How To Host A Zoom Birthday Party For Your Kids
As social distancing continues to be the norm, parents are having to turn to video chat platforms like Zoom as an option to host virtual birthday parties for kids. The internet is making it easy to do so!
Just as like the kiddos are attending virtual school, it is doable to create a Zoom birthday party that is both interactive and fun — no need to be that super-creative parent who doubles as a party planner.
Here’s how to host a cool zoom party for your kids, with fun ideas to give your little one the chance to have their cake and eat it, too.
How to throw the best Zoom or Virtual Party for your child...
1. Choose an online birthday party platform
There are a few video calling platforms available, so choose your favourite. Options include Zoom, obviously, but others include Houseparty (up to eight participants) and FaceTime (up to 32 participants). Test out a few options before settling on one for your event. When inviting guests, include the link, download information, and meeting password in your invitation.
2. Create your guest list and send out your e-invitations
To make sure your invitations get to parents, send out e-invites. We love evite.com. If you want Free invites, just select the Free option. Premium options are also available.
3. Choose a party theme or activity
Get all the party-goers excited by announcing a theme and encouraging everyone to dress up or get into character. Here are some other ideas…
Stream a Movie
If you happen to plan the party around a specific movie, one of the easiest activities at your party is to stream a movie. Download the Netflix Party extension in Chrome, which allows for everyone to watch it at the same time and even has a chat room for kids to share thoughts and discuss the movie. Or send the group trivia questions about the movie that kids can take turns answering.
Disney Plus is also now offering Virtual movie nights with GroupWatch where you can watch movies together from different households. You can stream movies with up to 6 friends (allows for pausing, rewinding and reacting together!).
Have a Karaoke Party
If you’ve chosen a musical theme, plan a karaoke party. There are lots of karaoke tracks on YouTube. Zoom then makes it easy to share your computer screen so that everyone can follow along and sing to their hearts’ content.
Learn a Dance
Just like setting up karaoke, you can throw a dance party by creating a playlist for kids to dance along. Find age-appropriate music videos, share via Zoom, and stop and play different segments so everyone can learn the dance moves. You can also send it to everyone beforehand to learn on their own and then everyone can bust some serious moves at the Zoom birthday party.
Organize a Scavenger Hunt
Make a list of household items for kids to hunt for throughout their house. Set a timer to make it a race, and then give a prize to whoever finds the most items the fastest. Share your list with other parents first to make sure there are no hazards that may get in the way of this activity. Hey Let’s Make Stuff has published a great list, and you can find many more online.
Hire a Magician
You can hire a virtual magician to entertain your virtual audience. Several entertainers are taking to Zoom to show off their talents at an hourly or packaged rate. Check out Dacosta Magic who provides quality close up magic entertainment through a virtual platform, for kids’ parties.
Paint Night
Is your child into painting? Then, check-in with some of your local art studios to see if they host virtual paint nights via Zoom. Avenue Road Arts School offers fun, theme-based art project parties virtually and Explorum offers Science or DIY Arts & Crafts workshop for your 4 to 12 year-old and their friends. They will get a chance to see each other, spend some time together while doing a fun, yet educational activity with household items! Parties can be booked in English or French.
Or, organize your own painting party by choosing an easy object or character and having everyone paint or draw it. This website has 50 ideas of easy cartoon characters to draw with videos to help! Tie the activity in with your theme.
Put Their Culinary Skills to the Test
Just like hiring a magician, you can have your kids put their culinary skills to the test by organizing a virtual cooking class. There are several cooking classes available and Rooks to Cooks specializes in all things kids from cooking classes to virtual birthday parties.
Or host your own cupcake and cookie decorating party. Just send a list of what parents need to prepare ahead for their kids to complete this activity.
Put on a Talent Show
Are your kids and their friends super talented? Some may be good at karate, some know how to play the guitar, some can sing, others can show off a dance routine and more. Think about hosting a virtual talent show where all the kids get a spot to show off their talents, while friends and family cheer them on.
Throw a PJ Party
It may be disappointing for your tween not to have an in-person slumber party, but what about a virtual one? Have all your guests grab their sleeping bags, maybe login to Netflix for a virtual film streaming. And get some nail polish, facials and hair accessories ready for a night at the spa.
Get Some Help
Many birthday party companies have now become your go-to virtual birthday party helpers. If you want to leave this to the experts, there are many companies now offering this service. You can check out some of these companies here.
4. Don’t forget cake!
Make your child’s favourite or support a local bakery via UberEats, Foodora, DoorDash, or Skip The Dishes. You can also reach out to your go-to bakery to see if they do curbside pickup or contactless delivery.
Is a cake too much for your home party? We’ve got 10 Amazing Birthday Cake Alternatives that are just as much fun.
5. Pick a fun Zoom background for your party
You can find tons of these online but here are 39 cute birthday Zoom backgrounds you can download for free from The Bash.com.
Take your Zoom party to another level with Canva’s Zoom Virtual Background Templates, to match your party’s theme. The service is free to use and you can change up your virtual background as often as you like.
Have a great celebration, and don’t forget to have your child email or send thank-you cards to all the guests after the party!
via toronto4kids
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