How to Celebrate a Birthday Online

Don’t let social distancing ruin your ability to throw a killer birthday party! While you may not be able to throw that giant party at your home like you normally do, there are still plenty of ways to throw an awesome birthday online. In fact, you have a wonderful opportunity to invite way more people than you normally would since people won’t need to travel anywhere to attend the party! While it may feel a little odd to celebrate right now, don’t feel bad about enjoying a birthday during the pandemic. Throwing a party during these difficult times will give people something fun to look forward to while they’re stuck at home waiting this thing out.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Planning the Party

1. Choose a fun theme if you want to give the party a specific vibe. Picking a theme is a great way to make the party feel official. You could do a fancy black-tie event and encourage people to dress up at home, or go for an Oktoberfest celebration and encourage everyone to pick up their favorite fancy beer. You could also do a movie night theme and ask people to dress up like their favorite movie character and play a guessing game to start the party off.^[1]
   
   • For a children’s party, pick a theme that will get your child pumped. If they’re a huge fan of superhero movies, an Avengers-themed comic book party will be fun. If they’re younger, a dinosaur jamboree or princess party can be a ton of fun.
   • You don’t have to choose a theme if you don’t want to. It’s totally okay to go for a more laid-back event.
   • If you don’t mind the extra work, you could mail out some kind of theme-based party favor for everyone to wear ahead of time. Matching sunglasses, goofy birthday hats, or a cheap bottle of wine are all great ways to encourage people to get into the spirit of the party.
2. Pick a time and date for a digital conference call. Friends and family will be more likely to show up if you host the party on a weekend, even if your birthday is during the week. You can choose any day you’d like, though. Ask your friends and family when they're free and try to pick a time that works for everyone.^[2]
   
   • It may be a little tough for people to sit in front of their computer for 3 hours. If everyone is having a ton of fun, they may hang out for 2 hours or more, though. You could say on the invitation, “We’ll party from 7 to 8 pm or so” to hedge your bets.
   • If you’re throwing a kid’s party and their birthday is during the week, consider doing something as a family on their birthday and then throwing the party on the weekend when more parents will be free.
3. Choose a video chat program for the party that your attendees can access easily. The most popular digital conference call programs for parties like these include Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, and Discord. Download one now and get familiar with it if you aren’t used to using one. All you need are a computer with a webcam or a phone.^[3]
   
   • Houseparty and Microsoft Teams are two solid alternatives, but your guests may not be familiar with them.
   • If you’re organizing a party for an older child and they know their way around the computer, feel free to let them send the link out to their friends. This will let them set the stream up however they’d like.
4. Send out paper invitations or e-vites the same way you normally would. A digital party is still a party! Make it official by sending out a formal invitation. You can mail out paper invitations if you’re feeling festive, or send out e-vites to just let everyone know when your party is. Include the theme, time, and video conferencing software you’re going to use. This will let people know it’s an actual party and not just some random get-together.^[4]
   
   • Include the link to your video conference on the invitation if you can. It’s okay to send this out via email or social media a few days before if you want to see what platform people prefer to use first.
   • If there’s a theme for your party, include it in the invitation. For a “beach day” theme, you might use invitations with sunglasses and a bright beach ball on the cover, for example.
5. Explain what the party will entail so folks know what to expect. Many of your friends and family are unlikely to have attended a digital birthday party before. Include a note in your invitation about what you’re doing here. Explain what kind of digital software they need to download ahead of time and explain what you’re doing for the party.^[5]
   
   • If you’re organizing a children’s birthday party and you plan on doing a cake, let parents know in the invitation so they can pick up something sweet for their children. It will feel a little odd if your kid is snacking away on a slice of cake in front of everybody and they don’t have anything sweet to eat.
   • For example, you might say, “I know times are tough, but this will be a fun way for us to get together. You’ll need to download Zoom on your phone or computer ahead of time if you don’t already have it. Let me know if you need help with this. We’re going to play games, hang out, and have a drink together for my birthday, so pick up a six-pack of your favorite IPA before we meet!”
6. Dress up for the occasion to get pumped for the event. Theme or no theme, it’s a good idea to get dressed up for the party. Throw on a nice shirt or dress, do your makeup if you wear any, and keep those sweatpants in your dresser. You’re going to get a lot more excited for the event if you feel like you’re preparing for a regular party!^[6]
   
   • If you do want to keep it comfy, consider making “pajama party” your theme. This is a fun way for everyone to keep things relaxed.
7. Start the video call early and welcome people as they show up. If your party starts at 7 pm, show up at 6:50 so that the punctual folks aren’t walking into an empty chat room. As people start showing up to the call, welcome them to the party the same way you would if they were showing up at your home. Make small talk and encourage them to get comfortable while they’re settling in.^[7]
   
   • If people don’t know one another, introduce them. With a digital call, it’s possible that you’re inviting people from all over who may not know each other, so put people at ease by introducing everyone as they show up.^[8]

[Edit]Activities for Adults

1. Throw a digital cocktail hour to share drinks with friends. One of the easiest ways to have fun together is to crack open a drink together and just chat. This is a great option if you’re shooting for a relaxed vibe where everyone is just having fun and going with the flow. You can even have a birthday toast, or play a drinking game, like Never Have I Ever.^[9]
   
   • You can tie the drinks to your theme if you’d like. You could do a wine-tasting theme where everyone tries a new bottle of wine and reviews it, or host a “fancy beer night” where people bring their favorite craft brew and explains what they like about it.
2. Host a fancy dinner party so everyone can sit down and eat together. Encourage everyone to cook or order out so that their food is ready by the time the party starts. Have everyone set their phone or laptop down at the dinner table and enjoy a digital dinner party with one another. Not only is this a good excuse for your guests to grab some great food, but it’s a fun way to emulate something you and your friends may be missing while you’re stuck in quarantine.^[10]
   
   • If you’re going with this option, go all out! Throw on a fancy suit or dress, light a candle, and crack open a nice bottle of wine.
3. Attend a live-streamed event together to share some laughs. Virtual events have become quite popular recently for obvious reasons. Look online for a stand-up comedy or improv event that’s being streamed online. Watch the event together and chat while you laugh the night away.^[11]
   
   • There are free comedy streams and shows you can find online. You don’t need to spend money for most of these live events.
   • A lot of interesting live events are streamed on Twitch, where people host talk shows, live music, and other events.
4. Play a digital party game to have fun together. There are digital versions of most board games out there. You could also download Tabletop Simulator to get a 3D board game going.^[12] There are also a lot of trivia and party games from Jackbox, which people use their phones to play. This is a great way to enjoy your time together!^[13]
   
   • Digital card games are an easy-to-learn and fun option if you’ve got some guests that aren’t a big fan of complex games.
   • If you’re throwing a small get-together with a bunch of gamers, you could all spend a few hours playing your favorite multiplayer shooter or something.

[Edit]Ideas for a Kid’s Party

1. Decorate your home and yard the night before to make it feel legit. The night before the party, decorate your home like crazy. Put balloons everywhere, hang a banner in the living room, and throw ribbons or streamers all over the place. Decorating your heart out will go a long way towards making your child excited. They’ll also feel a lot better about their digital birthday if it feels like the real thing.^[14]
   
   • Invite your child’s friends to swing by your house on their own time and leave a birthday message with chalk outside! This is one of those great touches that really will make your child feel special on their big day.^[15]
2. Connect a TV or projector to your computer to make the video easy to see. If your child is younger, a small computer screen may not be a lot of fun for them. Use an HDMI cable to connect your laptop or computer to a TV or projector so that they can get a good look at all of the people showing up to wish them a happy birthday.^[16]
   
   • It will also feel more fun to hang out on the couch and eat some pizza or cake than it will to stuff everybody in front of the family computer.
3. Choose a host to narrate activities and lead the party. You can host the party yourself, or designate another family member or parent to take the reins. Once everyone has logged on, welcome them, thank them for coming, and wish your child a big happy birthday. Throughout the event, let people know when you’re getting ready to blow the candles on the cake out, starting the entertainment, or playing a game together.^[17]
   
   • You might say, “Hey everyone! It looks like most of us are here. It’s a shame that we couldn’t do this in person but we’re still going to have an awesome time today! Thank you for coming. Let’s kick this off by wishing Jason a big happy birthday!”
   • If you’re hosting a teenager’s party, just let them take the lead if they want it. A 15-year-old may be a little embarrassed by their parents trying to MC their party.
4. Have everybody sing “Happy Birthday” to your child. You can do this at the start of the party, or right before your child blows out the candles on their cake if you’re getting one. It may be easy to forget a simple detail like this with a digital party, but having everyone sing “Happy Birthday” is one of those little things that will really make your child feel special on their big day.^[18]
   
   • If you can, turn the volume up on your computer or TV speakers so the song is nice and loud.
5. Hire entertainment and stream it to make the party extra special. If you want to do something a little traditional, hire a magician or clown to show up and perform. Take your laptop or webcam out to the front porch or a local park and enjoy the entertainment from a responsible distance. This is a fun way to give your child something memorable for their birthday.^[19]
   
   • Combining a digital conference call with a regular activity is a great way to make it feel like a normal party.
6. Enlist a favorite character to join the call if the birthday child is younger. If your child is still at the age where their eyes light up when they see their favorite Disney character or superhero in costume, hire a performer to pop into the conference call and entertain the children. This is a great alternative if you don’t want to stream anything outside. It can also be a great way to surprise your child and make the video call exciting!^[20]
   
   • Many of the companies and freelance actors that specialize in children’s parties will be able to accommodate a digital visit.
   • You could have the character show up in person, but a little bit of the magic will be lost if your child is the only one who can interact with them.
7. Host a watch party for the kids if you want a more relaxed atmosphere. Most parents probably have access to a streaming service, like Netflix. Let your child pick an age-appropriate movie or show and host a watch party. Set the laptop or webcam next to your child and let them watch the movie on a TV with their friends. Time the start of the movie so that everybody starts at the same time and let your child and friends enjoy themselves.^[21]
   
   • This is a good option if you can’t get everyone on the same page as far as the start time for the party. A movie may take 2 hours to finish, which should give a lot of people time to pop in at some point and wish your child a happy birthday.
8. Incorporate a fun activity if you want to give the kids something to do. You won’t be able to play pin the tail on the donkey online, there are plenty of games you can set up for your child and their friends. They could play Uno, Scrabble, or some other kind of party game if they’re old enough for it. You could also have the children play a game where they act something out, or host a funny dance competition.^[22]
   
   • You could pick up a copy of Never Have I Ever Family Edition, or play charades over the digital call.^[23]
   • The kids may enjoy a joke-telling contest or a scary story competition if they’re old enough to handle it.
   • Or, have each guest say a few kind words about your child. This is a simple way to really make your child feel loved and appreciated.
9. Keep the party going at home to make your child feel special. If the party is over as soon as the conference call is over, they may get a little bummed out. Keep the party moving by doing something as a family as soon as the main event is over. You could watch a movie together, engage in playtime with your child, or have a scavenger hunt at home.^[24]
   

[Edit]Tips

• While it isn’t technically an online party, birthday parades are a popular option for children’s birthday parties. Invite all of your child's friends and family to drive by, shout happy birthday, and drop a present off.^[25]
• If you’re throwing a kid’s party and you know other parents that threw digital parties for their child, reach out to them. Ask them what worked and what didn’t. This is a great way to figure out what you can do depending on your child’s personality and friend group if you’re a little lost.

[Edit]References