The lost Birthdays of Lockdown
By Tiffany Matthews
Well here we are! Three lockdowns down, and hopefully no more to go. It has been a tough time. Missing families, missing friends, missing school, missing classes and missing going out altogether. A year has gone by and many birthdays too! I am betting some of us adults out there didn’t mind missing a year and pretending it didn’t happen, but the little people, no! There have been no big celebrations with friends and family…. they have all been quieter, and in some ways more creative! How have you celebrated your special day?
Balloons, piñatas and cake!
There are many that have celebrated extra special birthdays during this time. 1st birthdays, 18th birthdays, 70th birthdays! We have seen lots of super-duper cake pictures on social media this year, as that is the one thing that has remained a constant….you can still eat cake!
It is tricky to know how to celebrate when so many things are limited, especially for our little people. The worry of what to do to make their day special and ensure they are not disappointed. You spend a few weeks in the lead up to it, mulling over what to do and that’s when it happens. You start clicking away on Amazon, getting totally carried away. It is uncontrollable! Balloons, piñatas, cake toppers, decorations, paper plates, cups, themed gift wrap and party games…. the list is endless! Is this familiar to anyone!? You know you won’t be able to have any guests, and no one will see it, but regardless, you do it all anyway!
We are sure there have been lots of good old tea parties in this time! We have certainly eaten lots of cake in this house. Sandwiches, biscuits, and all kinds of cake. You cannot beat having your own little tea party. We have had bubbles and games in the garden. A disco in the lounge. Camping downstairs. We even did a pass the parcel between two children! That was interesting and slightly monotonous! How have you celebrated your little one’s day at home?
Zoom Party time!
One thing that lockdown has made us do is think outside the box a little more. We have started to think about different ‘treats’ that we can have at home. Delivered treat boxes, bouncy castles, movie projectors, teepees, hot tubs and not to mention the Zoom gatherings and parties! They have been the only way to share everything with friends and family. What would we have done without Zoom? We have been invited to lots of Zoom parties as a family and also run some ourselves. That is the benefit of having a dancing Tappy Mummy!
At Tappy Toes we have been very proud of how we have adapted both our classes and parties to Zoom. We were a little concerned at first that they wouldn’t be as interactive, but we were worrying needlessly. As Tappy teachers we are definitely one thing….creative!! We found new ways to keep little ones entertained on the screen using backdrops, puppets, lights and all sorts of funky music. One of our favourites was our Jungle themed party for a 1st birthday. We had vines, parrots and lots of other animals too! Our Tappy grown-ups were brilliant at sourcing some props from around the house, or even making them. It was thoroughly brilliant watching little ones shake, wiggle and giggle on Zoom!
Towards the light…
The rule of 30 outside has just come in and we are hoping for some sunny weather! There is hope on the horizon. At Tappy Toes we cannot wait to be back entertaining at some garden parties or hopefully inside again, after the 21st June. We have missed celebrating with you all so much, and always have a great time at parties! It will be great getting back to doing what we love…dancing and having fun. We can work with any theme, or no theme at all and can create and deliver a fantastic birthday party for all! From dinosaurs to fairies, or pirates to the jungle we will be there with you watching all the smiles!
If you are interested in energetic and fun entertainment for your party or event, please get in touch and we will make yours a day to remember!
You can enquire about our Children's dance parties here.
