Decorations Gone Wild: This year, the decorations will have to be over the top! Balloons are a statement decoration, but if you’re having a hard time finding helium, one trick is to blow up balloons, string them, and tape the string to the ceiling so that they’re hanging upside down. Besides balloons, go above and beyond what you typically do for decorations. Streamers, birthday banners, and party goods for the table are easy to find at Walmart and Target (stores which are both currently open as “essential businesses”), plus you might have time to get theme-based items shipped via Amazon.
Enlarge an Image: Nothing makes an honoree feel as special as the feeling of seeing his/her face on display. Find some of your favorite photos of your little one and send them off to Walgreens for same-day photo enlargements. We recommend the 16” x 20” board prints. They come with stickable cardboard easel stands that allow you to place your image on any tabletop surface. Note: Walgreens frequently offers 40-50% off all photos, so check often!
Birthday Party Line: Have friends and family join you virtually to sing Happy Birthday and watch the birthday child blow out his/her candles. Before the song, you can even have a 5-minute dance party where the guests can bust a move in honor of the birthday child. Choose a fun song like “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and consider creating a virtual Soul Train Line where everyone gets their own 10 seconds of dance fame, taking turns until each guest has had a chance to dance. Several apps are available to create a video conference / “party line”. We recommend using Zoom, which is free to use. Just create a meeting and send a link to invitees to join in at the designated day and time.
Honk for the Birthday Boy: If you live on a busy(ish) street, including others in on your child’s big day is easy! Give your child a birthday crown, and make a yard sign with big, bold letters that read something like “Honk for the Birthday Boy / Girl / Prince / Princess”. Make sure the sign is large and easy to read, and post it near the edge of the driveway during your neighborhood’s “rush hour” while the birthday child sits outside and waves. We can’t promise you that your next door neighbors won’t go batty with the sound of the horns honking constantly, but hey, it’s only for an hour or two!
Invent a Birthday Ceremony – In some cultures, birthday celebrations are much more than confetti and cake. This year, you can cut through the frills and create a ceremonious display that’s truly meaningful and memorable for your child. Will your preschooler appreciate being presented with a specially decorated stick or wand while receiving an Adventure Medal? Maybe she’ll love a special tiara and wand along with official designation as a princess. Think creatively, along the lines of the simple but oh-so-sweet heart ceremony you get to do at Build-a-Bear when stuffing a new furry friend. Your child’s birthday ceremony can include readings, a picture slideshow presentation for the honoree, and a certificate.
Birthday Parade – Car parades might violate the current stay-at-home-order for non-essential travel, so check with your county first before inviting friends and family to drive by your house at a designated time to wave at the birthday child and yell out birthday greetings. Dress your child in a special outfit, decorate a chair, and let him/her enjoy the parade from the front lawn. The only real difference between this idea and the “Honk for the Birthday Boy” idea is that this one includes people you know / friends and family who are invited to make a special trip to your neighborhood to honor your child in a continuous line of cars, while the “Honk” idea garners attention from random passersby.
Birthday Bike Ride: If you’ve ever decorated your bike for the 4th of July, then you already have the gist of the idea. Pimp out your child’s bike with streamers and balloons, and have a fun ride through the neighborhood.
Visit the Zoo: The Houston Zoo is bringing the zoo to you via Facebook Live during the COVID-19 pandemicThey will be sharing updates of what their furred, flippered, and feathered friends are up to and how their zookeepers are caring for them while the zoo is closed. Your animal-crazy birthday child is sure to love this up close and personal video encounter with nature. Visit the Houston Zoo’s Facebook page to see the schedule, and if you miss a live stream, you can view all of the videos and fun at-home learning activities: www.houstonzoo.org/bringing-the-zoo-to-you/ 
Play Party Games: Party games like Pin the Tail and Musical Chairs are easy to pull off if you have multiple kiddos at home. But what if it’s just you and a single child? Try games such as Hide & Go Seek, Freeze Dance, or Charades, and be a willing and excited participant alongside your child.
Set up a Gift-Retrieving Obstacle Course: It’s time for presents, but don’t hand it to him on a silver platter. You’re stepping things up a notch this year, and that includes the gift giving. Set up an age-appropriate gift-giving obstacle course in the backyard. The birthday child might have to crawl through a tunnel or under the patio table, kick a ball, hop down a chalk-drawn hopscotch board, climb up buckets, weave around yard toys, or go down a slide, before finally retrieving the much-coveted birthday gifts.
Have a Party: You’ll want the entire day to feel special to the birthday child, but you should still consider having a designated “party time” that’s jam-packed with fun activities, ending with the birthday song and cutting of the cake. Depending on what you have at home, the “party” can include time playing on the swing set, a dip in the pool, party games, and even a movie.
