How To Throw A Virtual Birthday Bash!

Hi Friends! Yesterday we celebrated Zeke turning one year old! I created a virtual Disneyland/ Mickey Mouse party that was so much fun. The best part was that it was minimal prep and very cost effective. In the midst of a global pandemic getting together for a party isn’t as easy as it used to be; on top of that we also live out of state from my side of the family who wanted to partake in Zeke’s special day. I thought having a virtual party would be the best way to bring us together even though we are far apart. Below I share all the details that I used to make my sons day one to remember! The Party Details:

We hosted the party through a custom Facebook group. Setup took minutes for me since I already had an existing Facebook account. I made a cute Facebook banner and invited family and friends from my account to join the private group! I did this about three days before the actual event to give guests enough time to accept the invite. I posted each day before the party with little updates, videos and a photo montage to amp up the anticipation.

On the side I created a script to match with the flow of the party and to keep the event on a decent time schedule. On the day of the event I posted new status updates spaced five minutes apart to give guests time to read/ watch any video content and comment. We started at a specific time but what I love most about a virtual party on Facebook is that guests can view any time it’s convenient for them and still feel involved, all they have to do is follow the thread posts. Virtual parties are flexible to accommodate even the most busiest of schedules. We live streamed for fifteen minutes and guests could comment and interact with us in real time which everyone agreed was the highlight of the party! They got to see Zeke open their gifts and eat his birthday cake- so special! The live video could also be played back for guest who wern’t able to attend when the party started- again, so convenient! Below are my two intro posts that I used to kick off the event!

POST 1:

Hi Everyone! Welcome To Zeke’s Virtual First Birthday Party! We’re so glad you made it! Find a GIF of your favorite Disney Character and post it below. Get your virtual boarding passes in hand, we’re going to Disneyland!

POST 2:

Never been to a virtual party? No problem! Here in our Facebook party room we’ll have an interactive experience celebrating together even though we are apart. Make sure your volume is up because there are videos and a live stream during this event that we don’t want you to miss. Refresh your page often for updated postings so you can follow along with the party in real time. Don’t forget to leave your birthday messages for Zeke in our virtual guest book (located in the photo album) at the end of the party. I hope you have a sweet treat in hand and you’re ready to have fun! Love, Zeke, Zay, Naj & Shawn

Be sure to include any instructions in the beginning so when guests view the event they know exactly what’s going on.

Since the party was Disney themed I included clips and videos of parades and tours of different parks to make it more interactive! If more kids are attending your party you can send out party kits filled with fun items/ activities everyone can have fun with or participate in at same time during the virtual party- kind of like a goodie bags! For a Disney theme you could include supplies to make your own mouse ears or even custom coloring pages everyone can color, take a picture of and then post to the group. Definitely makes it feel like a traditional party when everyone can participate in a game or two together.

You don‘t have to go all out and decorate and originally I wasn’t going to! I happened to be browsing on Facebook Marketplace and discovered there was a entire section of people selling gently used party decor on the low low! I scored all the decor you see in the photos above for $6 total- definitely check that out if you’d like to add a little extra razzle dazzle to your party! For cake time we purchased personalized slices of cake for the boys and encouraged our guests to bring a sweet treat to the party and share what they were eating. So funny to hear the variety of treats during the event!

Don’t forget to ask questions and invite your party guest to engage using GIFS, their own photos of how they are celebrating and videos; it truly felt like we were all together and that’s what made it so special!

I‘m leaving up the group for one week and then taking it down, remind guests who haven’t viewed the video when the expiration date to view the party will be so they can still experience it. Talk about easy clean up huh?! Let me know if you’re going to be hosting a virtual party this year and the theme below in the comments!