How To Make Birthdays Special In Lockdown

A birthday is a unique celebration that most of us put a lot of care and attention into. Whether it is a day for the children or for one of our loved ones, many of us plan with great care and attention how we can make this day an extraordinary event.

We build incredible memories on days like this. Some of us prefer a quiet day with our close family, and others will annually head out to another country and celebrate in wild fashion. Either way, this year’s lockdown is going to make things a little bit different, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a memorable and exciting day that will go down in history as one of the better ones. 

Whatever style of birthday you usually have, or plan, this year you need to focus on what is really special. Most of the memories we make are about the people and the laughter, not about the location. We can create the perfect night in and bring all the elements of a beautiful restaurant to our home. Or we could plan a stay at a home rave in the garden. Whether you are in Ibiza or Islington, it won’t matter once you get things underway. 

If the birthday belongs to a relative that is classed as vulnerable and they don’t live with you, this could be hard on you all—especially young children. You need to plan in advance and make sure your parent or grandparent has the ability to work a video conference call. You could send them an iPad or take time to teach them how to work their smartphone. Or you could invest in one of the latest home video link devices such as Alexa, which can let you talk on video to your family wherever you are in the world. Whatever you do, just ensure you can organise it well in advance so on the day you can get the family together and everyone can say happy birthday. You need to consider how they feel about the current lockdown. If they are particularly anxious, then sending them flowers or lots of parcels might make them feel more concerned. So talk to them and check before you start tasking off delivery guys with visits to their address. 

If your child’s birthday is approaching, then you need to work out all the essential elements. Kids may be used to a process. Working out who they want to come to their party, the theme of their party and what cake they want. Then you will send out invitations, and the excitement builds as the RSVP’s start to come back in. So don’t skip this stage just because the party venue is going to be in your front room. Sit down and send an invitation out to everyone they want and invite them to join your child’s Eparty. You are taking this event online! Make sure you send invitations to all members of your household too – including the dog! You should put a link to the conference dial-in and also stipulate what the dress code is. No excuses grandad, the invite said Fairytale princesses only and that means you too. 

You can get most of the things you need for decorating your home and making the perfect birthday cake, online. So make sure all these things are done ahead of time. There has been a shortage of some flour types, but if you plan in advance, you should be able to find everything you need. Then you need to work on decorating a room of your home for the party, and it can be a good idea to get the whole family in on this job. That will help to get your son or daughter really excited. On the big day, you need to get the video calls up on your telly, and it will be much easier for everyone to interact if they are on a big screen. You can let this run for the full duration of the party. It’s even possible to play games such as musical chairs. If you have been really organised, you might also be able to do a pass the parcel by sending everyone a small gift in wrapping and then passing it around the video screen. This will look magical to your child. 

Teenagers are a little more tricky, but if there is one thing that will cheer a fifteen-year-old up, then it’s cash or presents! This year, why not invest in something special for them. If your budget is really tight, you could find some photos of their best friends and get them some personalised gifts. Go here for some good ideas. Or, if you have a bigger budget why not get them that new computer console they have been desperate for or if they are older, a car that needs to be restored before it can be driven? Think longevity when it comes to your gifts. Something that can last and help them keep busy during the lockdown. 

If it is your partners birthday, then you could make them a day of rest. Tidy up the garden if the weather is good and lay them out on the ultimate relaxation chair. Then offer to wait on them hand and foot for the day. Try to think about their favourite birthday meal out. Where was it? Do you remember the recipe? If so, you could recreate this at home for them. If you have older children, why not ask them to go up to their bedrooms early so that you can have a proper date night on your own? If you have younger children, then wait until bedtime. You could even recreate a trip to the cinema in your living room and cuddle up together to watch your favourite old movie. 

While the world may have changed in recent times, this doesn’t mean that we have to stop making beautiful memories or miss out on our special day.