https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:56:02 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/birthday-and-holiday-covid-friendly-ideas#post-2918805 Fri, 04 Sep 2020 21:52:23 +0000 Corduroy 2918805@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a parade for my son's 5th birthday in June. We tied some signs and helium balloons to our wagon and pulled it around the neighborhood. I played the music from Disney's electrical light parade (totally forgetting DS has not seen the parade or been to Disneyland). He LOVED it and talked about how everyone was waving at him. Funny because we didn't see anyone during the parade. I wish I had coordinated better with our neighbors because they totally would have come outside and waved. Since he loved it so much we repeated the parade after dark with lights. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/birthday-and-holiday-covid-friendly-ideas#post-2918804 Fri, 04 Sep 2020 21:27:23 +0000 Shantuck 2918804@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For my son’s birthday, we did a piñata in our basement and a surprise cake stand (<a href="https://surprisecake.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwy8f6BRC7ARIsAPIXOjgOm0rlPui-ip7rJdoVBHGvY9Snzui_pmUO7_2EeVj-rikIRQk0mIcaAk2_EALw_wcB" rel="nofollow">https://surprisecake.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwy8f6BRC7ARIsAPIXOjgOm0rlPui-ip7rJdoVBHGvY9Snzui_pmUO7_2EeVj-rikIRQk0mIcaAk2_EALw_wcB</a>). We also had a balloon garland installed on our front porch. My 8 year son claimed it was the best birthday he ever had, which was interesting because we’ve gone all out to throw some fun parties! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/birthday-and-holiday-covid-friendly-ideas#post-2918724 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 13:55:09 +0000 milano14 2918724@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have done Kudoboards for both of my boy's birthdays. I think I got the idea from a HB board.<br /> Anyway, it's a great way for all of the messages, pictures and videos to be gathered in one place from friends and family. They can be watched over and over again (which they both did!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/birthday-and-holiday-covid-friendly-ideas#post-2918720 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 10:40:45 +0000 Mommy Finger 2918720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When DS2 turned 5, we gave him a "yes day" instead of a party. We had someone put a balloon installation thing in the front yard and chalked our driveway. We put balloons in his room and decorated the first floor of our house. We also hid his gifts around the house so he would have to find them. Since he only turned 5, he couldn't get into too much trouble on his Yes Day but that basically meant that he picked what we ate for our meals and what movie we watched when we needed to spend some time inside b/c it was HOT outside. We went to a park and he wanted to build an "epic fort" in our basement. He helped decorate his own cake. We also had a short parade of his friends drive by. He loved it. </p> <p>DS1 is already planning his Yes Day for November. Since he's turning 8, there will be more rules! No, we won't just be playing video games all day. Ha! </p> <p>I was talking with my friend who's son is turning 8 soon and had heard of taking your kid to Target and letting them pick out their own presents. Whatever they can carry, they can get. Ok, limits there too as my kid could hold a lot of Switch games. :)</p> <p>Holidays are a bit trickier based on what you normally do. We will decorate like crazy for Halloween, which we haven't done in the past. We'll play trick or treating by ear. And while we have normally gone to a pumpkin patch, not sure how that will go yet.</p> <p>Christmas is still in the works. Depending on whether school is still in person or if it's virtual by then, we'll see if we are able to meet up with family or if it will just be the 4 of us. I can see people going nuts with lights this year so we'll do some drives.</p> <p>The one thing I've been thinking about it that while it's never a bad thing to create new traditions, I don't want to go crazy and set the bar super high and feel like I have to meet or exceed it every year. That will exhaust me. There will still be magic. I think what I will need to remind myself this year is that this is a great opportunity to simplify and focus on what truly matters. My kids will be fine. I put too much pressure on myself!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/birthday-and-holiday-covid-friendly-ideas#post-2918656 Fri, 28 Aug 2020 15:14:57 +0000 BUNBUN 2918656@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS's birthday (4) is in October, and in addition to a household "party", I'm planning to hide his presents and do a (photo based) scavenger hunt for him. Basically take a photo of the next hiding spot he should look for and tape it to the gift.<br /> We will also facetime family, but I'm thinking of asking for mini-videos from friends and family because he loves watching them over and over.</p> <p>For Halloween, I'm planning to decorate our yard a bit more so DS can enjoy it (we usually just do pumpkins and luminarias up the driveway on Halloween night). If trick-or-treating is off the table, I'll hide candy in our yard like an Easter egg hunt. </p> <p>Thanksgiving I'm planning on taking the week off (I usually work that week but DS and DH have off) and do something with family photos at the table so that they feel more "present"</p> <p>Christmas is usually in our hometown (a flight away), and will be tough this year. I'd love to hear some ideas for the whole month.<br /> As in years past, we will "adopt" a family from our YMCA's gift tree.<br /> I'd like to look into options for supporting those who are food insecure as I'm sure there will be more school closures in our future and this is already a hard year for so many families.<br /> I probably won't feel comfortable going to our community tree lighting festival, so maybe we will do something more "official" when we decorate our house? or organize a physically distanced decoration walk around our block?<br /> We will drive around to look at lights, but that's hard from a car seat.<br /> If we can't visit family, we will probably facetime for presents, cookie decorating, tree decorating.<br /> I don't know what we will do for church, hoping our church will continue to post sermons online, but I will miss singing at Christmas..<br /> Maybe i can get a friend to dress up as Santa and facetime DS? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/birthday-and-holiday-covid-friendly-ideas#post-2918655 Fri, 28 Aug 2020 15:12:57 +0000 BUNBUN 2918655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As a spin-off of the Holidays and Coronavirus post, I thought I'd start one to share some ideas to make birthdays and holidays special in spite of Covid-19 precautions. MIL is immunocompromised and we have a new baby, so our "bubble" is just our household right now.</p> <p>Looking forward to reading your ideas! </p>