6 Best Long-Distance Gift Ideas You'll Want to See

Celebrating a birthday at a distance from friends and family is hard. Whether it’s your brother or sister, your partner, or any of your friends. 2020 has been a year like no other, and 2021 will be just as different — make their birthdays this year as they’ve never experienced before.

We’ve all been separated from each other — whether by 6 feet or 600 miles. You want to make your friends and family feel special and like you are there with them. But how?

Surprise them with a long-distance gift!

We’ve found some great gifts for you to give. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. A Friendship Lamp

Friendship lamps are a fun way to connect with friends and family you love across the States or even around the world. Both you and your friend or family member get a lamp — all you need to do is plug them in and connected them to WiFi.

It’s fun to stay connected with these lamps. When you tap your lamp, and your friend’s lamp will turn on, allowing your friend or family member to know you’re thinking of them. You can even send different colors to convey different messages. Both of you can create a code with one another based upon taps and color combinations.

These lamps can help when you or your friends live at a distance. It helps bridge the gap that separates you. Letting you know that someone is thinking about you.

Want to learn more about Friendship lamps? Check out their website: Friendship Lamps | Tap your lamp, and your friend’s lamp turns on.

2. A Handwritten Letter

Treasured gifts for birthdays are not always store-bought. You can speak kind words like in a video, or you can go a little more old school this year with a handwritten note.

That’s right, break out your pen and paper and write a heartfelt letter to that person who is a distance this year. Heartfelt words, whether spoke or written, will last a lifetime in memories.

Speak your heart; write words that will cheerlead them, and never, never be afraid to splash the note with dozens of exclamation points, small little doodles, or anything that you think would bring joy to that person.

It’s not every day that we receive something in the mail that isn’t bills. Give someone that joyful surprise of a letter in the mail!

3. A VidDay Video Surprise

Give the gift that keeps on giving. VidDay is a collaborative video maker for anyone who wants to give a memorable gift for their birthday. With VidDay, you can collect video messages and photos from your loved one’s friends and family. You can give the gift of a surprise this year.

Allow friends and family to express themselves freely in their videos and tell their loved ones how much they mean to them. Get ready for tears of joy and happiness when your loved one receives their unforgettable video surprise!

The best part is that VidDay makes the video for you! Just send out a link to your friends and family and let them submit their videos! The rest is on VidDay. Want to start a unique surprise video? Head to: VidDay | The Group Video Maker

Watch this real reaction | Elly's long-distance surprise birthday video:

Elly's reaction was priceless. You can watch her tear up with joy as she watches her friends and family wish her a happy birthday from the other side of the world.

4. A Box of Their Favorite Treats

Gather all of their favorite treats in one surprise box. There are tons of boxes that you can choose from online, but you should personalize the birthday box and create one yourself. Think of it as a fun DIY project that gets you having fun. Think of your friend’s or family member’s favorite treats and try to incorporate them into the box.

Try to keep your treats local, supporting your local community and economy.

Here’s a little sneak peek at what I’d put in mine.

• A mason jar filled with my favorite chocolate chip cookie ingredients

• Birthday cupcakes (it’s my birthday after all)

• Coffee beans from my local coffee shop

• And birthday candles for me to blow out

You can customize for any of your family members or friends and even snake on your favorite treats as you make theirs. We always suggest local fairtrade, helping your community, and being eco-friendly.

5. A Fun Subscription Box

Don’t have time to put together a treat box? Most gifts are one-and-done, but with subscription boxes, your gift can literally keep on giving. With most subscription programs, you can choose how often they will receive a box — from once a month to once every quarter.

There are loads of special birthday subscription boxes out there to choose from. From books every month, different kinds of snacks every month, to absolutely everything and anything that you can think of. Bright up their place with a plant subscription, where they will get monthly deliveries of house plants or succulents.

Know a guy who is hard to buy for? Try getting him a hot sauce subscription box — or a grill master box. There is something for everyone, no matter who your life you are looking for.

6. An Online Course

Sign yourself and the lucky birthday person up for the same online course. Have they been putting off learning a new language or wanting to take that Art History class? Or how about an online cooking class? There are loads of classes that are available online, from college courses to a MasterClass — the options are endless.

Are you looking for something a little less serious than an online college course? There are courses from how to crochet to how to launch a podcast. You can find a course on just about anything for that special person.

You both can set up FaceTime sessions to study or practice with each other. You both can quiz one and the other and share notes. It is great because it feels like you’re doing something together even though you may feel apart.

Create a Memorable Long-Distance Birthday Gift

Birthdays are always a time for celebration! It can be hard when you’re celebrating at a distance. Birthdays are a time to get together with friends and family to celebrate. It's a time to get together even when you can’t be together with a group birthday video gift.

Bring some joy and perhaps a few tears of happiness to the birthday party from a distance with a meaningful video gift. The best way to say Happy Birthday at a distance is with sincere birthday wishes from your friends and family in a group video gift. Need a little help with birthday wishes — check out our birthday wishes generator for some inspiration. Why are group birthday videos such a great birthday gift?

Great question! With our birthday video maker, you can collect messages from loved ones, friends, family, colleagues all in one surprise birthday video, which means that everyone can join in on the birthday celebration — from near or far. Learn more about creating your birthday video with our handy birthday video guide.

Celebrate better together by saying Happy Birthday at a distance with a group VidDay video gift. Start one today.