Celebrating a birthday with the current lockdown restrictions can be difficult. You can’t go anywhere, you can’t see your friends and family, and overall it’s just not how most of us would like to spend our birthdays. So if you or someone you live with has a birthday coming up, I have some ideas for you that might still make it a special day!
Video Messages
This post was actually inspired by a family member of mine who asked friends and family to create video messages for my godmother’s milestone birthday. It was a really sweet idea that went down so well. Some people sent heartfelt messages, sharing memories and funny stories. Others sang happy birthday to varying degrees of success. Then it was all edited together into one long video. It’s a beautiful idea and now she will be able to treasure these videos forever.
Make A Birthday Cake
Baking a cake can be a fun birthday activity. You can do it as a surprise or with the birthday girl/boy. Homemade cake is always so much better than shop bought anyway! If you’re not the most successful baker, you could always aim for something a little easier. Maybe a cheesecake? The worry about messing up my flatmate’s cake back in May was real so I ended up opting for something simple. I made a Kinder Bueno no-bake cheesecake. It was very tasty!
Cameo Videos
During the first lockdown I bought a Cameo video for a friend of mine. She really loved having this personalised message from a performer she really likes. The great thing about Cameo is that there are so many different options to accommodate different budgets! I bought a video from West End star David Hunter who usually delivers a very musical message. The only info I gave him was that my friend Evelynn was having the dreaded lockdown birthday. He ended up writing a completely unique song where he rhymed ‘Evelynn’ with ‘staying in’. I thought it was pretty genius! Even if you don’t follow musical theatre, I would seriously recommend David’s Cameo. It’s affordable and the end result is always super catchy. Check out my Cameo purchase here!
Decorations
Even if you’re someone who rarely decorates for birthdays, it could really brighten up your special day when you need to stay inside. Getting a few banners, balloons and even party poppers could really add some thrill to your indoor birthday activities!
Take Out For Dinner
I love to go out for a birthday meal. Unfortunately restaurants aren’t allowed to be open under the current restrictions but many are still doing collection/delivery options. So go check to see if your favourite restaurant is taking orders and have a meal in the comfort of your own home. Of course it’s not the same as dining out, but it still adds something special to your day. On the plus side, independent restaurants could really do with your support now so you’d be benefiting each other.
Games and Movies
What better way to have indoor fun than a good old game night. I’ve always been a big Cluedo fan, but over the past couple of years my favourite game to enjoy has been Exploding Kittens. If you don’t have any games or enough people to play, then pick out a favourite movie to watch instead. Maybe even get some cinema-style snacks like popcorn or nachos to make it into the full experience. If we can’t have fun outdoors for our birthdays this year, we can make our own fun indoors. You could even consider organising a movie or quiz night with friends over Zoom so you can all celebrate it together.
Have you done anything fun for lockdown birthdays over the past year? Let me know in the comments! I’m always looking for new ideas.