You may be asking yourself, should I throw my family member a birthday party this year? And if so, then how? Well, we are here to help you set aside those questions of hesitancy during this strange time of socially distant gatherings, because every person deserves to be celebrated!

Backyard Winter Wonderland

While the winter breeze may bring chillier evenings, there’s nothing a small heater and warm coat can’t fix! For kids birthday parties, try making the backyard a” “themed celebration.” One idea would be a “Winter Wonderland” theme, featuring mugs of hot cocoa, roasting marshmallows by a bonfire to make peppermint s’mores, and making handmade paper snowflakes. Other kid-friendly activities include scavenger hunts, booking local food trucks, hula-hoop contests, or stories by the bonfire. For older kids and adults, try setting up a drive-in movie if you have a small projector and a white sheet. Whether in the back of your car or on the lawn, stay warm with fuzzy blankets, warm drinks, and caramel popcorn for a memorable night. While the possibilities for outdoor-themed parties can be endless, sometimes even the simple measures like sharing birthday cake around an outdoor heater as you chat can bring the brightest smiles.

Drive-By Parades

You may be familiar with a festive “drive by” concept in brightening up someone’s birthday. Whether it’s surprising the special birthday person or planning it for yourself, ask guests to bring along some balloons, or craft handmade posterboard signs. If you are the party planner who is surprising the birthday person, ask the guests to arrive at a designated location in a specific time frame in which the parade will be held. Consider providing little goodie bags that your guests can pick up on a portable table as they drive by the “celebration station.”

While the concept is basic in itself, have fun in getting creative with the details! For example, if you are thinking about a “Little Princess” party, consider a decorated chair as a throne with a birthday tiara to help your beautiful princess feel special. Or think about asking each guest to bring a small bouquet of flowers to blossom in the most amazing, colorful surprise. For adults, you could plan to create your birthday person’s dream menu, then make a sign-up sheet so that guests can assign themselves different elements of a “potluck birthday” meal drop-off. Lastly, let’s make some noise for the birthday celebration by requesting guests to honk, wave, and sing, or play a happy birthday song as they drive by! Moreover, you can consider bringing the party to your guests with a “reverse drive-by.” Simply pack up the car with favorite birthday celebration snacks, tack on a few celebration signs, and make your way around town visiting family and friends to hear their best wishes, and maybe even exchange gifts.

Starting New Traditions

Now is the perfect time for a trial run of innovative fun twists to your typical birthday celebrations. The newfound ideas may be a debut for new birthday traditions. Remember, it can be the simplest of ideas that create memories to cherish for a lifetime! A few examples to make the day extra special are letting the birthday person plan the schedule for the day, eating birthday cake or cupcakes for breakfast, or calling the family together for a laughable time in the kitchen, as each tries pancake art. Other ideas include a family game night, virtual dance party, karaoke, takeout from their favorite restaurant, or tying balloons and posting temporary signs on the birthday person’s bedroom door for a morning surprise. A festive birthday hot chocolate before a treasure hunt for any gifts outside could also be fun.

Outdoor Adventures

If the weather permits, take the crew for a weekend getaway in the mountains camping or glamping (glamorous camping). For the outdoorsy, pack food in foil pouches to cook over a fire, pack a picnic to enjoy on a hike, compliment fun stories with s’mores dipped in white chocolate and topped with sprinkles, and wrap up in the warmest blankets you can find.

Celebrating birthdays during this season of social distance practices doesn’t mean we have to throw in the towel; instead, it gives us the opportunity to be more creative in finding ways to make the birthday person feel extra loved on their special day.