While we aren’t in complete lockdown like we were in spring 2020, we are still very limited in what we can and cannot do for birthdays. My heart goes out to all the kids that had to cancel big birthday plans or skip a party because of the lockdown. As a parent, it is tough to see your kids disappointed and you also want to celebrate their birthdays and shower them with joy (eh hem, it was a big day for you when they were born, too!). We are all doing what we can to create fun and joy for our little ones.

My son has been talking about his birthday ever the day after his last birthday at Odyssey 1. The whole year he was saying his birthday would be after the coronavirus. Gosh, I wish that had been true! His birthday was on January 2nd, and we ended having to account for covid restrictions in our plans.

My Younger Son’s Birthday — 2 years

But first, my younger son had his birthday on December 7th. He was turning two so luckily he isn’t aware of some of the cool birthday things you can do and he’ll most likely not remember this particular birthday. I had planned to go sledding or play in the snow to celebrate, but then there wasn’t any snow close-by (Snoqualmie Pass hadn’t received enough yet…and I wasn’t willing to drive further).

Instead, we stopped by the Proctor fire station when the trucks were out, and they flashed their lights and made the siren sound. Then we went to Safeway and I pushed him in the special car grocery cart. We finished the day at Puget Park playground and eating some cake. Honestly, I think he had a great day.

My Older Son’s Birthday — 5 years

I agonized over what to do to celebrate my older son’s big FIFTH birthday. His expectations were high. It’s tough this time of year with the weather so outdoors is hard. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw my cry for ideas in my stories.

Some ideas that popped up between all of you and me:

Sledding (there is snow now)
A ferry ride to Vashon (bonus: with a ferry ride scavenger hunt)
Visit the Firwood Farm Alpacas
Point Defiance Zoo or Zoolights
Rent a Pop-up cookie dough truck (Sugar + Spoon)
Outdoor scavenger hunt (check off a list of things to find)
Outdoor treasure hunt (clue-to-clue until you get to the end)
Trip up to Seattle & go up the Space Needle
Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah
Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle
Olympic Game Farm in Sequim

Decision: Outside Scavenger Hunt Party

Activity Decision:

We decided to keep it easy and went with an outdoor scavenger hunt at a nearby park. We opted for a scavenger hunt because the little ones could do it more easily on their own with pictures of the things to find rather than following clues in a treasure hunt.

Our Locaiton Decision:

I wanted it at a park where there was some coverage in case of a downpour, so we considered Titlow Park, Owens Beach, Point Defiance Park (hidden there by the zoo), and Sunset Terrace Park. I liked how big the coverage is at Owens Beach, but I was unsure whether it was allowed to be used right now. Also, I wanted a playground so there was an option for free play. We landed at Titlow Park. It had all the nature for a scavenger hunt and the playground.

The Weather Factor:

Well, we put out an invite for Saturday a few weeks in advance with the caveat that the party was weather dependent. As luck would have it, there was a storm in the forecast. I had a small group of friends planned for the party, so the good news I could keep in touch with folks with minute-by-minute updates on what we were planning. We had to switch from morning to afternoon then from Saturday to Sunday. We landed on Sunday afternoon, probably the one time that weekend that had the lightest or no rain. But it was muddy. Titlow was like a pond (note: this isn’t the first time we’ve gone to Titlow Park to discover it covered in water - beware of the mud and bring extra shoes and change of clothes).

The Scavenger Hunt:

I tried to make my own, but it was taking way too long. Instead, I found this lovely nature scavenger hunt for $2.50 from Sarah Finn Design on Etsy. She makes it super easy with a link to download both a JPG and PDF file.

Next, I had the scavenger hunt printed off at FedEx. You can download the file on their website and just pick it up at the store. They can even pre-cut the page for you.

The final touch was to put the printout on a mini clipboard along with a bright pencil.

How it Went:

Guys, the kids LOVED the scavenger hunt. They were running around trying to find all the items. Having a little picture of the items to find was perfect for them. We walked a small loop from the playground, around the pond, and back. We couldn’t find everything on the list (a butterfly in winter on a rainy day is unlikely), but there were plenty of things found.

We wrapped it up with cupcakes and playtime at the park. It was cold, muddy, and an absolute blast.