Lockdown birthday celebrations without extended family and friends has become a norm during the COVID-19 pandemic.
My daughter turned 13 this January. We were keen to make it special because it was a milestone birthday and she could not have her friends over. We tried some of the activites mentioned in this blog post and had a great time bonding as a family.
How to celebrate your teen’s birthday in lockdown requires planning and precision. Especially as most teenagers know what they want their day to look like. You can either go all out to celebrate in style or your teen might want to just do nothing. Whichever way you choose to celebrate. Here are some useful tips that could make your celebration more memorable.
Please note: These tips will be better for a girl’s birthday but is suitable for everyone.
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Lockdown Birthday Decorations
Birthday balloons remain a popular choice for many parties. Balloons come in different colours, shapes, and sizes. A balloon assembly is budget-friendly and provides that wow factor. However, be prepared to do the work in setting them up. It took us about 2 hours to set up our daughter’s birthday balloons.
And don’t forget your big number foil balloons for that extra special milestone birthday. Most balloons require a somewhat complicated set up which you have to do yourself during the lockdown. Luckily, many of us have discovered our hidden creative talent which comes in handy moments like this.
You will need accessories like an electric balloon air pump and a pole which can be a base for setting up the balloons. If your teenager is not into balloons, you can use a backdrop or a birthday banner to brighten up the room.
Backdrops are very popular and are usually hung on a wall to create a feature wall effect. Backdrops are used to brighten up a room and create a suitable environment for taking photographs. Click here to see how I used a backdrop to create a beautiful feature wall for my birthday photographs.
Birthday Breakfast
You can start the day by surprising the celebrant with their favourite breakfast. Tailor the menu to fit what they like. It doesn’t matter if it’s not all healthy.
Choose from a variety of sweet or savoury dishes to kick start that special day for your child. You can even throw in breakfast in bed or the entire family can have a sit-down meal. Just make it special by laying the table and using fancy tableware to make it look elegant.
If cooking is not your thing. You can order breakfast from your local diner or McDonalds, where there is a variety of breakfast meals. The celebrant can open their presents, during or after breakfast. Whatever you choose, capture this on camera and create beautiful family memories!
Home Pamper Session
Give your birthday teen a home pamper session by turning the bathroom or any room into a home spa. Create a serene atmosphere by lighting scented candles and playing calm, relaxing music. Get music inspiration from Spotify or YouTube.
Ideas for the pamper session include using a foot spa, a pamper spa treatment box, or facial treatment using DIY face masks. Don’t forget your essential oils for that extra calm, relaxing feeling and drinks to sip on during the session.
Lockdown Birthday Photoshoot
Treat your teen to a birthday photoshoot. You can use your phone to take pictures. Buy a ring light from Amazon to illuminate any room that doesn’t have enough natural light.
You can use a professional camera if you have one. However, I wouldn’t worry about that as many smartphones take fairly decent photos. Remember to make this fun by using different backgrounds and photo booth props or the giant selfie photo frame.
Use your decorations as the backdrop if the photoshoot is indoors. Alternatively, go outdoors if the weather permits for natural light. Just remember you are not a professional photographer. Your job is to make the day fun and exciting for your child.
After the photoshoot, you can both share the pictures with family and friends. You can also make a photo book or share them on social media. These pictures will be part of your family lockdown memories.
Food And Sweet Treat Table
Set food and sweet table using table cloth and accessories that match the colour and theme of the party. Buy a candy buffet set from Amazon and you will get a collection of jars, thongs, and sweet bags to put your sweet in.
Don’t forget the cake and cake topper which gives the cake that wow factor.
Let the celebrant choose what they want to eat on the day. I would recommend some finger food or hot meals like jollof rice or chicken Sharwama which are popular delicacies from Nigeria my home country. They are also easy to make. Again, you can order some takeaway if you do not want to cook.
Virtual Party
A virtual party is another popular way of celebrating birthday parties during the lockdown. Get the celebrant to send out invites stating the time, duration of the party, dress code (if any), and what to come along with(e.g activities and refreshments). Alternatively, you can drop off a party pack filled with treats and activities and ask their friends to bring this to the party.
It is best to limit the numbers to 10-12 people so that everyone can engage and participate in the party. Party activities can be a combination of video and interactive games. The party can end with everyone having refreshments and dance dance dance.
Conclusion
This post was about the different ways you can celebrate your teen’s birthday during the lockdown. The lockdown has been filled with a lot of doom and gloom and a birthday is a perfect opportunity to try one of the tips, I mentioned in this post. All these ideas can also be used for birthday parties post lockdown.
Go ahead and put a smile on your child’s face and create family memories to remember.
Good tips and lovely photos
Thanks Uju
Kudos dear, apt as always. I am sure your girl had the best day ever 💕.
Thanks Armani
Some excellent tips for lockdown birthday celebration . The new normal
Thanks Linda
Thanks for the tips. Very helpful
Thanks Ify
Nice one, thanks for the tips. I’m gonna try it in May for my girl’s birthday.
Hi Annie,
That would be great. Enjoy!
The tips are cool. But what about a boy child? Can it be applicable too. Is there a special colour for the balloon 🎈
Hi Steve. Some of the ideas are suitable for a boy’s birthday party too.Consider using his favourite colours as the colour theme.
This is a great list of idea for lockdown birthdays! I also love that some of it can be used for adults too. I would love a spa pamper day from my husband. Haha. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Nancy,
Thanks. I would so love a spa pamper day too.
Excellent tips to make the day really special for a teen. Hope your daughter had a wonderful time.
Yes she did. Thanks Sankhamala
These are all great ideas! I have younger kids, but I know it’s so hard for them to not be able to have birthday parties and things last year and this year.
Thanks Sarah. Yes new normal with the lockdowns.
Good ideas. My son’s 13th coming up.. Will try couple of these ideas. Thanks!
That will be great Niraj
These are great ideas. I have boys, so I might switch the pampering with a video game competition, but I think all the rest would work. Thanks.
Thanks Carrie. Have fun with your boys.