted by the ongoing crisis. Children have been affected as well. If you have a child for whom you’re planning a birthday party, chances are you need to reconsider the way you can celebrate the occasion.
However, this doesn’t mean calling off the party after sending the invitations to your guests. Fortunately, the internet has provided plenty of opportunities to help lead a fun and healthy lifestyle. Thanks to the many different video conferencing and video communication options, you can hold an unforgettable birthday party for your kid.
At Home Party
Virtual Birthday Party Invitations
The first thing you need to do when holding a virtual birthday party is sending out your invitations. This doesn’t always mean sending physical invitations by post. You can do so through services such as evite and Greenvelope.
In the invitations, provide your guests with information on how the birthday party will progress. Here you can also make use of the different options available such as Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, and FaceTime group.
Now, it seems possible to hold a great party without having to travel in this Covid-19 situation.
You Will Still Need to Decorate
Remember that your guests will be seeing everything that’s going on in the party and will be active participants during the celebrations. Therefore, it’s important to set the stage properly. This means decorating the way from your kid’s bedroom to the room where the party will be hosted.
You can choose a theme that you think your child will enjoy and roll with. For instance, you can go with Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, or Star Wars theme.
Also, keep in mind that most of the decorations will need to be done in the room where the birthday party will be hosted. Furthermore, don’t forget to include a balloon drop to make the environment bubbly and colorful. The best place to do this is in front of the camera to help the guests feel that they’re right there at the party.
Dressing Up for a Virtual Birthday Party
You may think that hosting a virtual birthday party means that everyone who’s invited will only need their pajamas or t-shirts and sweatshirts. However, to make the party more exciting, try having everyone dress up.
This is great when holding a themed virtual birthday party. If the theme is Harry Potter, for instance, the guests can all dress up as their favorite characters. The children can also do so to rev up the cuteness of the situation.
Virtual Birthday Part Activities
Invite an Entertainer
Nothing makes a birthday party more interesting for kids as having an entertainer. You can have a magician, a puppeteer, a storyteller, or a clown. It’s a great way to keep the kids engaged in something fun during the party.
And adults can also join in the fun. Note also that the entertainer doesn’t need to visit your premises. They can simply do their magic through online video tools such as Skype or Zoom.
If the kids are older, a virtual birthday party can be a great opportunity to learn something new such as cooking or drawing. You can thus invite an instructor for this, albeit online.
Playing Games
Games are another highly engaging and fun way to enjoy a birthday party. While you may think that everyone needs to be together to play games, think again. Guests and kids can partake in games from the comfort and safety of their homes.
But what types of games are fun enough for everyone and can be played by guests from their remote locations? Well, think of Pictionary and Taboo. If it’s an older kid whose birthday is being celebrated, they can take part in Jackbox or similar games.
Virtual Birthday Cake
Now let’s be honest. A birthday party can’t be complete without the birthday boy or girl blowing candles on a cake. Everyone can participate online to sing the birthday song.
What’s more, this doesn’t mean that only the birthday boy or girl gets to eat the cake. By ordering birthday cakes and delivering ahead of time to your guests, everyone can have their cake at the same time.
A Time for Presents
Just as with the birthday cake, a birthday party will also involve presents for the birthday kid. While you can buy your child presents to open during this part of the party, it’s also a good idea to give the guests a chance to show their appreciation and love for the birthday child.
You can do this by having them send their presents before time and open all the presents at the same time during the party. Tell the kid and the virtual guests whose gift is being opened.
That way, the guests feel part of the party by offering their contribution.
Timings of a Virtual Birthday Party
Time is a highly important consideration when planning a virtual birthday party for your kid. Keep in mind that kids easily get distracted as their concentration isn’t well developed. It’s crucial, therefore, that you keep the kids focused on the party by keeping them engaged. One way to achieve this is to keep the party short. Thirty minutes, for instance, is a good duration.
Secondly, it’s also important to consider the right time for everyone. It should be a time when all the guests are available to attend the party.
Also note that if you’re new to this type of technology (Zoom or Skype), and aren’t sure how to coordinate everything, you’ll find that things are easier if you keep the timing short and the guest list short. You can do this by inviting only close friends and family members. Of course, you must practice using the software and creating the settings for the guests to join in at the given time.
Final Thoughts
The Coronavirus pandemic has taken the world by storm. Everyone is affected in one way or another. Economies are struggling and moods are depressed. However, it’s still possible to have a good time with friends and family. Through online video tools, you can hold a fun, engaging, and successful virtual birthday party. Follow the tips above during the pandemic to stay safe while enjoying the birthday party. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too!
