5 Magical Birthday Ideas During Quarantine
Celebrating your child’s birthday during quarantine, without the luxury of having friends over, might seem like a huge bummer, but here are some tips to make their day special, no matter what:
Photo by Princess Mijares from Pexels
#1 – Video Chat with Characters
Characters love being invited to birthday parties and have been feeling quite left out since the pandemic hit. Why not invite your child’s favourite character for a virtual tea party or performance? You could do one-on-one or on a group call with friends. Pre-recorded personalized videos are also always an option when trying to make a quarantine birthday special.
Invite one of our caricature artists to your next party!
#2 – Virtual Caricatures
Caricature artists don’t need to be present to draw a beautiful rendition of you and your family. They can easily video chat in, draw everyone, and either mail or send a digital copy of your drawing.
Photo by Patrick Case from Pexels
#3 – Drive-by Circus
A lot of people are opting for drive-by birthday parties, so why not invite some circus performers to roll, hand-walk, or hula-hoop past? There’s a diverse community of circus entertainers waiting for their next chance to dazzle.
Photo by APHOTOX from Pexels
#4 – Social distance sing-along with a princess
If your child loves to move around, why not invite their favourite princess to host a sing and dance along in your driveway? Social distance rules would be highly enforced to ensure everyone’s wellbeing.
Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay
#5 – Virtual Puppet Shows
Puppet shows are fun and can be personalized. Though puppeteers love visiting your home and doing their shows in person, they can easily stream into your living room live to keep everyone safe.
Top 20 Kids’ Birthday Party Themes
Need some help coming up with ideas for your child’s next birthday party? Happy Faces Party has curated our top 20 kids’ birthday party themes to get you started. You don’t have to break the budget; you’ll find many do-it-yourself theme ideas on Pinterest for décor, food, party games and more or check out the party section of your local dollar store.
- Disney Princesses
Have all of your guests dress as their favourite Disney princess. Offer up tiaras to your little guests (or make it a craft!), play their favourite Disney theme songs (like Frozen or Beauty and the Beast) and have a face painting station complete with glitter and gems or Sparkle tattoos.
- Pirate/Jake the Pirate
Include a treasure hunt into your theme party using a pirate map that includes a “buried” treasure. Keep them going with loot bags filled with pirate patches and telescope and have a balloon twister on hand to make swords.
- Super Heroes
With Marvel being more popular than ever, Batman, Superman, Spiderman and Captain America are always a hit with the kids. Face painting works in great with this theme.
- Star Wars / space
There’s no shortage of Star Wars party theme ideas. Complement your party with lightsaber balloons.
- Ninjas / Mutant Ninja Turtles
Decorate with the room with colourful patio lanterns and balloons (or use a red/black Ninja colour theme), serve snacks like candy “Sushi” and fortune cookies in Chinese take-out containers with chop-sticks, and offer Ninja bandanas, toy nunchucks and ninja daggers in their loot bags.
- Summer Fun
Why not turn your backyard into an ultimate fun zone. Include an inflatable like a bouncy castle and a water feature like an outdoor sprinkler or slip and slide. Pack loot bags with sidewalk chalk, skipping rope and bubbles for the ultimate in outdoor fun.
- Dora/Diego
As your guests arrive, offer each a backpack full of useful items and a map of a planned adventure. Complete the theme with a volcano birthday cake.
- Disney’s Airplane/Cars
Complete theme with easy to find décor items and loot bags.
- Thomas the Tank Engine/Trains
Calling all engineers. Decorate your little one’s party with easy to find décor: plates and cups, banners and balloons. Offer each child an engineer hat, red bandana and train whistle and have an adult dress up like Mr. Conductor. All aboard!
- Dinosaur/Jurassic Park
Using a sand table (or sandbox if outdoors), have a dinosaur dig with plastic shovels and tools, coloured play sand and assorted plastic dinosaurs and bones.
- Yo Gabba Gabba
Have the kids dress as their favourite character. In the theme, have a dance party with a DJ, play statues and offer up prizes.
- Spongebob Squarepants
Decorate the party like Bikini Bottom with a Tiki theme decor. Serve crabby patties and drinks in plastic coconut glasses with paper umbrellas along with Patrick and Spongebob cupcakes.
- Video game theme
(Super Mario Bros/Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong) – Rent and arcade game or host your party at a kid-friendly arcade. Create food and décor around the theme: Pac Man Birthday cake, game console ice cream sandwiches or cookies and Creeper fruit punch.
- Scavenger Hunt/Easter egg Hunt
All kids love a hunt inside or out! Make clues to keep the game challenging and offer up an ultimate “prize” that everyone can share.
- Jungle/Zoo/Madagascar
There are so many options for décor including party hats, banners, plates and cups and table cloths (or create your own!). Offer a balloon twister to create fun, keepsake animals or hire a professional face painter to paint lively monkeys, tigers or giraffes.
- Spa/glam
Offer your junior guests a spa feel by including sparkle tattoos and a “Mani/Pedi” nail painting station.
- Hockey/sports
there are tons of NHL ideas (or other sports leagues for that matter) that can inspire your theme party: from hockey pennants and Stanley Cup centre-piece decor to hockey puck cupcakes or hockey jersey cookies, or an ice rink theme cake, you’re sure to create a memorable party for your little league player.
- Carnival/Circus
For the biggest impact and for a memorable party for kids and adults alike, set up a “big top” tent, rent a real popcorn or cotton candy machine, and serve hotdog or corn dogs and corn on the cob. Have a balloon twister on hand for added entertainment.
- Spy/Detective
Create a detective mystery and have all of the kids involved in solving the clues. Offer the kids walkie-talkies and other spy gadgets to play with.
- Fairy
Have your little guests come dressed as fairies or have on hand fairy wings, tutus, and sparkly wands for quick dress-up. Set a delightful table for a fairy tea party with little sandwiches, cupcakes and, pink punch. Decorate the table with flowers, butterflies and fairy dust, for a magical meal.
Here are some helpful suggestions of birthday party themes:
With so many birthday party themes to choose from, you may feel overwhelmed. Keep an eye on the shows your child watches or the games they play to pick a theme that best fits them.
Tips for a Great Theme Party
Having a party? Why not make it into an event by creating a theme party. It’s great for all ages and it will be a change from the norm.
- Decide on a theme
Ideas can come from brainstorming with friends and family, the internet, books and magazines or pop culture such as movies and television. Be as creative as you like.
- Decide on a date for your themed event
Make sure that it doesn’t conflict with any important family or work event or holiday (unless the theme is tied to the Holiday)
- Create invitations
Mail or hand deliver the invites – it creates more excitement than a phone call or email. Allow at least two weeks before the party for mailing and ask that everyone RSVP so you know they received the invitation. Sometimes they get lost in the mail.
- Make a list of all of the things that need to be accomplished before the party date
This might include food and drinks that you want to serve as well as music, decorations, party games and entertainment (like a face painter!), prizes, etc. You will feel less overwhelmed if you have written everything down.
- The party doesn’t have to cost you a bundle
Ask guests to bring one item that you select for them that ties into the theme. This could be a food dish or a beverage. Include this in their invitation.
- Hold a Costume Party
To encourage guests to dress in costumes, offer incentives such as door prizes (that can be purchased at the dollar store) or lottery tickets.
- Ask friends ahead of time to help
Get your guests to bring music and equipment or help serve food and drinks. This will make you job as the host/hostess less stressful and you will be able to mingle with guests.
- Make sure Everyone stays hydrated.
Have plenty of bottled water and non-alcoholic beverages available for guests
- Set an end time if you don’t want guests to overstay their welcome
You don’t want them to have too much fun! Don’t forget to have some cash on hand for taxis.
These tips will help you get started:
Some popular theme party ideas are:
- Great Gatsby/Prohibition/Roaring 20’s
- Colour theme: pink, blue, etc.
- Titanic Era
- Tiki/Hawaiian
- Disco/1970’s
- Mods and Rockers
- Mexican Fiesta
- Vicars and Vixens
- Screen Heroes and Heroines
- Legends
- Medieval Knights/Lord of the Rings
- Agatha Christie/Murder Mystery
- Pirates
- Wizards/Harry Potter
- Fantasy/Sci-fi
- Carnival/Circus
Major events that make great themes:
- Holidays
- Weddings
- Anniversaries
- Showers (Bridal and Baby)
- Stag and Does
- Birthdays
- Graduations
- Proms
- Fundraisers (church and school)
- Engagement
- Oktoberfest
- St. Patrick’s Day
- Halloween
- Mardi Gras
