< Back to all Blog posts

Ideas for a First Birthday Party

Posted on Aug 21, 2019

When your baby turns one it is a big deal. Birthdays are a big deal naturally, but a first birthday is one of the first milestones in your child’s life. With any birthday party there will be details you do not want to forget, however, with a first birthday party there are many specific ones.

In order to throw the most spectacular first birthday party for your kiddo, you will need to know some tips and tricks to make the event go off without a hitch. We compiled a list of ideas that will help make your baby’s first birthday party go as smoothly as possible.

Here are our ideas…

Planning the Celebration Around Your Baby’s Nap Schedule

If your baby is tired and grumpy, then the celebration is not going to be very much fun for anyone. Babies need plenty of sleep, so the party should revolve around the guest of honor’s nap schedule. Even if it falls on a strange time for other people, how the birthday boy/girl is able to interact and enjoy the party is the most important thing.

Create a “Hangout Spot” for the Babies

During a big celebration the babies will most likely become overstimulated and need some time to unwind. This is why creating a sort of “hangout spot,” is so important for keeping moods at bay.

Set up an area which is quiet and not high traffic for the babies to relax. Add some toys for them to play with in the area. Once they have calmed down a bit, bring them back to the celebration!

Ask Someone to be Responsible for Taking Photos During the Party

When you’re celebrating your baby’s first birthday, then you will want to be focused on them and making sure the event runs smoothly. This makes it easy to forget about taking pictures, which will be an important part of remembering the day.

In order to be present in the birthday party, it would be wise to assign one of the guests as the picture taker. Not only does this allow you to focus your attention on your baby, but then you can be in the pictures as well.

Pick a Simple Theme

When it comes to choosing a theme for your baby’s first birthday party, you will want to keep it as simple as possible. It may be tempting to plan an over the top birthday party with an elaborate theme, but it is not necessary at this age. Since your child is so young at this point, it may be in your best interests to save the more elaborate parties for when your child requests them.

Simple ideas for themes include colors, seasons, or anything you could easily put together with what you have.

Ask the Older Children to Help Plan and Implement Games

Children love to be assigned responsibilities to help adults with. Not only does delegating some responsibility to the children take a little bit of the pressure off of you, but this provides benefits for them as well. Giving children responsibilities encourages them to be helpful and self-sufficient adults. On top of the developmental benefits, helping will make the children feel good about themselves.

Being in charge of choosing games and leading them is a great way to get the older children involved. Whether it is singing a song, face painting, or Simon Says, let the kiddos take the reins on this responsibility so you can spend time with the birthday boy/girl.

Take Photos of the Birthday Boy/Girl Before Guests Arrive

Once the guests arrive it may be difficult to get your little one to sit still for some individual pictures. All the excitement of the company may cause overstimulation, which will make photos questionable.

If you have specific ideas for pictures, then it would be much easier to take these before anyone arrives. Babies have a tendency to get nervous, anxious, or easily flustered when they are around crowds for a long time, so waiting for the party may result in you not getting the pictures you really wanted to remember the day.

Create a Time Capsule

A time capsule is a great way to create memories around your little one’s birthday. Ask guests to write a note or put something in that reminded them of your kiddo. One day your child will be so excited to open this and see all the special memories that were made.

If you want to take this to the next level, make this a tradition for every birthday following.

Add Some Personalized Touches to the Party

Adding a touch of personalization to the party will give your guests the opportunity to learn more about the birthday boy/girl. A common idea people incorporate into first birthday parties is to create a board highlighting some interesting facts about your baby.

This board can include…

  • Favorite color
  • Favorite food
  • Favorite toy
  • Favorite animal

 

Or anything else you would like to share with your guests!

Keep the Party Short and Sweet

Birthday parties for children should never exceed two hours. That time frame will be filled up before you know it with games, food, cake, and present opening, and any extra time may be too much for the younger children.

If you are having a first birthday party this rule of thumb becomes even more important to follow. If there are many other babies attending, they may become fussy and need to lay down for a nap. It is not realistic to keep a group of babies stimulated in a large event for more than two hours.

Don’t Worry, You Got This!

Planning your little one’s first birthday party can be such an exciting process, but there are some vital tips and tricks to remember. You want the celebration to be enjoyable and smooth-running for everyone involved, so taking those extra steps to cater to your baby will be important. With a little bit of adjusting and planning, your kiddo’s first birthday party will be a blast!

And when the celebration is over, take the party over to Monkey Joe’s!