Families For Life | 7 Ingredients for a Successful Virtual Birthday Party

With social distancing still very much the norm these days, you may be planning a virtual birthday party for your kiddos so that they can still celebrate their big days with loved ones and friends, with no limit to the number of guests. These need not be just a five-minute cake cutting affair over a video call, though! We’ve got seven tips on how you can throw a successful and super fun virtual birthday party that promises a great time for everyone.

1. Pick a theme

This doesn’t have to be fancy, but picking a theme will definitely set the mood for your party. This will give all your guests a reason to dress up, have some fun, and take awesome pictures!

2. Set a programme

When it comes to virtual parties, short and sweet is the way to go; one hour is probably a recommended duration for your party. Having a concise programme planned will certainly help ensure that your kids and guests are immersed and having fun.

3. Send an invite

Get your guests excited with an invite, complete with the link to the video chat, instruction guide with set up details (great for making first-time users feel more at ease), and the birthday party programme! There’re many free apps you can use create your party invite – Canva and PicMonkey are just two of the many out there that are easy to use.

4. Let your hair down

As a party host, don’t sweat the small stuff! Don’t worry if the kiddos wander off at some point - it’s a party not a work call. Also, don’t pressure yourself to make sure everyone at the party feels included. Make the introductions at the start as your guests sign in, but bear in mind that there are always people who are naturally more outgoing than others in all social gatherings, virtual or otherwise.

5. Deliver cakes and party food

Real food is always a must-have at parties, and you should definitely include this when you plan your virtual party! Thanks to all the practice you’ve gotten during the circuit breaker, you’ll probably find it a breeze to send out party food to your guests. Desserts, pizza, and finger food are great party snacks to get everyone in the mood to celebrate. As for the birthday cake, you may want to consider sending boxes of cupcakes, for ease of delivery.

6. Make a video card for the birthday girl or boy

Get everyone to pre-record short birthday greetings and have them send over the clips prior to the big day. You can quite easily compile them into a video card for your birthday girl or boy with the help of free video editing tools like Adobe Spark on the PC, or the iMovie App on the iPhone. This will make a great keepsake for this season of virtual parties in years to come.

7. Play a party game

Round up the party with a quick and simple party game that everyone’s familiar with. Prizes can be virtual gift cards or actual gifts that you show on screen – but whatever it is, most kids all know and love a straightforward game of Simon Says, Charades, Pictionary or Bingo.