Ideas for first birthday under lockdown

[Sunny345H]

We live in Spain and will be spending my son's first birthday under lockdown. In the shops we can only buy food and other daily essentials so no chance to buy decorations, presents or craft supplies to make anything. Does anyone have any idea of something we can do at home as a family to mark the day and have special memories? I'll be baking a cake but don't rwally knpw what else we can do at home to celebrate with access to limited resources. Any ideas well appreciated.

Why don’t you play some games, or curl up and watch a film together?

To be honest, you’re more likely to remember dc’s first birthday, than they are,

Write your baby a letter about the highs and lows of his first year.
It will mean more to both of you than any tat or toys you could normally have bought.
Take photos and when this is all over, make sure you print them off and frame.

Writing a letter is a lovely idea. I might do that for every birthday so we have something to remember each year of his life.

Make your own decorations?
Fortunately 1 tends to be quite low-key so at least he won't remember if he is missing out on anything

I've stocked up for DS's 7th next month incase we're on lockdown around then. He's accepted that he's got to wait for a party. He'd definitely remember if he was lacking the other key features though.

Paint everyone's hands and make a flower from the prints.

Cake smash photo/selfies shoot with family all covered too?

Just realised he's a boy so maybe turn your hand prints in to dinosaurs and stick them on his wall, instead of making flowers.

Definitely don't waste precious ingredients on a cake smash. So wasteful when some people are so short of food.

40feet - why don't you come up with some ideas or just not post?

OP asked for celebration ideas so you have been zero help haven't you!

have zoom conference call with rest of family & "share" afternoon tea (just done this for mday - complete with good china & teapot!)

@KellyHall

Just realised he's a boy so maybe turn your hand prints in to dinosaurs and stick them on his wall, instead of making flowers.

You're not being serious, surely? A one year old ffs

Crazy one is totally the right username for you!

I'm obviously suggesting the adults partake in the activity, making things for the baby, not the other way around

@KellyHall

I meant the stereotypical crap about flowers for girls and dinosaurs for boys.

Obviously I should have realised what a fucking idiot you are from your comment about smashing cake

Charming. Aren't you a delight.

Why don't you make a useful post or just wind your neck in?

They won’t remember it so don’t worry too much. My dd is nearly 1, we will have a cake and a couple of small presents, she likes bubbles so we’ll blow some bubbles for her in the garden and that’s about it, maybe go for a walk somewhere quiet if we’re not on lockdown. Skype call to Granny and Grandad.

Skype GPs sing happy birthday. Have a Teddy Bears picnic!

Pop a bottle of champagne, or whatever you can get your hands on, and celebrate. Dance, sing, laugh!

I'm with @HeresToTheCrazyOnes on that one @KellyHall .

Nothing more irritating than promoting sexist bullshit for a one year old.

OP, they're one, I think for you write a letter to give to them when they're older, as suggested above.
FaceTime with family.
Make a video of them. Make a video of yourself as if you are talking to them in the future. Talk about now and about how hard it is and how the world may be a different place when they get to see the video etc etc.
You never know. The world may be changed a great deal.

Thanks gor the ideas everyone. I'll try and do my best to make it a special day. Obviously DS won't remember it but its an important day for me and I would like to try and make it a special day. The days are all pretty much the same when you can't go out or buy any resources to do new activities.

He is 1 so he wont even know its a birthday

It's my boys first birthday this week too. We're now self isolating as I've been ill. I'm planning on cake and letting him and his sister go mad with paint in the bath (easy to clean) Might make 'paint' with cornflour, water and food colouring then put pots of it in the bath with brushes and sponges. It's something different they've never done. I'll also Skype family to sing happy birthday. I might shed a little tear that we're not getting the big gathering and party I had arranged, but he won't remember and I'll make it nice for him

I’ve seen in some areas people putting teddy bears in windows and people ‘Going on a Bear hunt’.. maybe you ask some friends to do this and walk around spotting them.

Do you have any cardboard boxes? Depending on the size, with a child's imagination these can become cars, boats, castles.

Have an indoor picnic.

Make a special den - a cloth over an arrangement of table/chairs.

Have you asked your neighbours for ideas? If I saw a post from someone nearby I'd volunteer to dig out some of DDs old toys from the loft - plastic ones which can be disinfected - for local little ones.