Quarantine Birthday Ideas for Teens
In an era where theme restaurants and spectacular birthday events traditionally occur, being locked down for a teenager’s birthday could feel like a major disappointment. While another activity at home or on Zoom may initially receive a lukewarm reception, having fun and interesting things to do may make the kids forget for a moment they are in a situation like this. Here are some suggestions for activities and ideas on what to do when your teen has a birthday while under quarantine.
DRIVE-BY BIRTHDAY PARADE – If you’re far from ready to have outside guests over to your home, host a drive-by birthday parade. Ask your guests to drive by your place at the same time with decorated cars and homemade birthday signs. Have them honk as they go by, drop off gifts at a safe distance, or sing “Happy Birthday” out the vehicle windows. Make this a total surprise, and your kid will be impressed.
MOVIE PARTY – Netflix now has a new feature called Netflix Party, where everyone can watch the same movie on Netflix and talk to each other in the group function. They can also watch a movie together using another streaming service and then chat over an app such as FaceTime.
VIDEO CARD – Challenge your guests to each makes a short video about the birthday honoree. Encourage each guest to make it something specific for the birthday celebrant. Please post it on any social media platforms like TikTok or YouTube, and don’t forget to create your own unique birthday hashtag to add in the comments.
KARAOKE SING OFF – Karaoke combines all the best things in life: music, socializing, and making a total fool of yourself with friends. You’ll want video conferencing software, so your child and their friends can all see and hear one another. The other tech application to consider is Watch2Gether, which enables users to stream videos at the same rate. If you type the song title plus “karaoke” into the search bar at the top of the page, it will then deliver songs to sing.
A GOODIE BAG WITH AN ACTIVITY IN IT – A couple of days before, drop off a goodie bag at everyone’s place. When the moment comes, everyone can enjoy the same treats as if they are in the same room. Send out an appropriate task in the bag, such as a small Lego building set, so both parents and kids can get creative together during the event.
PAINTING PARTY – If your teen is into art, having a virtual paint night is a unique and fun way to celebrate their birthday while letting their friends join along. Invite all their friends to join the party over Zoom, and send the guests a week or a few days before the party a DIY Paint Night Kit for them to use. Then, when it’s time to get the party started, they can all paint together.
HIRE AN ENTERTAINER OR EXPERT – Think of a real-life activity you might have considered for an in-person party and now do it as an online group activity. Pick something your teen enjoys: a cooking class, magic lessons, a TikTok dance party, acting or improv games, or a small concert/sing-a-long. The instructor will lead the activity while offering encouragement and feedback. The kids will end up with a fun new skill, maybe a souvenir, and some great memories. It’s also a fantastic way to support small business owners, instructors, or entertainers who are getting creative themselves these days to stay in business.
GIVING BACK – Take the moment to help those who may not be as fortunate as you and your neighbors. Whether it’s writing letters of thanks to first responders, making masks for people who need them, or some other community service activity, take this opportunity to have your teen and their friends learn about being engaged in our area. This could start a habit of giving that could last a lifetime.
SEARCH ENGINE SCAVENGER HUNT – Many teens think they know the Internet better than adults do, so let’s put them to the test. Pair up a series of teams and have each team find these on the internet. Once found, have them take a screenshot and report back. Use our suggestions or come up with your own:
- Locate an online Earthcam that is at least 500 miles away from where you are right now.
- Assign each team a specific food and come up with at least three pictures of different ways to prepare it.
- Find out the names of the mayor of your current city and the city next door you where you are.
- Find pictures of items in exotic colors: try colors such as Sarcoline, Coquelicot, Smaragdine, Mikado, Glaucous, Wenge, Fulvous, and Xanadu.
- Identify someone with the same exact name as someone on their team. Where do they live? Tell us two additional facts about them.
- If it’s noon here, what time is it in England, Egypt, China, New Zeeland, and Hawaii … or any other destinations you suggest?
- Plan a car trip starting at home then drive the most direct route to any five of these actual American cities and head back home again. How many miles did you travel in total, and how long did it take?
Bacon, Indiana Bad Axe, Michigan Big Rock Candy Mountain, Vermont
Buttermilk, Kansas Cheesequake, New Jersey Chicken, Alaska
Dinkytown, Minnesota Dinosaur, Colorado Frankenstein, Missouri
Fries, Virginia Horseheads, New York Normal, Illinois
Riddle, Idaho Sandwich, Massachusetts Soda Springs, Idaho
Zzyzx, California Whynot, North Carolina Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
- What is the most expensive item they can find? How much does it cost? Where can you buy it?
- The year they were born, what were the number one song, movie, TV show, and a championship team in a sport of your choice.
- Have the birthday guest or someone else come up with something for the teams to find.
