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Last Updated on September 16, 2024 by Alaina
Whether you have a long-distance lover, a kid who’s away at college, a friend who lives halfway across the country, or a friend you cannot visit due to quarantine, there is no reason why you can’t share in their birthday celebrations from afar. Put a smile on their face across the miles with these unique and creative long-distance birthday celebration ideas!
Send them Custom Enamel Pins
You can send some custom enamel pins with his or her name on them as a unique birthday present. These custom enamel pins are available online and can be delivered to him or her directly regardless of the distance. He or she can pin them to their bags, coats, laptop bags, and more as decoration. Or they could collect them as a symbol of a close relationship.
Send Them a Cake or Cupcakes
No birthday is complete without a decadent cake. And while it may take some effort to bake and deliver them a cake by yourself, that doesn’t mean you can’t give them some gooey goodness on their special day. There are now a number of companies that offer mail-order cakes and cupcakes, which you can send to anyone, anywhere anytime.
Alternatively, you could even make this cake in a jar, which you can then mail out with a nice note that will make their day and give them something sweet to remember you by – even if you can’t physically be together.
Send Them a Bouquet with a Card
Another option is to send flowers to your loved ones. Nowadays, there are a lot of online services that help you to deliver flowers with a card message or a box of chocolates, even if your loved one is abroad. You can Send flowers to Spain or any other country easily and quickly, adding a personal touch that will brighten their day. With so many options to choose from, you can find beautiful arrangements to suit any occasion, making it easier than ever to show you care, no matter the distance.
See a Movie
Another fun long-distance birthday celebration idea is to watch a movie together! Technology is a wonderful thing, not only does it enable us to keep in touch long-distance, but it even allows us to watch a movie with people on the other side of the world.
Before their birthday, download an app called ‘kast‘ and you and the birthday boy or girl can spend the evening watching and reacting to your favorite movies, no matter how far apart you might be.
Send Them Their Own Birthday in a Box
If you want them to have an unforgettable birthday, buy a large box and fill it with their favorite snacks, a birthday gift or two, some confetti, and a greeting card. Wrap it up and send it in the mail. They’ll have a great time opening it on their birthday.
Send a Video Message
Next up on our list of long-distance birthday celebration ideas is to record a video message of yourself wishing them a happy birthday. Sing to them, tell them what’s going on in your life, and let them know how much you care. Post it on Facebook or email it to them if you want to be private and let them know you care.
Just make sure you have a decent connection. If you don’t, search your internet availability by address to see if any providers in your area offer better service or more speed guarantees. Doing this is particularly important if you want a Zoom chat with a loved one or want to send a large video file. Spending hours uploading it and waiting for everything to happen is a chore.
Call Them
Sometimes the old ways are the best, and if you can’t be with your loved one on their birthday, giving them a phone call to wish them a happy birthday will make their day and ensure they know how much you love them. Spend some time catching up and make plans to see each other in person.
Give a Gift Card
If they have a favorite store, why not send them a gift card. This is particularly good for kids in college, who can’t always afford to treat themselves on a tight budget. They’ll love getting a gift card so that they can buy something special for their birthday and they’ll love you for thinking of it.
Personalize it by creating your own DIY gift card holder.
Send Some Snail Mail
Sending snail mail is another cute long distance birthday celebration idea. Because hardly anyone bothers with snail mail and the only mail most of us get these days are bills, it can be a really nice surprise for someone to receive an actual snail mail on their birthday.
Buy a nice greeting card or some pretty paper and write them a nice long letter. Slip some pictures of good times you shared into the package, along with some glitter and a gift card, to make it a really special gift that they’ll never forget.
Donate to a Charity
If the person whose birthday you are looking to celebrate supports a particular charity, making a donation in their name is an extra special long-distance birthday celebration idea. Send them the confirmation along with a pretty birthday card, and they’ll be pleased as punch that you’ve remembered their special day and one or two of the charities that is so dear to their heart.
Bombard Them With Balloons
Birthdays and balloons go together like peanut butter and jelly, so what better way to celebrate a long distance birthday than by sending a box full balloons! Make sure you pack the box full of colorful helium balloons so they will float up out of the box once it is opened. Everyone, even grown men, and women will surely get a kick out of that.
Send a Gift That Keeps on Giving
Another great long-distance birthday celebration idea, and one of my personal favorites, is to send the gift that keeps on giving – a subscription box! With a monthly subscription gift box, you can surprise anyone with all sorts of fun, delicious, and unique items every month. Who wouldn’t love that?!
Pretty much every subscription box service offers the ability to choose the number of months you want to want to buy the subscription for, which is super handy. And there are literally hundreds of boxes to choose from.
Some subscription box service (linked ones go to reviews I’ve done) ideas include:
- Winc – for the wine-lover
- Candy Club – for those with a sweet-tooth
- FabFitFun – for the person who loves to look and feel great
- Cairn – for the outdoors-lover
- Succulent Box – for the succulent-lover
- The Handy Box – for those who are handy around the home
- Rocksbox – for those who love fashion jewelry
- GrandBox – unique and personalized gifts for seniors 65 and up
- Loot Crate – for the geek at heart
- Book of the Month Club – for booklovers
- Mickey Monthly – for Disney lovers
- KiwiCo – STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) subscription box for kids
- Foodstirs – monthly baking box for kids
Final Thoughts
Don’t let distance dampen the celebration of your loved one’s birthday! With these long distance birthday celebration ideas, you can celebrate with your loved one no matter how far away they live.