It’s your child’s birthday, but with all this isolation business going on, the party you had planned has gone out the window. Or has it?
Tips for hosting a virtual kids party:
- Get your kids involved in the planning and input
- Limit the numbers so it’s not too hard to manage everyone and keep them all entertained over video conferencing calls
- While musical chairs and pass the parcel are out, musical statues still works over video call
One Gold Coast mum did not let that small detail get in the way of celebrating her son’s big day.
Instead of flouting the rules, Rebecca McCallion from Carrara hosted her son Alexander’s fourth birthday virtually.
“We’d talked about his birthday party for a while, before the pandemic stuff,” she said.
“I then realised he wouldn’t be able to have the party he had been waiting and hoping for … Alexander really wanted a dinosaur party.”
But the family was prompted to hold the party online after using the Zoom web conferencing software.
With the party back on, disappointment turned to excitement — but the challenge was to make the kids feel included.
That party feeling
Balloons, cake, games, activities and party bags did not become a casualty.
“I didn’t want his friends to feel like they hadn’t been a part of it.”
On the morning of the party she delivered a bag with goodies to ensure the kids would enjoy the same party experience.
Of course it included birthday cake.
“I made a dinosaur cake and the children got cupcakes with the same miniature dinosaurs on them,” Ms McCallion said.
“I got dinosaur eggs and asked the parents to put them aside for each child so that we could play a dinosaur egg hunting game with everybody.
While musical chairs and pass the parcel were out, the kids did play musical statues, show and tell, cookie decorating, and listened to a reading of Alexander’s favourite dinosaur book.
Thinking of doing the same?
If this has inspired you to hold a virtual birthday party Ms McCallion has some advice.
“I can only suggest getting your child involved as much as possible and letting them make suggestions or say what they want to do,” she said.
Ms McCallion also kept the invitation list manageable with four guests.
“Don’t stress, make it fun, and however it is, is however it is,” she said.
