Early this year, most of us probably thought we could escape from celebrating a Quarantine Birthday. Some of us even had plans in mind already! But after a few months have passed, it was pretty clear we were in this for the long haul..

 Going digital was the obvious answer to this challenge. And eventually, just as many different trends have been birthed in this time of isolation—Ube cheese pandesal, Baked sushi, and At-home gym, to name a few—Virtual birthday parties (via video conference calls) came to be.

 "Since parties are done at home, they are simpler and less expensive. Having virtual guests can be a very challenging part since kids interact so much at actual parties. But we can also see that the situation has become a bridge for kids to get closer to their families," says Jo Anne Buera, owner, event planner, and host of Whatever Trends Events Management

 So if you're considering taking on this task for your little ones, we've gathered some tips from the pros to help you out! Scroll below to see what the experts have to say.

 Prep and Plan

 Prepare everything that you can before the big day. It will be harder to troubleshoot things to the last minute since we have limited access to certain things and places. "If it’s a Kiddie party, the best time to prepare is three months before. Because unlike before when you can make an event happen with limited time or instantly, materials or props are harder to find given all the restrictions these days and some suppliers might need extra time," says Jo Anne.

 Just like with an actual birthday party, planning is still vital. Only this time, most of it will be done virtually and at home. Anika A. Ofiana, marketing and brand development assistant head of Eventique Manila, suggests to "pick a theme that you want and get creative with it. You can relate your activities and e-decorations with your theme, too."

 Invite early

 "Make sure to schedule and invite early to secure the participants’ commitment. Since most of the activities are done virtually, most of the schedules are already taken. Don't forget to also explain to your children that it’s going to be a different set-up right now," says Jo Anne. So even if everyone is just at home during this time, send those e-vites, asap!

 Re-create party elements

 For it to feel like an actual party, a little more effort is needed. Anika recounts their first Zoom party and how the little things ended up being the most special. "The first party we organized during [the] pandemic was memorable for us since it was somewhat experimental. We provided fun things like e-vites and Zoom backgrounds for the celebrant and participants. We also had e-games, personalized gifts, giveaways, and prizes. Since they're kids, they wanna play around and feel like they are all together,” she says. “So what we did with the giveaways was we made sure that we delivered them to the other guests in real life and in real-time. So during the party, the giveaways were already with them so they could feel like they’re really included, even if it's just through Zoom."

This sentiment is also echoed by Karen Madrigal, an artist who makes event cake toppers and other event designing collaterals. "Any little token is very much appreciated in these situations. You can pre-order cakes or personalized items to be sent to the celebrant or vice versa."

Keep it simple

One of the most important things to consider when doing a virtual event is the internet connection. A lot of the party’s success depends on whether or not everyone can see and hear each other properly. So, practice practicality and try to keep things simple. "Not everyone has the same internet speed so it'd be best to stick to a basic program and keep the activities short and sweet," advises Karen.

Get all the help you can get

 Children's birthday parties are supposed to be a special occasion. And, if you feel like this is too overwhelming of an endeavor for you, you can always seek help from the pros. They are there to help you iron out details like scouting for suppliers for your party decor and giveaways, organizing the program flow, and fixing other important details that you might need to set-up and finalize.

"There is no proper formula in planning a Zoom birthday party. Don't be scared to do something different as there are actually endless possibilities,” says Janna Pablo, the mastermind behind the company Pabys Creates Events. “If you really don't know what to do, you can hire our services because that's what we do—we create your party. It’s a common idea that having a party automatically means grand decors. But for us, the decoration is only one part of making an entire party. Especially in our situation now, we want to remind clients that throwing a party isn’t limited to an elaborate set-up but the whole of the party experience. As we always say, leave the stress to us!"

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