Learn how to plan an American Girl Virtual Birthday Party to create a memorable experience safely and from the comfort of home!

One of my favorite birthday parties was years ago, when my older daughter turned eight, and we celebrated with an American Girl birthday at the store in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia. We kept it simple with a small family gathering, which created a more intimate gathering with the dolls as the stylists did their hair and nails, as we dined in the restaurant, and as we shopped for special, memorable birthday gifts.

Now we can have a similar experience to the American Girl store & doll salon experience with a virtual party. Check out my new YouTube video to see what we’re planning.

American Girl Virtual Birthday Party

Why is eight such a perfect age for an American Girl party? All of the American Girl dolls and accessories, other than Wellie Wishers and Bitty Babies, are meant for ages 8+. This marks an age when children can begin to really understand the story of the dolls, take good care of them, and care about the message they portray. If dolls are your thing, the collection will stay with you for many years to come. They may even get passed down to the next generation of doll collectors in your family!

Last year’s Wellie Wisher-themed 7-year-old birthday party fell on the day the world shut down. It will be nice to revisit a similar theme to mark the anniversary.

American Girl Take Home Birthday Favors

Planning is simple with the American Girl Take Home Birthday Favors. These come with everything you need to begin organizing the event. Inside the pink and berry striped bags, you find doll-sized Let’s Celebrate tee-shirts, fancy doll-sized paper birthday crowns, pieces of pretend birthday cake, a fun activity book, and festive star-shaped balloons with a handle the dolls can hold.

The activity book has helpful ideas to plan the party itself. Some activities the children can do include would you rather, decorating a cookie cake, and a spa day for the after-party sleepover.

You can plan other fun activities to go along with this party favor bag. Design American Girl-themed BINGO boards, and display American Girl music videos from YouTube to have a dance party. You could add other supplies to the bags to make crafts or a recipe together.

For the party itself, I’m hosting the games. To keep track of the activities, I’m creating a slideshow to display. If you prefer not to host your American Girl virtual birthday party yourself, I am available to lead the event. I can help with deciding on activities and supplies as well as hosting the actual event. Contact me through Outschool with a day and time that works best for you.

My favorite part about having party favors is getting to drop the bags off and see friends. Even a wave hello and a quick chat from a distance means a lot after not seeing each other for so long.

Virtual birthday parties in 2020 were a new, uncharted territory. Now that we know what makes the day special, even when it’s not possible to celebrate with friends, we are making sure to include some kind of opportunity for an in-person connection.

Small American Girl Gifts for a Special Occasion

In addition to the virtual party itself, we are making sure that the entire birthday will feel special. Being home has become such a routine that it can be difficult to get out of the rut and make it feel exciting. Some small gifts, like UNO American Girl and the Deluxe Birthday Crown, will make it more memorable.

UNO American Girl is a new item in the American Girl store. As someone who teaches American Girl classes, I have noticed that some children don’t know the names of the dolls or the stories that well. This game can inspire interest in the characters and encourage reading the chapter books.

Make It a Memorable Day with a Wow! Gift

Although we aren’t shopping in the store, we are making sure to bring out all the dolls and accessories to play with during the birthday. With the incredibly fun American Girl Bowling Alley, you can actually roll the pearly ball down the bowling lane and help the dolls bowl a strike. Since the scoreboard actually works, you can play as a family.

Dress your dolls up in matching glow-in-the-dark bowling tees and glittery bowling shoes. They can snack on pretzels with mustard, popcorn, candy, and sparking beverages. The set is very detailed. It comes with a pretend transaction monitor, card swiper and game card.

With the party favors assembled and games ready to play, we have a memorable birthday ahead of us. American Girl helps make party planning simple! I look forward to adding my own creative touches, but having the essential items in the home already means that I can relax and enjoy the planning process as we get closer to the birthday itself.

If you enjoyed reading this, you might also check out Homeschooling with Nanea’s Collection and Kira’s Ultimate Collection Arrives.

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Disclosure: I received a free item, but it in no way influenced my opinion.