Congratulations! You have made it through the ups and downs of your baby’s first year, survived sleepless nights and witnessed many milestones. Now it’s time for the biggest milestone yet: baby’s first birthday. Time to celebrate!
How do you plan a party that is right for you and your baby? Here are a few helpful tips for creating a memorable first birthday celebration.
Location
Tots who are 1 get over-stimulated easily and are often fearful of new surroundings and crowds, so many parents opt to have the birthday party at home. If your home is not large enough to accommodate the guests, a relative’s home, church or park are good choices. Remember that you want your child to enjoy the party; celebrating at a kid-themed pizza place or a noisy community center will likely overwhelm your 1-year-old.
Guest List
Although it may be tempting to invite every child from daycare or Mommy and Me class, first birthday parties are usually for the adults in your baby’s life. Many parents include the most special family and friends. Obviously, if those people have children, you will invite them too. Just don’t expect your baby to interact much with other kids at the party; 1-year-olds typically play alongside, rather than with, other children. Keep the guest list to a manageable number for you and your space.
Short and Sweet
No matter how many guests you invite, it is best to keep the party to no more than two hours and to schedule the celebration around naptime. Overland Park mom Cherie Asante recommends having your baby awake to greet the guests. “Sophia took a nap before the party and was still sleeping after all the guests arrived. Unintentionally I created a surprise party and needless to say she was in shock for quite some time. Next time I'll wake her up before people arrive.”
Choose the time of day when your baby is the most alert and in a good mood. Allow enough time for guests to mingle, have some food, take some photos and watch the birthday baby open gifts.
Theme
Your 1-year-old probably won’t insist on Hannah Montana decorations, so a party theme is more for the benefit of the guests and for photos. Still, themes are fun and are your opportunity to be creative. You can tie the theme into the invitations, decorations, cake and even the food you serve.
Stores such as Party America and Party City have supplies with fun themes for 1-year-olds, including Fun to Be One, 1st Birthday Prince/Princess and Winnie the Pooh. Other popular themes for 1-year-olds are ABC’s and 123’s, Old MacDonald Had a Farm, primary colors and zoo animals.
Beth Feldcamp, Olathe, had a train theme for her twin boys’ first birthday. “We ordered our invitations from ebay. The price was really good and we were able to add a picture and receive a proof. A friend of mine made a train cake and we had two train smash cakes.”
Menu
You may be asking yourself if you should serve a full meal, finger foods or just cake and ice cream. This is entirely up to you, but keep in mind that you will have your hands full with your little one and may not have time to prepare a big meal. If you do want to serve a meal, consider planning a potluck and have your guests bring their favorite dish. Finger foods such as a veggies, fruit and small sandwiches can be prepared ahead of time or purchased from the supermarket.
Cake
Parents have a lot of options when it comes to the birthday cake. You can make it yourself or order from a bakery. You can serve a cake or cupcakes, and the flavor options are numerous.
Megan Unverferth, aka Cake Girl, makes custom cakes for all occasions out of her home in Overland Park. She says that vanilla cake with vanilla butter cream frosting is the most popular flavor for 1-year-old birthdays. “The combination of a smaller cake and cupcakes works great. The cupcakes can be for the kiddos, and the cake can be for the adults or for the family to share after the party.”
Most parents like to have a “smash cake” for their little one to enjoy. You might want to strip the birthday baby down to the diaper first, and make sure the camera is handy!
Recording the occasion
You will want to take lots of photos and perhaps a video or two. Designating a friend or relative to be in charge of photos and videos is a great idea. You will be busy taking care of your baby and may forget to take pictures. Also, with someone else in charge, YOU will be in the picture too.
Beyond the typical photos and videos, what else can you do to create a few mementos of the party? Here are some ideas:
- Messages to Baby Before the party, decorate a shoe box. Provide pen and paper and encourage your guests to write special notes to the baby to read when she is older. Store the box to be opened at a later date.
- Baby’s Memory Book Invite guests to write a favorite memory of your baby’s first year. Take a picture at the party of each guest holding your child. Combine the words and photos to create a scrapbook for your baby.
- Baby’s Time Capsule Encourage each guest to bring something that represents an important moment or special relationship (favorite toy he no longer plays with, a poem created for baby, etc). Place the items in a container and store it in a safe deposit box until your child turns 18.
- Perhaps the most important tip is to remember that this is a day to celebrate the birth of your child. Plan some quiet time at the end of the day for just mom, dad and baby. No doubt this will be the birthday baby’s favorite part of the day!
Tisha Foley lives in Belton with her husband and two kids. She has fond memories of her children’s first birthday parties.