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.
Winter Activities in Toronto that Your Kids Will Love
School is out which means you likely have some antsy kids running around at home that are eager to be kept busy! Here is a list of some of the best winter activities in Toronto to do with your kids:
1.Tobogganing (ages 6-12)
This activity is a winter classic and stores like Canadian Tire sell toboggans and “magic carpets” for a reasonable price. There are plenty of hills around the city and no matter where you end up, your kids are sure to have a blast.
Some of our favourite hills:
Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough Christie Pits Park Riverdale Park West
2. Ontario Science Centre (ages 2+)
The Science Centre is a great way to get out of the cold while keeping your children learning and busy all day. There are immersive exhibits your kids will love, and tons of facts for adult learning. Oh, and good luck trying to get your kids to leave!
3. A Nutcracker Christmas at the Casa Loma Castle (any age)
This holiday event runs from December to early January. A Nutcracker Christmas is fun for the whole family; Kids can meet Santa, do arts and crafts at Santa’s workshop, and meet with wintery mascots while sipping hot chocolate and snacking on themed eats.
4. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada (any age)
Another great way to escape the cold is Toronto’s very own Ripley’s Aquarium. This collection of fish and sharks will keep your kids occupied for hours.
5. Ice Skating (ages 4+)
Another classic holiday tradition your kids will love is ice skating. There are many indoor ice rinks in the city, most of which offer skate rentals and festive drinks to enjoy rinkside.
Some of our favourite outdoor rinks:
Nathan Phillips Square The Bentway Skate Trail (serves alcohol) The Harbourfront Centre’s Natrel Park The Ryerson Community Rink (no skate rentals)6. Young People’s Theatre (ages 5-12)
Why not take your kids to see some live theatre? The shows playing this winter are “The Adventures of Pinocchio,” “Jungle Book,” and “You and I,” the best part is you can sit back and enjoy the show too!
7. The Royal Ontario Museum (ages 5+)
The ROM is another perfect way to entertain your kids for the entire year. This holiday season you can find 3 different featured exhibitions, so each time you go, it’s a new adventure.
8. See a Movie (ages 4+)
This holiday season you can bring your kids to films such as “Frozen 2,” “Playmobile: The Movie,” and “Abominable.”
9. Gingerbread House Making Workshops (ages 5+)
Gingerbread house workshops let you keep the mess out of your kitchen. President’s Choice’s Cooking School in Loblaws around the city provides excellent workshops and tasty treats!
Winter Holidays Around the World
The winter season is filled with holidays. Here are some examples of how different cultures celebrate in the winter months around the world:
1. Hanukkah
Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration that lasts eight days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev. Part of the celebration includes a candelabrum called a menorah. Each day includes a ritual of lighting one of the candles, symbolizing the miracle of the Maccabees’ oil lasting nine days.
The rest of the celebration includes:
Singing songsPlaying with a top called a dreidel
Eating potato pancakes, or latkes
Making jelly-filled donuts called sufganiyot
2. Diwali
The Hindu religion celebrates Diwali, a festival of lights, during the month of Kartika on the Hindu Lunisolar calendar – it is usually between mid-October and mid-November. The five-day festival is associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, and is a celebration of light over dark, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
The celebrations include:
FireworksDecorations like intricate flour and rice designs beside shrines
Candies called “mithai”
Gifts
3. Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa originated in 1966 as a holiday that honours African heritage and culture. The week-long celebration includes lighting seven candles in a kinara, each candle symbolizing one of the principles of Kwanzaa, and culminates with a feast and presents.
4. Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year, is the first day on the traditional Chinese calendar, it is a celebration of ancestors and deities. The holiday has a variety of regional customs and traditions but most celebrate with a family gathering and feast, along with red envelopes filled with lucky money, and cleaning the house in preparation for the holiday.
5. Christmas
Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus every year with Christmas. Christmas is on December 25th and most celebrations include a feast, gift-giving, and decorating a Christmas tree.
Finland
In Finland, families light a single candle on Christmas eve beside the graves of their loved ones.
Ireland
In Ireland, children go door to door singing while holding up holy bush and wren on a stick.
The winter is filled with many joyous holidays that are celebrated around the world. They are the perfect time to spend quality time with the family, eat delicious food, and stay out of the cold! If you’re looking for activities to do with your kids during the winter that aren’t holiday-related, our other ideas are here.
How to throw an Environmentally Friendly Party!
Hosting an event while being cautious about the environment can seem like a big feat, so here are some tips for hosting an environmentally friendly party:
Scrap the Invite Cards
Skip the disposable invitation cards, opting for Evites or other digital invitations. Evites will go right to the parents’ inboxes and there is a huge selection of cards that will adorably fit your theme.
Say No to Loot Bags
Loot bags are so been there, done that! Plus those cheap toys (and their packaging) go right into a landfill. If you are giving away party favours, make it something your guests can make themselves! You could try tie-dye shirts or pottery art, better yet, why not opt for something consumable? Your guests will have fun making these favours and these gifts won’t end up at the bottom of some toy box.
Giving to Charity instead of Gifts
Ask your guests to donate to charity in lieu of giving you a gift. Making it easy on your partygoers while supporting a wonderful cause. Choosing a cause with your child also teaches them giving back and caring. Here’s a great site to check out for more information.
Food and How to Serve It
Avoid using single-use utensils and flatware! Instead, use your own cutlery and opt for food that doesn’t need plates, like pizza, and homemade cupcakes make for a nice plateless cake substitute. Also, avoid providing your guests with juice boxes and plastic water-bottles.
Entertainment and Activities
Face painting is a great activity for guests and does not produce any waste! It’s environmentally friendly and your guests will love it! Eco Glitter is also totally biodegradable and will not end up sitting at the bottom of the ocean as regular glitters do.
Be creative and create an eco activity, such as crafts that are from recyclable items or can be recycled, or baking, kids LOVE baking. Play good old fashioned games like Freeze Dance, Simon Says, and Limbo – you’d be surprised how much FUN these simple, silly games will keep kids happy. Don’t overthink it! All of these tips will help in throwing an environmentally friendly party, but being cautious and doing your best is a step in the right direction.
Summer Parties Your Friends Will Love
Parties are back! Summer is around the corner and so are summer parties! Host an outdoor party this summer that your guests (and their parents) will remember for years to come!
Pool Party:
Pool parties are classic and great for kids eight and up. It will keep your guests occupied the whole day long. If you don’t have your own pool, many community centres accept bookings for birthday parties. If you are hosting in your own pool, be sure to have an adult supervisor at all times!
Hawaiian Luau:
Decorate the backyard with tikis and tropical flowers! Hire someone to teach your guests how to hula or play music from Moana and play freeze dance. Hand out leis and have your cake match the theme!
Beach Party:
Whether you invite your guests to the actual beach or host it in your backyard, this theme is sure to be a hit! Blow up some beach balls and play volleyball. If you’re baking a cake yourself, blue icing and graham cracker crumbs make for perfect water and sand. Let the kids decorate their own flip flops by purchasing fabric markers and white flip flops.
Summer Olympics:
Bet you haven’t seen one of these yet! Invite your guests to come wearing the colours or jersey of their chosen country, and set up some obstacle courses in the backyard or in a nearby park! Let the kids compete and award everyone with cupcakes decorated like gold medals!
Wilderness Explorers:
What’s more fun than a scavenger hunt? Let the kids scour the backyard by setting up a puzzle that involves teamwork and problem-solving. Your questions can even challenge your guest’s knowledge of the great outdoors. A jungle-themed cake is a great addition to this type of summer party!
Garden Fairies:
Invite your guests to come dressed as garden fairies! Let them play pretend in the backyard. Play freeze dance and let them decorate their own fairy wings with glitter. You can even have a fairy themed cake!
A Bug’s Life:
Hand out magnifying glasses for the kids to go on a scavenger hunt with questions about bugs! Or set up bug-themed crafts. For the cake, use Oreo crumbs for the dirt, chocolate pudding for the filling, and gummy worms to decorate.
Fossil Finders:
In your own sandbox or at a local park, burry fake bones and other treasure. Have the kids collect the “bones” they found to build a dinosaur. White fondant for bones and graham cracker crumbs for sand make for a perfect cake.
Movie Under the Stars:
This party works best if you own a projector! Set up your projector in the backyard and a big white sheet as the screen. Pop some popcorn, put out some blankets/chairs, and put on a kid-friendly movie!
Road Hockey Party:
Set up some nets on your driveway, a ball, and pick up some cheap sticks from the dollar store. You can decorate the cake to look like a real ice-rink. (This theme can also be substituted for a basketball theme, with basketball nets, and a cake decorated like a quart.)
All of these summer parties can be taken to the next level of fun with our face painting, balloon animals, caricature art, and glitter tattoo services!
How to Hire a Great Entertainer
Planning a birthday party or family event can sometimes be stressful. What type of theme will it be? What kind of food will you serve? What kind of great entertainer will you provide?
While it might not seem an enormous endeavour, sometimes providing something for your guests to do, especially children, can be a challenge. That’s where hiring a professional might come in handy, someone to take some of the work off of your shoulders and keep your guests occupied during the festivities.
To start with, you will need to decide on a theme because this will often inform your decision on entertainment. Having a backyard party – a bouncy castle might be in order? Throwing a princess theme party, a professional Princess will fit the bill? Doing an animal or zoo theme, a face painter or petting zoo would be suitable entertainment?
Here’s a few suggestions when looking to hire a great entertainer:
- Consider the age of your party-goers. Babies and tots might not respond well to clowns or a life-sized mascot. It might be best to find an activity that’s more age-appropriate. A musical entertainer or puppeteer might be more suitable for children under three. If you’re unsure, ask the entertainer their ideal age range.
- Decide if your party will be indoors or out. Some entertainers, like clowns and illusionists, work best inside, while carnival attractions, like popcorn and cotton candy machines, work best outside. Balloonists and face painters, meanwhile, will work well both in and out of doors. Just make sure to provide ample shade. Also plan a rain day alternative, just in case.
- One of the best places to search out entertainment is on the internet.
Keep these things in mind when looking:
How long have they been in business?
Is their website in order?
Do they offer pictures or a portfolio of their work and testimonials from past clients?
Do they have a favourable rating on social media?
The answers to these questions will provide good clues into how professional the entertainer is. Also, feel free to ask for references.
- Ask if the entertainer carries their own insurance. While an independent performer might not, a reputable business should have this.
- Get a quote ahead of time so that there are no unexpected surprises. Get payment terms from your entertainer; is there a deposit required and what types of payment will they accept?
- Make sure to discuss with entertainer the time they will arrive, what, if anything they will need you to provide. For instance, a face painter will usually require a table and two chairs, plus access to water, a magician will likely need a table and some quiet time before hand to set up.
- In most situations, tipping is optional, although most entertainers will always appreciate it.
10 Unique Theme Party Ideas
Tired of the same old birthday party and theme party ideas? Why not give one of these fresh and unique theme party ideas a go for your next celebration. It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, just a little bit of creativity on your part and your guests young and old will love it!
Here are some great ideas, using food, décor and games to tie in with your theme:
Flamingo & Pineapple Party:
A great alternative to the Luau, this theme works great outdoors and in. Just add some inflatables to your table, tropical fruit and bright pastel décor for this fun festivity.
Pancakes and Pyjamas:
Perfect for sleepovers! Make breakfast a late-night meal with this fun theme party idea. Great for teens and tweens, create a pancake and waffle station with all of your favourite toppings, add in some movies or a dance party to make your party complete.
Under the Sea Mermaid Party:
Get creative with buried treasure chests filled with chocolate coins and beads, seafood themed treats, seashell and pearl décor in purple and turquoise colours. Your little darlings will be delighted.
Host a Spa Day for Kids:
Great for kids of all ages, but especially teens and tweens. Break out the face masks, bath bombs and nail polish! Offer up healthy snacks, smoothies and herbal teas, this theme is all the new-age!
Tea Party for Tweens:
Dust all your tea sets and fine bone china and set a table with fine linens. Serve up tiny tea sandwiches, pastries and bite-sized treats with pink lemonade or iced tea. Host your party in the garden for a memorable setting, fitting for even a queen.
Troll Party:
Everything old is new again, and Trolls are known for throwing an awesome party. Tie in their rainbow colours into your décor and food and don’t forget the glitter!
Photo from Catchmyparty.com
Gone Fishing:
What better theme party for your little outdoorsman/woman. Tackle this theme with some edible bait like worms-n-dirt, set up fishing rods and nets in a kiddy pool and offer up snacks in tackle boxes.
Lumberjack Party:
With red and black checkerboard table linens, some rustic décor and good eats, this theme will delight your guests. Tie in some fun lumberjack games to make this party complete.
Safari Party:
Perfect for kids of all ages, bring out their wild side with this fun theme idea. Use jungle theme décor colours like green, brown and yellow or an animal print theme for your table. Have a face painter or balloon twister on hand to create jungle animal faces/animals.
Camping Party:
Overnight or for just a few hours, this camping theme is sure to be a hit. Have a small campfire where the kids can make smores or just make them in the oven. Sing camp songs or tell stories around a fake fire.
6 Awesome Loot Bag Alternatives
Kids love loot bags! You know, those little bags filled with toys and treats that they receive at the end of the party. Only trouble is, many of the keepsakes are dollar store items that just end up in the garbage. Loot bags can also be expensive and stressful for parents when planning a birthday celebration. Here are some loot bag alternatives that will keep costs down but still create a memorable experience for the kids.
- Hire an entertainer
Balloonists, face painters, or nail artists are all great options. This form of entertainment is fun or kids of all ages. Not only will your guests experience a one-of-a-kind experience, they’ll have a short-term souvenir from the party which can be captured long-term in pictures.
- Offer a T-shirt
Offering t-shirts that are themed or colour printed with the birthday child’s name is a great reusable alternative to loot bags. Not only can they wear the item at the party, but they’ll be able to wear it again and again. Check out these customised t-shirt
options here. - Make a keepsake craft
There are hundreds of affordable ideas
available, you just have to use your imagination. Work your craft around a theme
These adorable popsicle stick Minion or monster crafts,
superhero popsicle heroes or these paper bag monsters puppets. In a fun craft for preschoolers, use fruit loop cereal to craft a necklace or rainbow, or create a great eco-craft like these two versions of bird seed ornaments using cookie cutters or oranges. Or get messy with one of these paintable options: woodland birdhouse craft or monogram letter art. - Rent something cool
Renting from a party rental supplier, like a bouncy castle for younger kids, an arcade game or pinball machine, or photo booth for older kids, or a popcorn machine or cotton candy maker for an outdoor event or carnival themed party. Local companies offer delivery and set up too!
- Host a treasure or scavenger hunt
Set up a fun activity with an ultimate prize. Not only is searching for the treasure through a series of clues a fun-filled activity, but the prize can include edible items like wrapped candies, chocolate coins (doubloons!) and small packages of chips or cookies. Depending on the age you can also offer keepsake items like colouring books and crayons, Pl
ay-doh (for the younger set), baseball, Star Wars or Pokeman cards, dollar store gift certificates, and drugstore products like lip gloss and nail polish (for tweens and teens). - Donate to a charity
Donate to a charity on behalf of the birthday child and give each guest a thank you note telling them a little about the charity and what difference their donation made. Check this site out for free party invitations and ideas.
Top Ten Face Painting Ideas
Children inspire our designs and come with face painting ideas that are both creative and bold. But without fail, we have our tried and true favourite designs that are always a big hit with the kids. With vibrant colours and bold designs, these 10 favourite face painting ideas have withstood the test of time.
Princess Crown
Fairytale princesses are always a popular favourite with our little clients. Add some glitter and a bit of bling to create the perfect finishing touch.
Butterfly
These beautiful insects look great in all colours of the rainbow. Full face, half face or cheek art, it a favourite with kids of all ages.
Tiger
The tiger is by far our most popular animal face. Perfect for both boys and girls, from toddler to teen, tigers come in all colours but by far the most popular traditional orange with black stripes.
Cat
Simple as a kitty nose and whiskers to a full face design, the cat is an adorable feline favourite and one of our most requested faces.
Dog
They come in many breeds and colours, our puppy dog faces are a great introduction to the face painting novice and popular with toddlers.
Spiderman
My spidey senses tell me that Spiderman is one awesome super hero with a huge fan following. With its bold red, white and black design, it’s always a party pleaser with the lil’ tykes.
Batman
Next to Spiderman, Batman is easily our next most popular superhero. The dark night bat mask is perfect as a half face, cheek art or just as a simple hand design for newbies.
Rainbow
Always a popular request, we add some unique touches to create a memorable look. You might just find a pot of gold.
Shark
Kids love fish of all kinds, but the shark is an ocean favourite. Only as scary as your imagination, this face is a popular request from boys and girls.
Flower Crown
It may not be the sixties, but our hippy flower crown is far out. Add some sparkle for that added groovy look.
