How to plan a birthday: my plan and ideas on how to celebrate a birthday

An approaching birthday is not so much about pleasant expectations of surprises and gifts, but rather a painful puzzle: how to celebrate your birthday? where to celebrate? who to invite? and in general, is it worth celebrating your birthday? In this article, I propose to analyze these questions and together choose the most optimal option for celebrating a birthday. I also share my personal planning experience, my ideas and birthday celebration program.

Let's start with the last question - to celebrate or not to celebrate your birthday? If you believe in the magic of the day on which you were born, and deep down in your soul you expect special impressions and emotions on this day, then the answer is clear: of course, celebrate!

Should you expect a surprise or organize your own birthday party? You can, of course, let the situation take its course and expect surprises from family and friends. If your environment knows about your passion for surprises and is able to organize them, well, this is a great option! But if you wait for miracles for years, and they don’t happen, and you objectively understand that in your environment you are the most active and creative person, then there is only one way out - to organize your birthday yourself. I will tell you later in this article how to organize a birthday party in the most interesting way.

How to celebrate birthdays? Most often, in preparing for our birthday, we are guided by the expectations of others: colleagues, family, friends are waiting for a feast with gastronomic novelties and delicacies. But if you don’t feel like cooking and washing dishes on your holiday, or you’re just tired of indoor gatherings with food and drinks, allow yourself the luxury of spending your birthday the way you want, and not someone else.

On the Internet you will find many articles on “How to celebrate birthdays” with similar ideas. You will be offered to go to an quest room, go to nature, go to a restaurant with your loved one, organize a fun party with friends or a family dinner, etc.

But, perhaps, the key question is what do you personally want on your birthday?! The answer to this question should determine the concept of the holiday and its preparation.

Let's think together. In fact, there are only a few basic options for how to celebrate your birthday - below I will describe my ideas for celebrating a birthday.

How to celebrate a birthday: 4 options and birthday ideas

Party with friends.

If you want to have a fun birthday, receive congratulations and nice words addressed to you, feel free to invite all your friends to a party in honor of your birthday! You can organize a party in a certain style - in the style of the 50s or 1930s, Hawaiian (Spanish, Mexican, Italian) party, "Hipsters", etc. Then prepare the treats in the style of the holiday, and inform the guests in advance about the dress code of the party. You can hold such a party at home, outdoors, in a rented apartment or country house, in a cafe or restaurant.

Journey.

Celebrating your birthday in another country is a great option for travel lovers. For the last few years I have celebrated my holiday this way and I loved it! Maximum impressions, a minimum of puzzles and “preparation”, vivid emotions, broadening one’s horizons and one’s picture of the world and the indescribable sensations of a dream come true – these are the obvious advantages of celebrating a birthday.

If you have the opportunity, be sure to travel! And if not, create such an opportunity.

I often remember one parable that I heard back in school from a wonderful teacher: once upon a time there were 2 girls. The parents gave one a gold ornament for every birthday, and the parents took the second girl on a trip to a new country every year. After 10 years, it so happened that both families were robbed. The first girl was very upset - all her gifts for 10 years (a box with gold jewelry) were stolen by thieves and she was left with nothing... The second girl was also upset because of the theft - but all her gifts, impressions of traveling to amazing cities and countries, are forever stayed with her. No one can take away our impressions and memories - this is what stays with us forever and makes our life truly rich!

If you are interested in this option, you will be interested in my article on how I organized a trip to Spain

“My Spain”: about the advantages and risks of independent travel

Plan for organizing a children's birthday party

In this article, we bring to your attention a step-by-step plan for preparing a children's birthday - a kind of cheat sheet that you can always look into when organizing any children's celebration. If you approach the event with the utmost seriousness, then in order to have time to finish all your work, you should start preparing for the holiday about 6 weeks before it starts. Of course, all terms and points are relative and are adjusted strictly to your personal realities.

What we do:

• draw up a guest list - invite only pleasant people to your baby’s celebration, so that there are no unexpected surprises in the form of quarrels or even fights;
• We determine the exact date of the party. Check your calendar. It is very important to choose a day for the celebration on which not only you, but also the invited guests will be free. Call all the guests, tell them information about the date of the celebration so that they can free up the day you need or somehow adjust their plans.
• We determine the location of the party - whether it is a good children's restaurant or an ordinary playroom, you need to think about this in advance. And book right away so you don’t end up “on the street”. It’s better to travel around first and look at several options for premises - is the area large enough for games, will it be convenient for everyone to get there, or maybe it will be necessary to organize a transfer. The room should be chosen specifically for your tasks. It is necessary that there is an area in it for entertainment, to satisfy your hunger, and to take photographs. Not every cafe, for example, is suitable for outdoor games. There are usually a lot of tables there, but there are problems with the gaming area. But in the playrooms, most often, you can find everything you need. Also, recently, so-called children's “anti-cafes” have become popular, where the space is divided into zones very competently, so you can eat, play, and relax;
• We determine the theme of the party - of course, all kids have different preferences - some like the pirate Jack Sparrow, while others just like a funny clown. If you have a daughter, then she will like Snow White or the cartoon heroine Rapunzel. You need to find out such details from your child in advance and order an animator;
• we determine the menu - when choosing food for the children, remember that some may have allergies, and others may have a sore stomach. Consult with the mothers of the invited children about what they can eat and what they cannot eat in order to avoid troubles during the holiday. Children's food must be beautiful so that you want to eat it. And it shouldn’t crumble too much, otherwise all the kids’ clothes and the space around them will be covered with prickly crumbs;
• we choose and purchase a gift - you first need to ask the baby what he wants to receive for his birthday, and then simply buy the required item and hide it in a secluded place until the day of the celebration, making sure that the birthday boy does not find it ahead of time.

4 weeks earlier:

• We prepare and send (distribute) invitations to all participants in the celebration - let them be small, beautiful cards indicating the date and address of the party. Guests will be pleased to receive them and give them to the birthday person. In addition, they will be in the right mood for the holiday; By the way, you can create original invitation cards yourself in the magical online editor Canva. Such creative work will definitely inspire you!
• adjusting the guest list - you need to call all the invitees again and ask if anything has changed in their plans for attending your birthday;
• We are writing a script - if you decide to do without animators, you need to carefully prepare so that the kids have an interesting and fun time at the holiday. Prepare a funny story in which the invited kids will be the heroes, an exciting adventure in which they can take part and many fun competitions, practical jokes and riddles;
• We find a chef or a children's cafe who can help you prepare children's dishes from quality products and deliver them hot to your celebration. If desired, parents can take on this function if they have free time, imagination and certain abilities;
• We order a cake and sweets - it’s better if the sweets are made from fresh natural products that cannot harm the babies’ tummies.

3 weeks earlier:

• We purchase everything you need to have a fun and beautiful holiday. You will need:
• bright dishes (preferably disposable);
• decor and accessories (depending on the theme of the holiday);
• colorful balloons;
• party script supplies.
• souvenirs and gifts for invitees and competition participants (optional).

• we begin making decorations for the holiday, if this is provided for in the script;
• preparing an outfit for the birthday boy or girl. Remember that clothes should not only be beautiful, but also comfortable, since children will have to move a lot, which means they should be very comfortable. Nothing should restrict their movements, rub their skin or get under their feet to avoid injury.

2 weeks earlier:

• We ask one of your relatives to help you, if possible. It is very difficult for one person to take into account everything and be on time everywhere;
• we adjust the script and clarify the remaining details;
• we check whether everything that is necessary for the holiday has been purchased;
• We are trying to contact those guests who have not yet responded to your invitation.

1-2-3 days earlier:

• we purchase food and drinks;
• bake or buy a cake and place it in the refrigerator so that it has time to soak;
• preparing treats that can be stored in the refrigerator;
• we finally discuss the details of the holiday with the organizers;
• We decorate the room for the holiday.

This is an approximate reminder that will help you solve the problem of how to celebrate a child’s birthday and not get confused or forget anything during all the preparations.

Video tips on how to organize a children's birthday party:

How to celebrate a birthday at home (relevant during self-isolation and quarantine)

Family feast.

This option is suitable for admirers of traditions and lovers of intimate gatherings with those closest to them. Celebrating a birthday at home is convenient: you don’t need to go anywhere and burden yourself with organizational issues. And at the same time, you can create a real holiday atmosphere at home - decorate your rooms with balloons, hanging “Happy Birthday” garlands, balloons, and flowers. You can also organize a birthday celebration in a certain style or certain colors. For example, organize a White-Party: decorate the house with white balloons and flowers, set the table accordingly, serve white wine and white cake for dessert, and announce the dress code (white clothes) to the guests in advance. Think about entertainment for guests - you can prepare competitions, games, view family albums, or prepare a photo presentation with sound.

Relax - a day alone with yourself.

This option is suitable for those who like to reflect, sum up their year, plan the next, and praise themselves for their achievements and successes. You can pamper yourself with a trip to your favorite restaurant or spa, shopping, a creative master class, a walk to your favorite park, or even a trip to the land of your dreams. You can take a day off from work and completely devote it to yourself and your favorite activities/dreams. This option is especially good for those who value the opportunity to be alone with themselves, think about important things, love peace and tranquility, or are simply tired of excessive communication and activity.

Here are 4 main options for celebrating a birthday.

But I’ll tell you another secret: you don’t have to choose just one option !

You can successfully combine several options. Planning is everything to us, as they say) Next I will share my experience - how to create an unforgettable birthday for yourself that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Wonderful birthday for a woman

Birthday is a wonderful holiday. To celebrate a celebration with your family, relatives and friends, it is not at all necessary to resort to the services of a toastmaster. You can make your holiday unforgettable yourself, at home. Here are some interesting ideas on how to organize a festive event at home when celebrating a woman's birthday.

Celebration organization:

1. Record your favorite songs and holiday themed songs. Let the music create a great mood all day long.
2. Be sure to decorate the room. You don't need to buy expensive attributes for this. Balloons create a wonderful mood. Choose two colors (for example, red, pink or white) Make huge flowers out of corrugated paper and hang them around the room. Create a simple decoration using simple sewing threads. They unwind long threads, use tape or glue to attach cardboard balls and hearts of different colors along them, and then decorate walls, curtains, doors with the products, or hang them in the room in the form of a garland.
3. Arrange a “Picture Gallery” of the best photos of the birthday girl. For fun, you can attach leaves under the pictures, on which guests will leave their compliments and warm words addressed to the woman. An interesting exhibition will be made from photographs of the birthday girl, collected by age: from birth to the present.
4. Don't forget about flowers! They are a source of good mood. Let there be as many flowers as possible in the room. Create bouquets, ikebana, arrangements in baskets, garlands... Create a great atmosphere in the room where the holiday will take place.
5. Create a pleasant photo zone. Unlike a birthday child, you should not illuminate it with numerous bright attributes. Enough flowers symbolizing numbers, candles in beautiful candlesticks. Browse the Internet for different ideas for organizing a photo zone for an adult woman. Offer all ladies beautiful fans, lace masks or flower wreaths; such paraphernalia creates a festive and romantic atmosphere for photography.

Entertainment part:

1. Record a karaoke of your favorite or drinking songs, prepare microphones and stock up on a camera - this is a 100% option for a fun holiday. Guests and the birthday girl will certainly want to show off their vocal abilities.
2. Prepare a concert in advance for the hero of the occasion. If the woman is mature enough, involve her children and grandchildren. Grandmother and mother will watch with great joy how their own child reads a poem or dances a dance. But don’t stand aside either. Agree with the guests who will please the birthday girl with what. The concert program may include the following numbers: ditties, poems, songs, dance, skits, magic tricks.
3. Record a video or slide in advance -= a show about the birthday girl. Add a few warm quotes or poems, turn on the music. The result will be a very beautiful and touching video. For example, edit several beautiful photographs of a woman with interesting transitions and combine them with the backing track of her favorite song. Under this soundtrack, come up with the words of a song about the hero of the occasion. Show the video performing a live song about the birthday girl. It's touching and very beautiful. She will appreciate it!
4. Create a “Book of Wishes” for a woman. Make an attractive cover and display the book among all your guests. Guests will write a lot of warm words and wishes, and the birthday girl will happily read them after the holiday.
5. If you wish, it is not difficult to organize a theme evening: make the dream of the hero of the day come true. Perhaps she dreamed of visiting some country. Decorate a festive evening in the style of a given country: hang appropriate decorations, prepare a playlist of necessary songs, set a dress code in the style of the proposed country, hang photographs of the capital and other cities on the walls. A woman will certainly like this idea.

Games and competitions:

What about without games? They perfectly lift your spirits and fill you with positive emotions. Simple games and competitions will be great entertainment for guests and the birthday girl. No special preparation is required to carry out such entertainment:

1. Prepare in advance ditties about the birthday girl, several bright scarves and a soundtrack. Select several participants, dress them in scarves, give out words and turn on music. An impromptu performance will make the birthday girl and other guests laugh and amuse herself.
2. Make a daisy from colored cardboard. On each petal, write tasks for guests related to the birthday girl. For example, tell how you met; what character traits do you like in the birthday girl; share the best memory associated with the birthday girl and so on.
3. Birthday quiz. Come up with questions about the birthday girl with funny answer options. The winner will receive a small present.
4. Fanta. The most popular entertainment at any event. Let those present randomly choose tasks for themselves, attached to candies, paper flowers, placed in cookies (like fortune cookies). It’s better to come up with tasks related to the birthday girl. Here are some examples: dance a slow dance with the birthday girl; come up with a quatrain (or rhymes for the proposed words); draw a portrait; do your hair; make a toast, and more.
5. Write wishes from famous personalities (pop stars, movie characters, politicians) and read them expressively with your guests.

A birthday cake with candles is an important moment. Even an adult woman is pleased when the lights are dimmed in the room, a cake with candles is brought, and everyone present sincerely sings: “Happy birthday to you!”