Making #quarantinelife birthdays special

While typical kids’ birthday parties are on pause for many metro families right now, celebrating turning another year older has required some creativity and, in many cases, a return to simple traditions of the past.

Local party planner Chelsey Flint of Chelsey Flint Events believes this trend is likely to continue for a while, having recently polled her online audience and finding that 78 percent would not feel comfortable taking their children to a birthday party in May. Even with parties and her main source of business canceled, Flint has been providing ideas to metro parents on how they can still make birthday kids feel special. Check out her 5 favorites:

1. Decorate the table with your child’s favorite theme and plan a special meal. Flint recommends ordering party supplies like streamers and themed tableware online to make your at-home celebration feel festive.
2. Order a special treat for pick up. Whether it’s a cake, cookies, cupcakes or another favorite, support a local business and your birthday child. Flint has been impressed that bakeries like Cakes by Dani are offering affordable and smaller-sized cakes, taking into consideration that birthday celebrations are much smaller right now.
3. Or make your own special treat! Flint laughs knowingly that oftentimes parents want a perfect-looking cake for a party. She says this is the perfect time to let your kids make and decorate their own birthday treats however they would like. Meaningful time spent in the kitchen together, even covered in icing and sprinkles, can make that birthday extra special.
4. Surprise the birthday child with yard signs. Make your own signs with pasteboard and markers, or support a local yard sign company with an order. The companies place the signs in your yard and come back to pick up with no contact.
5. Bring on the balloons. With birthday kids and her own niece and nephew, Flint says it’s the balloons that make a party for many kids. Blow up balloons for play or check out Pinterest for a tutorial on making a balloon garland. Flint has enjoyed making garlands for clients to drop off on their front porches or helping surprise birthday kids by placing balloon clusters in their front yards for them to wake up to the morning of their special day.

Celebrating with families or friends could include zoom calls or FaceTime to sing happy birthday or a drive-by birthday parade.

For expecting parents who’ve had to cancel baby showers, Flint suggests a drive-by parade where gifts can be placed in an open trunk by one guest at a time. A balloon garland or baby shower decor can be added to the open trunk to add to the festivity.

However your family chooses to celebrate special milestones during this time, Flint recommends focusing on intentional time for connection and sharing gratitude for the opportunity to spend time together, whether in person or virtually.

photos by Chelsey Flint Events

How are you celebrating your child’s birthday during this time? Send your ideas to tips@metrofamilymagazine.com.

For even more creative ways to celebrate a birthday during quarantine, check out this article filled with a dozen social distancing party ideas. Or, read about one family’s experience participating in a drive-by birthday parade.