Once again, the earth has completed a full circle around the sun and it’s your loved ones birthday.

While things aren’t the same as they used to be (with the pandemic kicking in!), it doesn’t mean you cannot throw a celebration on your special someone’s birthday.

Yes, sending birthday wishes through a text message is nice and all, but let’s face the fact – it is nowhere near to surprising your friend at 12 in the night. That said, why not go the extra mile this year to make your friend or family member’s birthday extra special?

Of course, sending a big box of hamper is an incredible way to go about it but let’s do something unique this year, shall we?

Here we have put together a list of some simple yet fun ideas that you can use to make your loved ones birthday extra special and remind them how much they mean to you.

Let’s take a look!

Send a Hidden Message

Planning to send birthday messages in a bottle – well, that’s no longer an out of the box idea.

However, you can still add a bit of mystery to your surprise by sending a hidden birthday card to your loved ones through a balloon in the box package. All you need to do is order a package online and a card to go with it, and get it delivered at the recipient’s doorstep – you’re sure to put a smile on their face when they open the package!

Another way to send a hidden message is through deflated balloons. Here’s what you need to do:

• Firstly, inflate a balloon and seal it using a chip clip; you could even tightly hold it in your hand (try not to burst it!).
• Now, using a marker write your birthday wishes on it and then deflate the balloon.
• After deflating the balloon, either stash it in an envelope or send it along with other gifts.
• Once your loved one receives the gift, wait with glee to see their reaction when they blow up the balloon and read your message.

Believe me, they’ll fondly keep bopping the balloon in their home long after their birthday has gone.

Create a Mixed Tape

When it comes to creating a mixed tape for birthdays, you can never go wrong with it.

Simply channel the toons of the 80s and create a playlist of all the favourite jams of the birthday girl or guy. You can go all out with it and make a mixed tape that’s folksy, moody, raging or angsty – basically, whatever floats their boat!

The best thing about this gift is that it’s a lot less labour intensive than it was years ago, thanks to the magic of modern day technology. What’s more, by giving a mixed tape, they’ll think of you every time they hit the ‘play’ button.

Deliver Party In a Box

Why not surprise your special someone with a party in the box on their birthday?

Choose from thoughtfully created packages including confetti and balloons, and bring the party right at their doorstep. If you want, you can also customise the package to add a personal touch or create your own birthday box.

Since it’s as easy as it sounds, you can order one for your friend when in your PJs binge watching Netflix series. Score!

Go for the Written Word

Is your friend or loved one an avid book reader?

If yes, then you should absolutely consider giving them a book on their birthday. To make it more personalised and meaningful, you can also write a thoughtful message inside it.

For birthdays, the best way to go about it would be to give them a book that they can read in bits and pieces which will only give them continued inspiration.

Speak Your Heart Out

While this might seem quite obvious (or even silly!), we need to realise that in our busy lives we tend to not speak much. When it comes to birthdays, we tend to rely on sending a simple “Happy Birthday” message or posting pictures of the two of you online; but this isn’t quite as impactful and personal as you actually speaking to them.

Visiting them and speaking your heart out or talking to them on phone (if you’re far away!) is perhaps the best way to let them know how much you love and care about them.

So for this year’s birthday, make sure you’re actually speaking to your friend or loved ones!

Send Them a Letter Parade

This is an excellent way to surprise your loved ones, especially on their milestone birthday but let’s accept it – every birthday calls for a celebration!

While sending a letter parade might need some coordination amongst friends or family members, it’s worth your time and effort. The recipient too will remember this gesture for the days to come!

To make the letter parade a success, get in touch with the recipient’s family and other close friends; don’t forget to contact their old roommates they haven’t met in years. Reach out to them and ask them to send their letters, messages, favourite memories or stories to you through post.

Once you’ve collected all the letters or messages, put them in a large envelope or box and send it to the birthday person.

If you want to make this all the more thrilling and mysterious, why not send one letter at a time (without mentioning the sender’s name, of course!) leading to their birthday?

Caution – this might cause tears, outrageous laughter, goosebumps and/or warm fuzzies!

Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Them

Cannot meet your friend or family member on their birthday?

Well, you could simply call them at 12 in the night and sing ‘happy birthday’ to them – no, you neither need the voice of an angle nor a grammy nomination. Just sing it out loud or ask the entire family to join you if singing alone seems embarrassing to you.

If you want you could record yourself singing and send it to them on their birthday – we promise you, this will surely make their day and they’ll treasure the video for many years to come.

Plant a Tree In Their Name

If your friend is conscious about the environment and does everything that’s possible from their end to be as eco-friendly as possible, then this would be the perfect gift you could give them.

Instead of spending money on things that can be used only a couple of times, why not consider planning a tree in your friends name? They’ll not only feel happy that you’re too a part of what they’ve been doing, but also have the bragging rights to an incredible tree in the National Forests.

There are various organisations out there, allowing you to plant a tree in your or anyone’s name – after all, you’re doing your bit for the environment!

To Conclude

We hope that this list of our fun and unique ideas help you make your special someone’s birthday extra special while also making them feel extra loved and cared for!