How to Host a Rockin’ Zoom Birthday Party
Ain’t No Party Like a Pandemic Party
Coronavirus might have brought the world to a screeching halt but Facebook keeps reminding me of all my friends and families with birthdays coming up. Anyone unlucky enough to be born between the months of March and…well…who knows… will be stuck quarantining themselves instead of gathering with loved ones. Sigh.
As someone who loves, loves, loves planning a good birthday party for both young and old alike, and now having been to three “Zoom birthday parties” already, I can share a few tips I’ve learned to make it a success.
Send a Simple Zoom Invite and Clear Links
Everyone has been scrambling to use Zoom for work, book clubs, Bible studies and just plain old happy hours and catch-ups with friends. There are still quite a few folks out there who haven’t yet gotten on the “Zoom Train” yet, so set them up for success. Include a simple email with instructions to download Zoom and a clear link to the actual party and time. I like to put the date and time in the email subject line, especially if it’s last minute, so it’s super clear.
Give Specific Instructions
Have a few “assignments” for your guests too. It makes it more fun. Some ideas include to have everyone wear a funny hat, or have a candle and matches ready to light and hold up to the screen to have the birthday boy virtually “blow” them all out at once. You can also have everyone bring a treat to eat at once, hang decorations in their background, or submit a funny photo memory or video of the birthday boy in advance for a “slide show” or “film festival.”
Start with Introductions
Hold off on any collective singing or candle blowing right away. Zoom takes a bit for people to sign on etc. As different people “enter” the Zoom room, be a good host and introduce folks. You may want to ask each person to individually share their birthday wishes and answer a question, like “What’s one thing you can’t wait to do with the birthday boy once COVID-19 is over?” or “Share your favorite [birthday boy name] moment.”
Have a Happy Birthday Sing Along Video Ready
Singing in unison is really, really tough over Zoom. The audio and video make it almost impossible to really sync up and it sounds…well, awful. As much as we’re not going for a Grammy with a birthday sing along, the idea is to have folks come together and have a collective singing experience. Find a simple “Happy Birthday” karaoke video on YouTube and screen share this when it’s time to sing (the one linked here is my favorite based on pacing, sound, imagery and both singing and lyrics included). That way, everyone hears the music playing in the background and can see the words altogether to follow along…collectively.
Find A Few Other Online Videos or Games to Share
The key to any party, in-person or virtual is to have a few things that bring the group together. Typical kid’s birthday parties usually have things like a bounce house or magician or some kind of sport or activity to entertain the kids. Big grown up milestone birthday parties might have things like speeches, dance contests or a photo slideshow.
Try including one or two collective interactive and fun experiences the group can have together. Whether it’s screen sharing a funny video (we made a music video for my father-in-laws-70th), playing a game of online Taboo, sharing your favorite Go Noodle kids dance video or doing the Cha Cha Slide all together with Spiderman, your guests will appreciate some levity and fun , instead of just sitting around and staring at little boxes of people in a Zoom.
Screen Share Like a Pro
We’ve had the most success in achieving the “collective party experience” virtually by screen sharing videos. Whether it’s a funny YouTube video, a sing along video, a home movie or a pre-recorded message, having everyone collectively watch the same thing gives the party a natural focal point, conversation piece and peps things up a bit. To do this, simply click on “share screen” at the bottom.
Once you do this, you can choose to share your entire desktop, or just your web browser. I recommend sharing just your web browser if you’re sharing something online, like a Youtube video.
Then everyone can still control their own video boxes of the other participants instead of seeing yours. Also, make sure to check the two boxes for an optimal audio visual experience.
Keep It to an Hour Tops
Virtual hangouts can get kind of unwieldy and long, so I recommend just sticking to no more than an hour of everyone’s time. With a few introductions, share outs, a sing along and a game or two, you will pack a lot of punch into this one hour that will be fun for all. Have a clear closing or finale to your event to give everyone “permission” to sign off the meeting without feeling guilty. This can be as simple as the birthday boy giving a final thank you or inviting everyone to shout one final HAPPY BIRTHDAY on the count of three and then waving goodbye. As with any regular, in-person event, it’s always best to end on a high note (like Daft Punk’s “One More Time” played at just about every wedding at the end of the night) rather than have it peter out.
So maybe this wasn’t the birthday bash you anticipated. But it will certainly be a memorable one. With a little effort and embracing what the online and Zoom world of virtual gatherings has to offer, you can make it memorable in the most positive of ways. Hey, look on the bright side, this could be the first group birthday party some of those distant friends and relatives can ACTUALLY attend!
