1st Birthday Party Ideas

1st Birthday Cake with number 1 sign and lollipop candy decorations

Looking for first birthday party ideas and an unforgettable celebration? Your little one is about to reach a major milestone so a first birthday celebration needs to be the best that it can be! The celebration of a first birthday is a commemoration of many “firsts” — it may be the first tooth, the first smile, the first word, the first crawl, and oftentimes the first step! Quite an achievement for all little ones and this calls for a party!

1st Birthday Party Supplies

Photo Credits: cakesuniquebyamy.com

1st Birthday Party Themes - Mod Monkey, Owl Theme Party, Ladybug Party, Elephant Party Theme

Photos of First Birthday Party Themes – Some party themes to consider for a first birthday party:

Owl Birthday Party, Elephant Birthday Party, Mod Monkey Birthday Theme (boys) or Pink Mod Monkey (girls), and Lady Bug Birthday Theme.

First Birthday Party Plan

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First Birthday Party Invitations

When brainstorming first birthday party ideas begin with the invitations. You can have invitations to match your party theme or have invitations that fit the bill for a general first birthday party.

Tip: Best time to schedule parties for little ones is in the morning, couple of hours after waking (9 a.m. – 11 a.m.) or in the afternoon after naptime (3 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

Tip: Don’t forget about thank you notes, labels, and stickers for scrapbook albums. Order them all together with your invitations so you have one thing less to worry about when it’s time to write thank you notes.

Tip: When it comes to birthday invitations, one important one to remember is to order extra party invitations. You’ll want extras for grandparents, godparents, scrapbooking, and a 1st birthday party collage.

Here are some suggestions for general 1st birthday party invitations to get you started:

Distressed Bloom Invitation (1) – This daisy sets the mood for a “delight”ful first birthday party invite, featuring the sweet guest of honor alongside a distressed cotton candy pink message area.
Birthday Bunting Banner Invitation (2) – This 1st birthday party invite features a customized baby collage gallery with colorful flag banners signifying it’s celebration time, all on a tasteful linen colored background.
Cotton Candy Carousel Carnival Invitation (3) – A circus tent, roller coaster, and Ferris wheel shout out carousel time and fun galore with this invitation, all silhouetted below your child’s photo on a tasteful soft peach background.
Cake and Banner Birthday Celebration Invitation (4) – A soft beige background features your choice of baby’s picture and a messaging area with a festive birthday cake and a Happy Birthday banner with this invitation. Nothing says birthday party like a tasty looking birthday cake!

For more theme specific 1st birthday invitations, go to first birthday party invitations page.

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First Birthday Guest Arrival and Introduction

It’s your baby’s first birthday – hurrah! A major consideration is that you don’t need to try and do everything yourself or you’ll miss an important milestone in your baby’s life.

Enlist help from family and friends. You’ll find guests and relatives more than willing to help do things so you can enjoy this special time with your little one. Designate a party sub-host; if you are busy greeting everyone at the door, you’ll miss some camera and video time and the enjoyment of watching your baby’s reaction to his/her 1st birthday party.
Separate Gift Area or Table. As guests arrive, gifts should be placed in an area out of view from the children; otherwise, they may be unwrapped by another child. It HAS happened!
Party Hats. Both kids and adults should be offered party attire such as hats; otherwise how much of a party is it? Kids need to get in the party groove, so adults need to do the same.
Designated Party Area. If possible, section off the house and use colorful signs to point to designated bathrooms, party area, etc. in case guests arrive and aren’t sure where to go or children start wandering. Other moms are always glad to help watch the kids, so be clear on where they should, or should not, allow the kids to go. Rope off certain areas if necessary. Stairs are a biggie to watch in this age group.
Guest Arrival Area. Have a “welcome” area for the kids to congregate as guests arrive with supervised activities such as coloring, guessing games, charades, or possibly even an interactive puppet show put on by older kids. Tip: A simple and affordable idea – set up a small table with homemade colored play dough, then stock with various textured rollers and shaped cutters.

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First Birthday Party Decorations

For a first birthday party theme, party decorations need to be appropriate for the age group. Remember little hands and eyes are curious, and toddlers enjoy grabbing, touching, tasting, and, yes, even mouthing. So remember when planning your party – keep it fun, keep it festive, but keep it safe and age appropriate.

Themed Decorations. If you have picked out a theme for your birthday, decorate the room with themed decorations. You can purchase decorations from a kit or purchase individual pieces to suit your needs. Having a theme makes party planning so much easier and more often than not, produces a coordinated aesthetically pleasing event. The matching of colors and designs have already been done for you by party experts which makes party planning so much easier.
Mylar Balloons. Little ones love balloons so make sure you have lots of balloons available as party decorations and to give out at the end of the party. Balloons provide an instant burst of color for very little money. Mylar balloons are safer than latex balloons and generally I would avoid giving out latex balloons to kids ages 8 and under for safety reasons.
Colored Streamers. Colored paper streamers are another must have at first birthdays. They are safe and provide a festive look to any birthday party – with or without a theme! Here are 20 ways to decorate your party with paper streamers!
Giant character standee. Consider having a standee made out of your child’s favorite character, like Elmo, Minnie Mouse, Yo Gabba Gabba, etc. Not only does this provide an instant party decoration and focal point once guests enter the room, it also doubles as a prop for a photo shoot.

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First Birthday Party Crafts

Party crafts, of course, are dependent on the age group of the guests. For a first birthday party, it is advised to avoid scissors and anything else dangerous or toxic. Here are a couple of ideas to consider:

Coloring Fun. For the very young, all you may need are some crayons and coloring pages for a short craft time. For older kids that may be attending the party or for the more adventurous toddlers, the following crafts could be appropriate.
Paper Collage. Have various construction paper shapes in different colors ready and several glue sticks. Each child is given their own “background” e.g. paper plate, to create their collage of colorful construction paper pieces. Encourage them to be creative and come up with their own art work.
Hand Print Keepsakes. Using inexpensive paper plates, have a hole punched in the top of several of them. With adult supervision, kids can have their hand dipped in the paint color of their choice and print their hand on the plate. To make the paint easily washable, add a few drops of dish soap per 4 oz. of acrylic paint, and stir well before using. A curly ribbon is then tied through the top; their name should be on the back of the plate so they can claim it before leaving.
DIY Favor Bags. Using Kraft or paper bags, allow the children to decorate them with crayons and stickers. Put their name on their bag, and then fill it with party favors before they go home.

Tip: Older kids are great for helping at parties with crafts and activities. You can offer to pay them or instead present them with a gift certificate to a local store or restaurant for their time and dedication in helping supervise the younger ones.

Tip: For the 1-year old age group, 1st birthday party crafts should be kept to those involving minimal simple steps and materials because it will involve an adult supervising the child through the activity. To make things easier, have all pieces required to make one craft project ready to go in a ziploc bag. This way when the craft sessions starts you eliminate the need to hand out craft pieces to each guests thereby wasting time and precious toddler patience!

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