6th birthday - how to celebrate in a covid world?!

[justdontgothere]

Sorry, not sure if right place to post...

DS 6th birthday is coming up in a few weeks time, and I'm going round in circles over what to do! Obviously, covid is restricting our options, so a big hall party or similar is out of the question, but I'd like to do something that makes a bit of a fuss as he's done so well this year and had so much cancelled (trips to disneyland and legoland, among other things).

No AIBU, but more asking for ideas. What have others done to try and provide something fun and special within all the ever changing restrictions?

For context - we've got a big family and there's a certain degree of expectation to invite all of them to anything we organise. Within that is c. 8 cousins. He's starting to form some decent friendships in school, and has a couple of friends from pre school as well. Expecting the numbers and logistics to be a problem, but can address that once we're happy with the plan. This is where covid might become a help and not a hindrance, of course... 😉

@bookmum08 yes you're very right, but knowing me I'll probably feel bad for not doing something more. I'm my own worst nightmare, I know.

@Nextity ah I've just had a quick search but the closest place is well over an hour away. Nice idea though!

@NemoRocksMyWorld ah that sounds very well done! My DS is an only child (at the moment) so I'd need to invite some children for him to play with - which is when the politics from family etc starts to become a factor.

It's my daughter's 6th birthday next week. She's having 3 friends round and we've hired a craft lady to do a session with them in the garden.

My sons 6th birthday was a week ago, and this Saturday we are taking a small group of his friends to a treetop adventure thing. All outdoors.

@justdontgothere we invited 6 to the park party to stay within the guidelines but as some rsvp that couldn't make it were able to add others, as poor weather was expected we just told everyone to wear waterproofs and they accepted this due to the covid situation, is there a covered area in the park eg a shelter where you can set up with food etc? I have even seen some organised people in my area setting up mini gazebos in the park for their gatherings (not sure that this is allowed or the number of people apparently attending)!

DD is 6 in october half-term. She has been talking about her birthday party since last November! We can't plan anything because we don't know what the situation will be then, especially as we live in an area with a rising number of cases that may well return to further restrictions. There is a big park very near us, so I might just invite her friends and cousins there at a set time and bring cake and snacks and party bags (and hot drinks for parents if I can work out how). The children will run about and play whatever the weather, people can social distance as they feel necessary, DD will be happy to see her friends. We have also discussed a Halloween themed camp fire in our garden but the idea of other people's children around a fire in highly flammable costumes terrifies me. We could also book to go somewhere in half-term and hope it is possible to actually go. She doesn't like many theme park rides though, and vegan DH won't go to farms/ zoos.
DC1's birthday was in April, and at least we knew we couldn't go anywhere or see anyone and just had to make the most of it, but October is full of uncertainties.

@NerrSnerr that sounds like fun!

@Coldilox ahhh my son would love that! Annoyingly have googled and the ones closest to us aren't open (they're not the Go Ape franchise). Typical eh.

@dangerrabbit we've talked about a park party. There is one close to us that tends to be very quiet and has a huge field attached. Just in a knot about invitation politics - if we invite family and friends it would be WAY over the number threshold, and if we don't invite everyone then we'll end up feeling bad or having to accommodate something else as well. Not sure we can win 😂

@happypotamus inviting just friends and cousins might be a good shout. Although our parents and extended family would probably feel miffed, and not sure I can be bothered with the aggro we'd get from that. DS is the same, he's been asking for a specific party since before last Christmas but he knows it can't happen.

Kind of related question - what have you / are you doing about DC blowing out candles on a cake? In the traditional sense of it being a cake that is then cut up and served. It feels to me like this needs to not happen as well... Here, let my child blow all over that piece of food you're about to eat... 😏

@justdontgothere we let ours blow out their candles people can refuse the cake if they wish but my child is blowing out their candles Mx

We had our party today and she blew out the candles on the cake but kept that one for us and gave out cupcakes in the party bags.

We're having 2 friends and siblings round for DS next week. Have had a cake made and got a bouncy castle coming. Both friends were in his bubble at school when they went back after May.

Now worrying about the cake and the candles!!

DD was 6 a couple of weeks ago. We had a few of her friends round in the garden and did some pottery painting. Then the next day, we had all the family round for a separate tea party, that way the gr@ndparents didn’t have to mix with random kids.

Regarding the cake, we had a big cake and a separate cupcake. DD blew out a big 6-shaped candle on the cupcake and then we sliced the big cake to give out. DD was happy because she got the cupcake plus a slice of the other one.

@NerrSnerr did she have a nice party?

@justdontgothere she really did. We put a garden cover up so they didn't get wet and they all seemed to have lots of fun. She'll definitely need an early night tonight!

@NerrSnerr Ahh brilliant!

Interesting in the candle thing. Can understand all stances and thankfully got a couple more weeks until we have to decide whether it's something we need to worry about or not. May go down the route of two cakes or cupcakes though. Thanks 😊

Have you got a clip n climb near you? They're doing parties now, and for certain times you get the whole place.

Ds 6th birthday tomorrow, we hired a big decorated tent for the garden and are having a Lego challenge and dh will move Xbox into the tent . Lots of individually packed snacks to stop hands over everything and going to plate food myself to avoid the same

@SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito we have but I'm not sure they're offering that just yet.

@anormalperson tell me more about the lego challenge please?! Hope DS had a good party!

Worth emailing them if you're interested, the party we went to there was great.

Re Lego - there are places that hire out huge amounts of Lego for parties, you can split the kids into teams and set them challenges - first team to build a bridge, first team to build a tower taller than them, etc. Friend of a friend went to a party like this and had a ball.

@justdontgothere basically I sorted through all ds Lego into colours and we had a load of bases anyway. I bought some more . Dh set them a challenge in a set time , make an animal , tallest tower , memory game where dh set up wee Lego people and they had to remember them all. Haribo bag prizes . He had a brilliant time . Dh also moved the Xbox into the tent and they ended up playing that a lot. I'm sure whatever you decide it'll be a great day. Ds was mostly delighted to see even a few of his friends , good luck!!