Pandemic Birthday Ideas to make celebrating extra special when things look a little different including photo worthy décor and ways to include people you love.
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I must admit. I really never saw myself writing a blog post about Pandemic Birthday Ideas but when life gives you lemons – you make lemonade, no?
Funny enough I DID have a blog post planned for March 2020 about a One Happy Camper birthday theme to celebrate my sweet Theodore’s first birthday. When a global pandemic hit that same month we, of course, cancelled, and celebrated at home with just the four of us.
It was a bit of a disaster. I was super emotional navigating my first week back to work, from home, with two busy bodies demanding snacks – plus that whole global pandemic thing. But Theo thoroughly enjoyed his birthday cake by eating it face first and I enjoyed watching.
Not sure I can call myself a pandemic birthday ideas connoisseur – nor do I hope to be – but we have celebrated three birthdays together since March 2020. So I have some ideas!
Before I dive into these fabulous pandemic birthday ideas I really want to remind you if you’re reading this and a wee bit emotional that it’s OK to feel sad that celebrating your child’s birthday looks like this. You are healthy, yes, and that not something to overlook but those doesn’t mean you can’t still share sadness. You know me, I need to include a mental health moment too!
Moving on to the good stuff. Here are some pandemic birthday ideas to make celebrating extra special when things look a bit different.
Pandemic Birthday Ideas for Kids
Go overboard on the Décor
It might seem odd to decorate your own four walls for a birthday with the members of your own household but it is THE easiest way to make your little human feel super special.
For Amelia’s fourth birthday in January my house looked like a rainbow threw up. It was 100% worth it to see how happy my little rainbow loving birthday girl was.
At four, Amelia understood that her friends and family couldn’t come in the house because of the pandemic but the overboard décor lessened the blow.
In my opinion there is no such this as too many decorations and I think my kids would agree!
TIP: If you’re blowing up a million balloons (guilty as charged) do yourself a favour and order a balloon pump! Your lungs will thank me.
Here are some of my favourite picture worthy décor ideas:
rainbow
multicoloured
Let’s Explore
mermaid
Peter Rabbit
Princess
Pandemic Birthday Ideas to Include Family
I know one of the hardest things for kids (and parents) is not being able to include family and friends in celebrations. Here are a few ways you could still include family but keep everyone safe.
Send invites for a pick up
One option would be to set up a table – at the door of a garage perhaps – and invite family and friends to stop by and pick up birthday goodies and share their birthday wishes.
If a garage isn’t an option or you have a driveway with enough space you could use sidewalk chalk and draw circles for friends to stand in that are six feet apart.
Provided you have the weather on your side you could set up games that naturally require space for families to enjoy like Ladder Ball
Don’t Skip the Goodies
What celebration is complete without goodies! A traditional cake isn’t going to work but boxing up individual cupcakes so each person can grab one and celebrate from a distance is perfect! For the little ones include the super cute cupcake toppers like this fairy kit or the matching kit with the themes above let’s them be part of the celebration.
I can’t get enough of these adorable mini piñatas with confetti and temporary tattoos to give out guest!
If you want to go the route of providing food safely you can purchase takeout containers and make food ahead of time for guests to grab with their treats. I’m a sucker for all things cups so setting up a coffee carafe for parents and hot chocolate or lemonade for kids with a reusable colour changing travel cup is SO fun!
While I hope the days of Pandemic birthday ideas are behind us too there is opportunity to make special memories however we can right now!
Happy celebrating!
