If you have a birthday coming up and you really want to celebrate, but due to the Coronavirus you can’t really go out, don’t fret! Thanks to online technology like Zoom & WhatsApp, you can still have a really fun birthday party from the comfort of your own home. Here are some tips on how to host an amazing virtual birthday party. Not sure what to do for your party? This post also shares some virtual party ideas that will be fun for everyone.

7 Tips for Hosting a Virtual Birthday Party

1. Choose an Activity

Figure out how you want to celebrate your birthday. Here are some party ideas for adults:

• Game Night: Playing games is a great way to get everyone involved. You can play Lie Swatter (100 players), Drawful (8 players), Fibbage (8 players). Song association (click here for a word list). Or you can even play a video game on a game console like Nintendo switch or Xbox.
• Happy Hour: Invite guests to drink & chat for a super fun night
• Movie Night: Host a Netflix Party. You and your friends can watch your favorite movie in sync and even chat via messenger during the party.
• Craft Night: Pick a fun craft you and your loved ones can create. Some fun crafts include creating home decor or making accessories. You can also do a paint & sip party by screen-sharing a YouTube video of a painting tutorial. Have everyone try to recreate that painting at home!
• Dance Party: Play some of your favorite music and have a virtual dance party! Everyone can show off their dance moves.

2. Create a Guest List

Make a list of everyone you want to celebrate with. Write your list down on a piece of paper or use an app like Google Keep or Apple Notes to keep track of names.

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3. Pick Your Video Chat Platform

Your platform will be determined by how many guests you plan on inviting. Zoom is a really popular platform that is good to use for any virtual event. With Zoom you can video chat with up to 100 people. Some other free platforms you can use for video chatting include Skype (up to 50 people), Facetime (up to 32 people), Facebook Messenger (up to 50 people), WhatsApp (up to 16 people), and Google Hangouts (up to 10 people).

4. Send an E-vite

Be sure to send your guests an actual invite. Paperless posts offers really aesthetically pleasing e-vites and the first 50 invites are free! You can send the virtual invite via social media, text, or email. Send the invite at least a week in advance to give your guests time to plan accordingly. Also, remember to send an e-reminder the night before and/or the morning of the party.

Invite should include:

• Time
• Date
• Short Description
• Important Links: zoom link, game/video/watch party link
• Instructions: let guests know what they need to bring to the virtual party

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4. Follow a Schedule

Create a time schedule and try your best to stick to it. Here is a virtual party schedule example:

• 5:00-5:30pm: Pre-party set up – allow people to join early to test out their tech
• 5:30-5:40pm: Welcome/Introductions
• 5:40-6:40pm: Explain rules & start planned activity
• 6:40-6:50pm: Sing Happy Birthday
• 6:50-7:00pm: Thank you & goodbyes

5. Dress Up

Birthdays are pretty special occasions, so why not dress up for your virtual party? If you don’t feel like dressing up, consider having a pajama party!

6. Take Pictures

If you would take photos for a normal party, why not take pics during your virtual party too? Tell guests to smile for the camera and take a screen shot of everyone! This is definitely an interesting way to spend your birthday, so be sure to capture this memory.

7. Have Fun

Virtual parties are a great way to stay connected with loved ones, especially during this time. Getting together virtually may not be your ideal way to spend your birthday, but I promise it will be super fun!

Have you hosted or attended a quarantine birthday party?