Although social distancing is a measure you must take to protect those you love, you can still arrange a social celebration (while being socially distant) with these 25 birthday ideas during covid.
With ideas that work for adult birthday parties and birthday celebrations for kids, you’ll find something that suits you on this list of birthday ideas during covid, whether you’re celebrating someone who’s turning 6 or 60 (or something in between)!
Not being able to hold a traditional birthday party is a bummer, but it can inspire you to create an original and unforgettable birthday experience!
Just because it’s covid doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate, so check out this list of creative birthday ideas during covid.
1. Coordinate a Birthday Parade!
If you’re stumped on how to celebrate a birthday at home, you need to know that organizing a birthday parade is now the covid birthday experience.
A birthday parade involves friends and family members driving by the birthday person’s house at a specific time. For a super successful parade, ask parade-goers to decorate their vehicles. Usually, some parade vehicles drop off gifts, too.
If it works for your birthday honoree, choose a theme for the decorations–and even the gifts!
For adults, you can create a gift set for a spa day, a home entertainment system upgrade, or new kitchen appliances and accessories! Another great idea is to have every friend drop off an ingredient to stock the bar.
For kids or teens, you can have a game-system-themed drop-off (with video games, controllers, accessories, toys, a new system, gift cards, etc.) or use one of their favorite TV shows as a theme!
If the weather is nice, set up lawn chairs and blankets in the front yard for the birthday person and their family to watch and enjoy the parade.
Oh, and consider asking your local fire department if they can spare a firetruck for the occasion!
Before you organize a birthday parade, check with your local Department of Public Health. There might be some rules and regulations you’ll need to follow, especially if you live in a big city like Los Angeles.
2. Or, Have a Reverse Birthday Parade
You can probably guess what a reverse birthday parade is. The birthday honoree drives to their friends’ houses to pick up gifts, receive cards and exchange smiles!
Instead of decorating cars, each stop on the birthday parade should decorate their lawn or house.
With Card My Yard, a greeting card–er, greeting yard– service based in Austin, Texas, you can create giant personalized messages for your front yard! Packages start at $40, and they can even help with local setup and takedown!
3. Play 21 Bottles of Wine on the Porch
This next one is an adults-only covid birthday idea. For this, you’ll incorporate the age of the birthday person (whether it’s 21 or 65). That’s the number of bottles of wine on the porch.
You’ll have to organize who will buy what–and how many bottles–for this one to work.
You can play 21 bottles of wine on the porch on its own as a surprise, or you can add this into your birthday parade!
For an exceptional wine surprise, include a few original gifts for wine-lovers from Etsy!
4. Schedule an Online Hangout Session
It’s time to embrace the virtual world, and that includes birthday ideas during covid. So, schedule a virtual hangout session to celebrate this year.
There are plenty of ways to chat online, so choose your favorite:
You don’t need a precise plan, but if you want one, there are plenty of virtual birthday ideas on this list.
Here’s an overview of a few fun virtual ideas:
- Stream a movie
- Jam to the same Spotify playlist
- Drink wine together
- Play games
- Create a theme
- Set the same virtual background
5. Party in a Live, Interactive Class
Having a zoom call with a bunch of people isn’t always easy, and it can be a little awkward even with your close friends.
To keep your group zoom call exciting, you can host a birthday party in an interactive online class.
Since the start of the pandemic, tons of people have taken the time to learn something new, whether it’s bread-baking or building furniture. Now, you can learn together virtually!
With sites like Amphy and TakeLessons Live, you can engage in an online group class, spending quality time and celebrating in a safe way.
6. Picnic in the Park
Although you can’t exchange hugs, share drinks, or socialize the way you used to, you can still get your friends together for a park picnic. When it comes to covid birthday ideas, this experience will be the most similar to what you’re used to.
Some parks have social distancing circles spray-painted in the grass to show where it’s safe for everyone to sit. If your local park doesn’t have this feature, your guests can bring picnic blankets to denote your separate spaces.
At a birthday picnic, everyone can bring their own food, or you can all order takeout. You might even be able to order DoorDash or UberEats to the park!
See if a local restaurant will serve you takeaway drinks, and don’t forget a bottle of champagne!
For this covid birthday idea to be a hit, keep everyone entertained with a “hype guy,” especially if you need to keep the kids busy. Have a friend with a microphone encourage people to dance in their distanced spaces or play games like charades, trivia, and a bookbag or car scavenger hunt.
7. Outdoor Movie Theater
One of the best things to do on your birthday during covid is to create a DIY movie theater in your backyard!
Use the side of the house or garage as a screen. Or, hang up a white sheet. Ask everyone to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets. Then, project your favorite movie or binge your favorite TV series with friends. Serve popcorn, and don’t forget to sit 6 feet apart!
If you don’t own a projector already, you can order one on Amazon for less than $100!
8. Have a Virtual Movie Night
The Netflix Party Chrome extension allows you to sync up Netflix on different devices.
Now rebranded as Teleparty, this app allows you to watch Hulu, Disney, and HBO with friends!
The catch is that everyone will have to have a subscription to whatever platform you use.
9. Host a Virtual Karaoke Party
Want something more interactive than a movie night? Host a virtual karaoke party with Watch2gether!
To get started, you’ll need to send everyone a Watch2gether link and a Zoom link. That way, you can sync up what you’re listening to and watching and see each other.
If you have a lot of people, having most people mute their mics while someone is singing will help reduce background noise.
But, if you’re camera shy, it might be nice to have someone to sing along with (or noise to drown out your singing).
10. Get Dessert Delivered
If you can’t spend time with your friend for their birthday, send them donuts, cake, cookies, or whatever their favorite dessert is!
If they’re trying to be healthy and lose that quarantine 15, maybe send them an edible arrangement instead of a cake.
This is a great addition to other covid birthday celebrations, too!
11. Covid Birthday Potluck
If you’re wondering how to celebrate your birthday at home indoors, a covid birthday potluck is a great option.
When you can’t eat outside, coordinate a covid potluck dinner that includes:
- Wine, beer, and cocktails
- Table-setting and decor
- Appetizers
- Soups or salads
- Main course
- Sides
- Dessert
Have everyone portion their contribution in disposable takeout containers (that, let’s be honest, we all keep and reuse). Then, meet up in someone’s yard to swap food.
Once everyone gets home, you can all eat a birthday dinner together virtually on Zoom! Afterward, you can drink wine and chat. Oh, and if you’re in charge of the wine, consider getting mini bottles of champagne for everyone.
12. Get a Virtual Tarot Card Reading
If you have a friend who does readings, get on Zoom or FaceTime and ask about your future. If none of your friends practice, consider getting a virtual reading online. It’s a fun activity that will help you unlock the mysteries of the cosmos–or not. It all depends on the cards.
If the birthday honoree is especially spiritual, consider coordinating gifts to include crystals and stones, incense, candles, or even a new tarot deck for them!
Get a free online reading from Lotus Tarot, or pay between $25-$100 for a more in-depth live reading done by professional readers with Modern Mystic.
13. Have a Virtual Game Night
There are tons of options out there for hosting a virtual game night. While some might involve you needing to hop on a Zoom call, there are also apps that include a video chat feature while you play.
If you haven’t tried them already, check out Houseparty and Jackbox!
14. Grow Your Family with a Furry Friend
If you’ve been thinking about adopting a pet, there’s no better time than on your birthday.
However, if you’re thinking about adopting a pet on your friend’s behalf, be sure to talk to them and their family members or housemates to make sure everyone is on board!
15. Go Camping
There are local campsites all over. And if you can’t venture too far away from home, consider camping in your backyard!
Set up a tent, roast marshmallows, and tell scary stories with your household.
16. Try Fishing
Quarantine is the time to pick up new hobbies, so if you’ve ever wanted to go fishing, now is your chance!
Purchase a fishing pole, some bait, and a fishing license before heading out to a nice spot near the water.
Since you’ll be outdoors, you can invite your friends (up to six feet away, of course).
17. Take a Hike or Walk in Nature
These days, everyone is looking for an excuse to leave the house–and taking a walk or going for a hike are great excuses.
Get some fresh air and catch up with friends on a socially distanced walk or hike at your local park. Outdoor covid birthday ideas don’t need to be complicated.
18. Go to a Drive-In Movie Theater
When drive-in theaters were created, no one knew social distancing would be popular in 2020. Nevertheless, they’re the perfect way to celebrate your birthday during covid.
Have friends meet you there and try to park next to each other! And while you’re all there, consider exchanging gifts in a safe and distant way.
19. Collect Virtual Birthday Cards
Send a friend a virtual birthday video clip compilation instead of a paper card. With sites like Tribute and VidDay, this covid birthday idea is one of the easiest, and it lasts forever.
20. Build a Recipe Book
Does the birthday person love to cook or bake? Or, maybe they’ve started experimenting during quarantine like thousands of others.
If that’s the case, gather one favorite recipe from each friend instead of birthday cards. Then, bind them up in a little birthday recipe book!
21. A Cultural Birthday Experience
Travel plans canceled due to covid? That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all that vacation has to offer.
Cook some cultural dishes (or order them in, if you can) from the place that you were going to go to–or somewhere you’d want to go.
Decorate with a theme, set the scene, and play some music that suits the atmosphere. Just because your flight was canceled doesn’t mean there aren’t things to do on your birthday during covid!
22. Have a Birthday Spa Day
Sometimes, you just can’t celebrate outside. For an indoor covid birthday celebration, consider creating an at-home spa.
Buy products like:
And don’t forget to set up an essential oil diffuser for maximum relaxation!
23. Send a Birthday Celebration-in-a-Box
With Celebration Stadium’s Birthday Celebration-in-a-Box, you can send the celebration to your friends!
Each box includes:
- A 4-layer cake
- Candleholder
- 100 candles
- Personalized card
- Cake topper
- Golden paper crown
Everything is gift wrapped beautifully, so you can be sure that the celebration begins immediately upon arrival.
24. Send a Pinatagram
With Pinatagrams, you can send a customized pinata with a personalized message that’s pre-stuffed with goodies.
Choose from a wide array of candy-filled pinatas, priced from $20-$26.
Oh, and if you’re celebrating a furry friend’s birthday, you can send them a pet-friendly pupyata.
25. Gift a Surprise Subscription
Gift cards are a great gift for people you don’t know well, but they can feel like an unthoughtful or last-minute gift for close friends. Instead of a gift card, opt for a subscription to a service or boxes that get delivered regularly. Subscriptions are gifts that literally keep on giving.
For movie lovers, consider gifting:
For health- and fitness-obsessed friends, give a vitamin subscription from Care/of or Hilma.
There are tons of subscription services out there, including:
- Coffee subscriptions (like MyPanera Coffee or the Atlas Coffee Club)
- Fashion boxes (like Stitchfix or Thredup)
- Lifestyle boxes (like FabFitFun)
- Gaming subscriptions (like an Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus Subscription)
FAQs About Covid Birthday Ideas
How can I celebrate my birthday during quarantine?
There are lots of creative birthday celebration ideas that incorporate safe social distancing, including activities you can do at home in your household, outside with friends, and virtually. Check out this list of 25 covid birthday ideas for inspiration.
Is it safe to celebrate birthdays during covid?
Unless everyone at the party is vaccinated, you still shouldn’t be having gatherings–unless they are outdoors and everyone stays six feet apart. You can still celebrate birthdays virtually or within your household, though. And a birthday parade is a safe way to celebrate! For more covid birthday celebration ideas, read this list.
What things are there to do on your birthday during covid?
Just because you can’t have a party doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate your birthday. Here are a few covid birthday ideas you can try:
Birthday parade
Go for a hike
Picnic in the park
Birthday spa day
Virtual game night
To-go birthday potluck
Movie night (virtual, drive-in, or outdoors)
Which of These 25 Birthday Ideas During Covid Will You Try?
Celebrating your birthday during covid is a bummer, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring–or worse, go completely unnoticed.
Gather your friends and family in an outdoor area where you can socially distance safely, organize a birthday parade, host a virtual hangout session, or do something special at home with those in your household. There are plenty of things to do on your birthday during covid to make the occasion feel as special as it is.
And if you have a friend or family member you want to celebrate, be sure to send gifts and food their way!
Which of these covid birthday ideas appeal to you, or which ones have you tried? Share in the comments below!
