Zoom Birthday Party Tips
One of the best parts about a virtual birthday party is that there is very little preparation required – but here are some ways to make sure your Zoom party is a success:
- The first step, of course, is to book your virtual birthday party! Simply fill out the contact form and you’ll receive an email by the next day including a contract. Complete the contract and submit the $50 deposit and you’re all done! If the requested time slot is still available, your party will be BOOKED and you’ll receive the Zoom link via email.
- Send out invitations early! You’ll receive an HTML e-vite when you book your ApartParty, but other customers have chosen to use a custom e-vite service like Paperless Post or E-vite! Be sure to include the Zoom link and the date/time of the party (and the appropriate time zone if needed). There is no pre-registration for an ApartParty. On the day of the party, guests simply click on the Zoom link to open up the party! Drew will be in the Zoom room 10 minutes before the booked party time to welcome guests and start the warm-up game. The magic show will start soon after the official party time.
- You’ll receive the souvenir envelope in the mail before the party. Please keep it safe and sealed. The birthday child will open it during the party – but not before Drew says so!
- You can decorate the birthday child’s backdrop so that their video and the group picture looks festive! You can hang a real backdrop (a curtain, tablecloth, or even a bedsheet can work wonders) or use the virtual green screen background option on Zoom. If possible, a real backdrop is more reliable and less likely to cause distortions in your video. Just hanging some balloons and streamers can add extra eye appeal for cheap!
- Many parents choose to present the birthday cake while everyone sings Happy Birthday (included during the grand finale of every party package). Drew the magician can wait until the cake is ready and candles lit before leading everyone in the singing, but please be prepared! Cake time is about 5-10 minutes before the end of the party and happens right after the birthday card appears (so when you hear about the “birthday card trick”, that’s a good time to get the cake ready)! If you want to go above-and-beyond, some parents have made cupcakes and hand-delivered them to guests’ houses on the day of the party so that everyone can join in on the tasty fun (No, Drew doesn’t make you deliver one to him!)
- If you booked a magic lesson, you can get the supplies ready beforehand. You’ll receive a list of needed supplies along with your Zoom link. All tricks use easily-found items such as newspaper, cups, coins, rubberbands, and markers. Inside the birthday child’s souvenir envelope will be the flat items needed for the lesson (like coins, paper, napkins), but the bigger items (like a cup or marker) must be provided by you.
- You’ll become the “host” of the party once the magic show ends. You’ll have an extra 30 minutes to use the Zoom account after the scheduled activities end. Some parents plan a party game during this time while other use it to finish up the celebration and let guests send a more personal birthday wish!
- You’ll receive a Group Party Picture afterwards which many parents choose to share on social media. You’ll also be able to download a recording of the entire party for your memories! The download link expires after 7 days, so please download the video so you can save & share the magical memories!