Last year was especially hard for celebrating kids’ birthdays, and this one will be challenging as well. Children understand the current pandemic situation to some extent, but it’s best to protect them from the stress of it. This is why giving them even the smallest semblance of normalcy can help them cope with isolation and social distancing. With that in mind, take a look at these interesting ideas for your kid’s birthday party that will bring fun activities to everyone.
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Homemade giant bubbles
Making bubbles never grows old and it’s fun for both kids and adults. The ingredients for a homemade bubble solution are something you already have in the kitchen or won’t dent your budget if you buy them. You’ll need to mix water, dish detergent, corn starch, baking powder, and glycerine in a bowl and then pour it into a shallow pan. Bubble wands are available to buy or you can DIY some by yourself with the help from your kid as a fun project.
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Treasure hunting
Kids like adventures, especially if they involve digging around the backyard and playing detective in the bushes, like the treasure hunt. The idea of the game is to provide clues that will point your kid to spots with hidden prizes. Think of the riddles, songs, and stories that can occupy their mind just like running around the backyard will give them a healthy dose of physical activity. If family members and friends were unable to attend, hide their presents and messages as prizes to make the hunting unique and more personal.
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Costumes whole day
Why just have your kid wear a costume? Dress up the whole party and enjoy being guided by your child’s imagination. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy and you can still make most of the costumes by yourself. Ask your kid to do your makeup, let them participate in costume design, and even have them sew and glue if they’re old enough. Alternatively, your kid can pick out a theme and everyone will have to play dress up for the occasion.
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Slime time
Slime never grows old so you may as well include it in the birthday festivities. Since this is a messy business, it’s best to have slime time outside or protect the play area with temporary floor film and furniture plastic covers. To make a bowl of slime, use foam shaving cream, saline solution, Elmer’s glue, baking soda, baby oil, and food coloring. Adding glitter, sequins, and beads is also an option, just make sure kids don’t try to eat the slime.
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Colorful piñatas
This one is the project for the whole family, from start to finish. Give your kids paper bags and have them decorate and paint them as colorful as possible. Once finished, fill these bags with candy and toys, but leave some space to blow air inside so they look puffed. Then hang these piñatas on the tree or anything that will allow kids to whack them with a bat. Every time a piñata breaks, all the wonderful goodies will pour down for the taking.
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Online trivia game
Zoom is the trending app for the last year and not only for work purposes. People use it to stay in touch, dine together, and, in this case, you can use it to host an online trivia game. Turn each Zoom member into a team and have them taking their turn to select the category they want to play. Instead of using standard topics, like pop culture and history, make it all about your kid. This should be the trivia about who knows the most about your kid, with them as a judge.
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Tug of war
Tug of war is perfect for the high-energy kids and doesn’t have to cost a thing. Start by marking the spot on the ground as a border and let your kid choose first their team members. Both teams should grab each end of the rope and start pulling after the judge yells “go.” The winner is a team that was able to pull the competition over the border. Go easy on your kid — it’s their birthday after all.
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Thrilling escape the room
Any place in your home can become an “escape the room” game with some creativity. You can download storylines online or make your own, the latter being more exciting. If you have a large family, this is a great activity for all during the birthday party. Your kid can be the game master or they can participate — let them choose. Make the clues about the kid or something close to their heart that participants will have to solve in less than 30 minutes to win. Playing “escape the room” is also possible with a virtual assistant, like Alexa, but make sure it’s fun for the kid or add some props to it.
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Gigantic bowling alley
Bowling is considered one of the favorite family activity, making it perfect for your kid’s birthday party. The best option (and the most fun) is to use giant inflatable balls and pins you can buy at your local store. This cheap solution will have you all enthralled just like visiting a bowling alley would, only in a more comfortable and shame-free setting. If your child’s birthday is on a sunny and warm day, “build” a gigantic bowling alley in your backyard or local park to take the party outside.
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Celebratory cycling adventure
Put on your cycling shoes and take your kid on an adventure in nature! Send a trusted person to decorate the bicycle track with balloons, ribbons, and birthday messages for your kid. That way, when you go bike riding, they will feel special and the center of attention. If possible, organize their friends and relatives to stand properly distanced, clap, leave presents, and sing birthday songs along the track. Fresh air and a good cause can do wonders for everyone.
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Three-legged racing
Nothing can beat being outside and playing games, like three-legged racing. If you have more kids in the family, this is a great way to keep them physically active and having fun at the same time. It’s also a good exercise for the adults! Divide party attendees into pairs by letting them pull names from the hat. Tie each pair’s legs together, but make sure nothing is dangling or they may trip and fall. At the whistle mark, each pair should start racing towards the finish line. A word of advice: this is best done on the grass to soften the falls and avoid injuries.
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Pinning the tail on the donkey
Some games will take no time to organize but can be the source of great fun nonetheless. One of those is pinning the tail on the donkey. Take a large piece of paper and draw a monkey or glue a picture of one on its surface. Put up the paper on a corkboard and hang it on the wall. Give each participant a tail with a pin on it that they have to attach to the donkey while blindfolded. The first one who succeeds or pins the tail the closest is the winner.
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Balloon stomping
Another wonderful way to exhaust the kids is by having them stomp on balloons. This game can’t be easier since all you have to do is inflate the balloons and tie them to the kids’ legs. The goal is to stomp as many opponents’ balloons as possible and avoid getting all of yours popped. The winner is the last person who has an un-popped balloon(s) on themselves. Prepare some nice prizes for the winner, and let the losers clean the room.
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Puppet theater
When it comes to puppet theater, you can do it with painted socks or buy dolls at the thrift store. Anything can turn into a stage — back of the couch or kitchen island, as long as the actors can lift their hands visibly for the audience. Let your kid choose what part they will have in the puppet theater: actor, writer, or viewer. Make sure to record the performance and send it to everyone unable to attend or live stream it for them.
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Musical chairs
What happens when you combine music and chairs? Well, lots of laughs and dancing of course! Count one less chair than there are children and place them in a circle. Play the music and have the participants run around the chairs or dance (or both). The moment the music stops, participants have to rush for the chairs and sit down. The person left standing is disqualified and one chair is removed from the circle. Musical chairs game continues until the only chair left is occupied by one of the two persons still playing.
In conclusion
You can still have a birthday party for your kid during the pandemic. It’s about making your kid feel special and loved, and for that, you only need some DIY creativity and willingness to compromise with the situation.
