One answer: a family biking birthday ride! Message friends and neighbors around your neighborhood and ask them to be at their front porches/balconies/windows during a limited time window (11-noon, for example). Decorate your family's bicycles with colorful items you have around the house, such as tissue paper, streamers, and ribbons. We used wax paper and a sharpie to make a personalized flag.
Then, get a little exercise* and take your bicycle party on the road! If you have a portable speaker, play your kid's favorite movie soundtrack or Spotify's "Happy Birthday" playlist (remove the one explicit track if desired). It isn't just festive, it also helps your friends hear you coming. Instead of giving gifts, they could decorate their window or put some balloons or streamers out if they happen to have some on hand. They could shake bells to help you feel like professional athletes!
If you ran out of cake ingredients, why not stop by a treat shop for take-away as part of your ride? Chocolate Lab has been doing amazing work supporting health workers during the pandemic, and their treats are delectable for all ages. Duffeyroll is another great option. What's your favorite local sweet shop offering carry-out right now?
You could also include your local bicycle repair shop on your route (they qualify as essential businesses). Pick up some extra inner tubes, tires and maybe some fun lights for the birthday biker! Bike Shop Girl Family Cyclery is accepting appointments. Bikes Together has two locations. Velosoul recently moved to Englewood and is open with limited hours. SloHi Bike is currently swamped with repairs, but accepting appointments starting April 21.
If you have a stash of party hats, you can wear them right along with your helmet! The Governor of Colorado and the CDC are recommending everyone wear cloth face coverings while not at home. Cardboard is a reasonable alternative for single use (I got the idea from an online meme and recognized it as a clever no-sew option). I taped over the gaps on mine.
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| Image of me wearing a blue party hat over my nose and mouth along with my helmet. |
I guarantee you'll make some folks smile. Ok, they're laughing. At you. And it is totally worth it.
Happy birthdays, my friends. Better days and group rides are ahead of us!
*Outdoor exercise currently qualifies as essential activity in Colorado. While I strive to provide only accurate information here, pandemic restrictions and recommendations change frequently. Follow both the letter and the spirit of the most up-to-date restrictions for your city and state.
