Nina and Alex were born in July 2010, which means that this year is a milestone one: the big ONE-ZERO! In June, I started stressing hard about How to make a COVID Era Birthday More Fun. Usually on their birthday we plan the usual fun stuff: a party, travel, a show, or a meal at a favorite restaurant. This year none of that could happen because of Coronavirus. What’s a mom to do?!
CHALLENGE 1: Create a fun indoor activity to make them happy
My go-to Facebook mommas pages suggested the idea of a scavenger hunt. Not knowing where to start, of course I began researching on Pinterest. I found a bunch of posts that I could have easily copied, but I wanted to give it a go on my own. It was a bit overwhelming, but eventually I settled into the task at hand, and began to write. I’m not the greatest poet, but here’s what I came up with to start the game:
Hidden in plain sight were small gifts that I purchased online. Most of the presents were books, but I also included some other things that I would have gotten them anyway (like super soakers). I crafted 10 clues for Nina and Alex. Here they are:
- Here is your first all of the clues: Look in the place where you can find _______ (shoes…in the entryway)
- Today you have finally reached double digits. Clue number 2 is near Nina’s _______ (fidgets…on her desk in her room)
- For your next clue I want some big smiles, so look in the drawer where we keep _______ (magnatiles in the play area)
- Now you have reached clue number four. Look for this gift near the front ______ (door)
- Maybe you’re sweating from all of this looking. Find your next clue where we do all the ______ (cooking…on top of the stove)
- Hopefully you two are still getting along. Find the next clue where Alex might play a _____ (song…in the piano bench)
- I hope this is fun…I’ve tried my best. Now go to the place where dad and I _____ (rest…on our bed)
- Sure it’s been hard but if you’re still able, look carefully under the dining room _______ (table)
- Now you have gotten to clue number 9. Look near the place where I wrote this ______ (rhyme…near my computer)
- You have finally come to the end of your missionIt’s time for the homemade gift (family tradition). To find your last present you’ll have to do this: Come give the author a great big ______ (kiss!)
CHALLENGE 2: Coming up with a special handmade gift
As I said in the poem, it has become a tradition for me to give each of my children a handmade gift on their birthday. I have done crosswords, collages, books, and other keepsakes in the past. This year I chose to do an idea I found on Pinterest: 52 Reasons Why I love you. I purchased custom playing cards from Snapfish and made a list of adjectives to suit each kid. I wrote each reason on a dot sticker, punched holes in the cards, and used a key ring to hold them together.
CHALLENGE 3: Making a cake into an activity
I bought a box of simple cake mix and a tub of that frosting I LOVED as a kid. Then I went a bit crazy and picked up whatever tubes of colored frosting and containers of sugary decorations I could find. I baked, and Nina went to town on the cake (Alex was NOT interested in this activity in the least, but Nina had a BLAST!).
CHALLENGE 4: providing a couple of surprises
So the last idea for the day was to get some special deliveries. First, I ordered some mylar balloons from an online flower shop (which, PS: lasted about a month!). I also splurged and ordered those individual sized cakes from sendacake.com. I had seen these gifts advertised all over Facebook…you know…the kind with the butterflies that fly out of the box?! The packaging was so clever and the cakes were really pretty!
In conclusion:
Nina and Alex had fun on their special day, despite the constraint of being COVID – Cautious! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
If you enjoyed reading about How to Make a COVID Era Birthday More Fun, you may be interested in some of my other posts in the age of Coronavirus!