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Far too many of us have spent our birthdays in Lock down over the last 12 months. Of course, it’s not just birthdays. We’ve spent Easter, Anniversaries and even Weddings in lock down. But there are so many ways to make lock down birthdays special in 2021.
Welcome to the teenage years
January and February are the busiest in my diary for birthdays. I have my Fiance’s, all 3 children and 2 of my closest friends within weeks of each other. Yes I am basically present wrapping from about November until the last one is over on the 24th February. Thank god I then get a long break until mass wrapping is required again.
As Boris announced 3.0, my first thought was my son’s 13th Birthday. 13 seems like a big deal, finally the teenage years are here and he’s been excited since about 11 and a half. But how could I make a birthday special in a year where he has not seen his friends? We can’t go out for dinner, there will be no family get togethers. It’s hard enough for us to make sense of but at just 13, how cruel must it seem?
Within minutes of the announcement, I was wracking my brains to come up with ways to make this the 13th Birthday he deserves while sticking to the rules.
Ways to make Lock down birthdays special in 2021
1. Decorate
Fill your home with banners, balloons and all things shiny and glitter covered. Make sure the outside world knows a birthday is occurring.
Run out of air! 13 Balloons
For the big 13, I’ve bought a balloon arch and a 1 and 3 balloon. The girls also have aged balloons along side a mermaid and unicorn. All purchased from Amazon and fairly reasonably priced.
I think the phrase go big was what I had in mind for this year. The bonus for us is that with them all being so close to each other, hopefully the decorations will do for all the birthdays!
2. Involve the whole family
Just because you can’t be together doesn’t mean that you can’t all get together virtually. Who doesn’t love having happy birthday sung to them by friends and family via zoom??
You can cut the cake, share present opening, have a celebratory drink (over 18’s of course) and even play party games if you choose! Hell I wonder how a zoom conga line would work!
3. Doorstep surprises
With so many amazing local businesses popping up all over the UK since LD1.0, it’s a great time to support small.
How about bucking the cake trend and instead having 9 soft gooey brownies delivered through your letterbox? Or afternoon tea arriving ready to eat? Local to us, there is even the Sax Man who for a donation to the local food bank, will come and play happy birthday on the saxophone while you listen on from the doorstep.
I’ve ordered some brownies for my boy from Lola’s Chocolate box, which I will finish off with a birthday topper and sparkler candles.
Of course if you have a friend or family member with an upcoming big birthday, sending flowers or a pre-wrapped amazon parcel is a really special way of showing you care, despite not being able to see them.
4. Drive by Birthdays
I have seen lots of lovely videos on social media of people driving by friends houses with gifts and banners, loud music and lots of whooping and cheering.
It’s not quite a hug and the oppourtunity to share a drink and a catch up, but right now it’s the best we can do. And actually, I think it is a really lovely way to tell someone you are thinking of them.
We made a homemade banner for a friends 40th, It was genuinely one of our lock down highlights.
5. Theme nights
Linz from Sunset books and wine suggested this brilliant idea.
Themed food and drinks evening such as Korean. Set up room like a restaurant and dress up!
Linz @ Sunsetbooksandwine.com
The best bit about this is that the possibilities are almost endless. My boy loves Curry so that will be our theme.
6. Take them on Holiday
I hear your cries of WTF, But stick with it! Suvannah suggested the following and I think it is a brilliant idea!
Take them on holiday. You can get apps that play plane background noise, and then crowd noises for the airport, and then cafe backgrounds. You can then throw on some Spanish tunes, eat tapas, and drink wine
Suvannah @ Suvannah.com
I think we could all do with this right now so it is probably something we can all enjoy! Where to ‘visit’ first??
Bonus tips!!
First up I have this gorgeous suggestion from Em over at Love Em Blog
I did a day of gifts for my sister. Every hour, I’d give a clue for somewhere around the house. They would use the clue to find their gift! The gifts weren’t big, but it was a fun treasure hunt and kept her busy
Em @ lovemeblog.com
What a great way to make the fun last all day.
Then I have Ruthiee from Ruthiee Loves Glamour and her lovely suggestions.
Bake em’ a birthday cake! Organize a little backyard party or a zoom party with the celebrant’s favourite food or snacks. Hide gifts around the house with little notes here and there leading the celebrant to his/her gift!
Ruthie @ Ruthieelovesglamour.com
This would make for a really special day. Food at any party is a must. Plus we love a treasure hunt in our house!
Next up we have Cheryl from Cheryl’s casual chatter who did a drive by for her Granddaughter.
We did a drive by last spring for my granddaughter. She didn’t know it was happening. They opened the back hatch on their car and she sat inside. Then she spotted the parade of decorated cars and we slowly drove by and handed her gifts out the window.
Cheryl @ Cheryls-casual-chatter.com
Big thank you for sharing all of these lovely ideas with me ladies!
I am sure there are plenty of other ways to make the day special despite the current ‘Stay at home’ advice. We all need to make these day’s as full of celebration as we can, no matter what is going on. Stay safe and party on!
How have you celebrated in Lock down? Did it still feel special to you and the family?
Wonderful suggestions! Especially for these winter birthdays! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Winter birthdays are always a little harder, but heres to a return to normal birthdays soon x x
I was lucky last year as my birthday was March 19th and we went into lockdown midnight on the 21st. I am not sure what I’ll do this year. I might just have some sort of Zoom party if I can be bothered to organise one.
Helen
Tea in the Tub
You definitely should! I’m July so just released but there wasn’t much to do still. I hope you have a wonderful day no matter what you do x
Thanks for the help. My daughter turns 13 in June and I’m bracing myself for it being a lockdown birthday 😬
Oh Lindsay, I really hope she can celebrate in non lockdown style x
Wow great ideas. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you x x
Oh these are all such delightful ideas! We’ve thankfully had no big birthdays last year, although we did have a birth and haven’t met the newest member of our extended family yet, which is sad. I love that there are so many creative ways of doing it. I hope he still has a wonderful 13th even if not quite what he dreamt of.
Thank you, he did have a great time! I am so sorry to hear you’ve not met the new baby. I always feel so terrible for people who have had babies and all those that miss out on those early months x
I had a lockdown birthday back in May and while it was crap because I couldn’t physically see anyone, I had loads of doorstep deliveries and flowers sent which really made my day!
Rosie
I’m sorry to hear that but Doorstep deliveries really do make a huge difference x x
Wonderful suggestions and ideas. We really need them considering the situation
Thanks for sharing ❤️
https://uncuaderno4cero.wordpress.com/
It’s such a difficult time, making moments special really helps x
Next month February 11th it is my 30th birthday and I cannot believe I can’t celebrate it in the way I would like or see other members of my family and my girlfriend on my birthday. But I guess we will just have to celebrate later on in the year as I want to do the cat sanctuary where I will buy a vip experience and feed tigers and lions. Which I can’t wait for!
These are some great suggestions. Thank you for sharing these suggestions.
Lauren
Oh Lauren, that sounds incredible!! I hope your 30th Birthday is amazing, despite all this madness x x
These are some great ideas to make birthdays more special during this ridiculous time. Who’d have though that we’d be in, in JANUARY 2021, still having lockdown birthdays? I think for kids it’s definitely important to try and make it as special as possible because it’s going to be such a stark change for them xxx
Yes, I agree, they deserve some normal. It’s easy to forget how difficult it is for them x
These are brilliant suggestions to celebrate a lockdown birthday. On my birthday last year during the first lockdown, I had a few doorstep surprises which really brightened my day! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
My son was SO happy with his, he was on cloud 9!
Aw, these are lovely suggestions, Claire. Flora was lucky last year but this time around it’s going to be a lockdown birthday, unfortunately. I was wondering about some driveway fun with the neighbours – charades or something. But I love the idea of going large, that’s a great idea, thank you! x
Oh I hope Flora has a lovely birthday, I have no doubt you’ll make it very special for her x
Gosh you have a lot of birthdays to prepare for! Some fabulous tips and I may even get around to some of these for mine this week! I’ve totally ordered myself some yummy treats and cannot wait! 🙂 Sim x
Oh I hope the yummy treats were delicious x x
What a coincidence I have a child turning 13 this year too!!! I’m hoping it isn’t a lockdown party but then if it is I will take on some of your ideas. Balloons worked well for the lockdown birthdays we did last year.
Oh fingers crossed for a proper celebration x x
My husband will be celebrating his birthday next week and my son in March and I have been wondering how to make it extra special for both of them. I will be following some of your great ideas here
I hope you all have a wonderful time x x
These are some great tips! Olivia had a lockdown birthday and mine is on Friday too – might use some of these tips.
I hope you had a lovely Birthday Rebecca x x
You haave some terrific suggestions, especially for larger families. Our family is super small so the birthdays we have celebrated during the pandemic haven’t actually changed at all.
I just hope that we can get back to some kind of normal celebrations soon x
I love these ideas you’ve shared here — I think they’ll make any lockdown birthday special!
Thank you, we have to do whatever we can to make things special right now x
We had 2 birthdays in the 1st lockdown, 2 as restrictions were lessened in the summer, 1 during the second lockdown… My middle child will be turning 7 in March and he just missed the first lockdown by days.
We have made each birthday as special as we can with the things you have suggested and noone seems to have missed out. Happy birthday to your new teenager!
Thank you Beth. Lets hope normal birthdays resume quickly x
There are some super fab ideas here for sure. Putting up decorations makes a big difference and also getting surprise treats delivered too x
It really does. I am just about to put the Valentines dec’s up. I have never decorated for valentines, but I think it is lovely to go all out at the moment x
I love these ideas! I had my 18th birthday just before we went into lockdown luckily so this year will be my first lockdown birthday – I’m not the biggest birthday fan but I love sending gifts to my family when it’s their birthday + supporting small businesses is everything <3
I totally agree. I would much rather give gifts than receive them x x
We’ve had a lot of lockdown birthdays over the past year, mine was a week or two ago and my fiance turned part of our garage into a holiday/ spa with sand on the floor, inflatable palm trees, a massage table for spa treatments and a hot tub. It was such a nice surprise x
I think that is just the loveliest idea x x
These are some great ideas. My step daughter recently had a Disney character come to sing some songs from a distance and it was such a lovely treat. Its great just to find something that makes the day feel a bit more special.
Oh that is such a lovely idea! My friend did similar this week for her daughters 18th. Even getting JLS to send her birthday messages! Amazing!
We had to do all this last year and was hoping this year would be different but even if it isn’t, I think this is a great way.
It sucks doesn’t it but we have enjoyed them. I just look forward to normal birthdays again x
I think decorating indoors makes it so special, bunting and balloons and lots of treats. 13 is a special birthday, my daughter will also be 13 this year!
I hope your daughter has an amazing birthday, my son loved it regardless of the lockdown x
So many lovely ideas here! I think lockdown birthdays, as unfortunate as they are, give us all a chance to be a bit more creative on how to make the day special xx
I agree, we have loved them x
I think I was lucky in that last year the lockdown had just lifted for my birthday but because it was still fresh I didn’t want to go out, but it was a time when we were allowed people (up to 6) in the garden. I went to a local park and just spent it indoors but it was still a great birthday! I also got the big birthday balloons 🤣 xx
Balloons are definitely the way forward! Although my house is still covered in them!
We have all had lockdown birthday’s now and we have made everyone special with balloons, games, zooms etc.
We’ve really enjoyed them so much but I am looking forward to non lockdown birthdays x
We started the year with our eldest sons lockdown birthday – he turned 6 and I got a load of new decoations which he loved and we had a little living room party. It’s my husband’s 40th in May, so if we’re still in lockdown I may well be taking him on a pretend holiday!!!!
I hope you can celebrate your Husbands birthday in style… Non lockdown style!
Oh my! Those birthday brownies look AMAZING! My birthday is March, and then each and every one of us in my house has had some kind of lockdown birthday. Hopefully onwards and upwards and upwards for this year. You just have to do what you can, but it sounds like you all had an amazing time. We usually end up playing board games and darts lol, with a picnic-style tea, or we order in from our local restaurants who can’t open.
Picnic style tea is our kids favourite! We will be doing that for the girls upcoming birthdays x
My husband and I couldn’t celebrate our birthday last year because of the pandemic. I have been thinking of what to do this year, but I feel so inspired by this post. There are lots of great ideas here and I think No. 4 sounds crazy but at the same time romantic and interesting. I will give it a try. Yaah!
Oh I hope you have an amazing time together x x
Awesome ideas you mentioned here. Loving the idea of doorstep suprises and playing games on your birthday. I also love the fact
that you still find no excuse to appreciate your loved ones even when times are tough. It’s really important that we find ways to adjust in all what’s happening and still look forward to positivity in our lives. Thank you for these ideas they opening one’s mind .
Thank you. I think this year has taught us an awful lot about what’s important x
Great ideas! My son was 13 right at the start of the last lockdown, I never imagined we’d possibly be in the same situation for his 14th!! It’s been lovely seeing how people have tired to make the best of the situation though.
I hope he has a good 14th birthday. I don’t think any of us ever imagined for a second we would still be here a year later x
Thanks for sharing, these are all great ideas to make a birthday special 🙂
Thank you Nic x
These are such great ideas! So many people are having lockdown birthdays and it’s just not the same! Thank you for sharing!
Great ideas for birthdays, my daughters is coming up in May so I will be pinching some of these ☺️