How to celebrate milestones, birthdays, and other events while social distancing

As social distancing guidelines are extended, many of us have found ourselves in a bit of a bind: how do we celebrate our rascals’ upcoming milestones, birthdays, and other events while social distancing? One of my rascals, Ben, is celebrating his 5th birthday soon. Our family has been hard at work brainstorming ways to make Ben feel special, celebrated, and loved. Here are some of the ideas we’ve come up with - we hope you can adapt these ideas to celebrate your own rascals!

Idea 1: Whip up your rascal’s favorite sweet treat or dinner. It’ll be exciting to shake things up a bit in the kitchen and create something special! Whether you’re pulling out a tried-and-true recipe or DIY-ing your rascal’s favorite restaurant meal, they’re sure to enjoy indulging in a meal or treat made with a parent’s love. On your next grocery run, be sure to include the ingredients to plan a special dinner or dessert for your rascal. Here’s an article that includes copy-cat recipes of restaurant fan-favorites!

You could also schedule a delivery or pick-up of a sweet treat from a local small business. We like Cookie Crave and I Like Pie. We’re sure your little ones will be excited to devour one of their favorites on their special day!

Idea 2: Schedule a delivery of something your rascal is loving at the moment! For our little Ben, it is definitely BeyBlades. He absolutely cannot get enough of collecting and battling with them. If your rascal loves to read, Kid Curated Books has a ton of boxes your bookworm is sure to be excited about! Curate and Co and Gratitude Collaborative offer the option to customize a gift box for your loved one or choose from pre-curated gift boxes.

Idea 3: Create a scavenger hunt for your rascal with a special prize at the end, whether it’s their birthday present, graduation gift, or an springtime surprise! This would be a perfect way to include siblings to share in the fun, if applicable.

Idea 4: Just because you can’t have a gathering doesn’t mean you can’t throw a party! Set up an at-home surprise for when your rascal wakes up, complete with decorations, themed tableware, and more! Our friends at Oh Shiny and Bonjour Fete have endless options for seasonal décor, party bundles, balloon bouquets, banners, and more! Set up a photo station to commemorate your loved one’s special day. Cover their bedroom door with balloons. Decorate the house or yard just as you would for a party.

Whatever you choose for your rascals, the most important thing is to make them feel special by celebrating in whatever ways you can, together. Share with your little ones just how much you love them, and they’ll be sure to remember this celebration as one of their favorites because of the love, care, and time that went into planning it.

Written by Head Rascal (Ngoc Nguyen Lay), mother of two rascals, ages 5 and 7.