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The Dos and Don’ts of Throwing a Virtual Birthday Party
Throwing a virtual birthday party might not be something you’ve done before, but thankfully, it’s easier than you might think. Just like with an in-person virtual party, you should spend time planning it and making it a memorable experience for the birthday person and party guests. If you spend time personalizing it by developing a theme and planning entertainment, your virtual birthday party will be a success.
DO still put a cap on your guest list.
Even though physical space won’t be an issue during a virtual birthday party, you should still cap your guest list. By having a guest limit, the party guests will be able to interact more with the birthday person and participate in the entertainment options. Even though it’s a virtual birthday party, you should send out invitations whether it’s traditional paper invitations or e-vites.
DON’T forget to include out-of-town guests.
One of the pros of having a virtual birthday party is that out-of-town friends and family can easily participate in the party. When planning your guest list, don’t forget to include those who don’t live in your local area.
DO choose a party theme.
Every birthday party should have a theme even if it’s a virtual birthday party. For younger children, a character theme or activity theme (ex. space, dancing, art) might be the best option, and for older children, they might enjoy a more generalized theme like a luau or a simple colour combo like shades of blue. After you have your theme set, it will be easier to plan your entertainment options, decorations, and even bakery treats.
DON’T forget to plan entertainment options.
Virtual birthday parties need planned entertainment to keep everyone’s spirits and participation up. If you’d rather have a more casual party, you could have guests share their favourite memory with the birthday person, host a talent show or play sleepover-style games like Never Have I Ever or Truth or Dare, but it’s important to have a plan. For those wanting their entertainment to fit their theme, there are many entertainment ideas for a memorable party.
Arts and Crafts– Led by an online instructor, guests can create an art project that will serve as a keepsake from the virtual birthday party. Whether it’s a painted canvas, a paper flower bouquet or making slime, guests will enjoy this. You can provide the materials to guests using porch pickup/drop-off.
Gaming- At a gaming party such as Minecraft, guests can play an online game together in real-time or receive instruction and training from a gaming expert. This is a great entertainment option for older children.
Dance Party– Whether it’s a dance party to a playlist of the birthday person’s favourite songs or led by a dance instructor, your guests will certainly enjoy this virtual birthday party.
DO decorate for the party.
A virtual party is still a party, and decorations will help boost the party’s spirit. If your party has a theme, you could choose decorations based on it, or you could decorate with a small banner or balloons. Since the party is virtual, you don’t need as many decorations as you would for an in-person party, but you should still have a few decorations featured behind the birthday person.
DON’T let the party steer off course.
With virtual parties, it can be hard to remain in control if you have several chatty or energetic guests, but it’s important to keep the party on schedule especially if you have outside entertainment. Just like with in-person parties, virtual parties have time limits, so it’s important to enough time for everything you want to happen.
DO celebrate with a sweet treat.
Just like with in-person parties, virtual birthday parties should be celebrated with a sweet treat too. You could have guests bring a sweet treat of their choosing to the virtual festivity, or you could arrange for guests to have a bakery treat by using porch pickup/drop-off or having them available at a local bakery.
DON’T forget to check the specifics of your virtual platform.
When you’re choosing which virtual platform to use for hosting your party, you should compare each platform for specifications. Some platforms have a time or guest limit for the free version while others are designed to be used while doing an activity like gaming or watching a movie together.
Conclusion
Throwing a virtual birthday party can be a fun experience if you keep it organized and have a plan. While it might seem easier to wait until the last minute to plan it, starting the planning process in advance will make the birthday party more enjoyable for you, the birthday person, and the guests.
Share your DOs and DON’Ts with us below in the comments section or on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. We’d love to hear from you!
Valerie Cox is contributing writer for American Paper Optics. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, baking, and volunteering in her local community.
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