| |
First Birthday Ideas
This page gives you first birthday ideas to simplify your planning. I'll share some tricks about making 1st birthday parties joyous and easy to prepare.
Although a 1st birthday party usually includes small children, it is really a party for you and your family. Babies will experience the atmosphere of the celebration, but the concept of a party is not yet with their grasp. Children at this age usually express interest in the boxes and wrapping paper than the gifts.
First Birthday Planning Tips
Keep the party short and sweet (an hour to an hour and a half) to match your guests' short attention spans. Children of ages one to three get cranky if they're kept awake too long.
Try to plan the party for a weekend. The babies won't care what day you select, but a weekend is usually more convenient for the adults who will attend.
Invite a small number of children to the event - from one to three is ideal, and five is the maximum. Over five young guests may put the party at risk of deteriorating into an almost unmanageable gathering with a fair amount of crying.
Get extra help - babysitter, grandparent, or friend - so you can participate in the activities and share the fun with your child.
Take lots of pictures, but avoid shooting flash photos too often. Camera flashes can irritate babies and make them edgy.
Guests
If you do decide on a party with other children or babies present, you should:
Make it perfectly clear that at least one parent must accompany every child.
Childproof your play area carefully, remembering that it will probably contain both crawling and walking (staggering) babies.
Let parents know that they are in charge of their own children.
Make it a BYO (Bring Your Own) ___* party, with the guests supplying their own *highchairs, walkers, bottles, or small chairs.
Be sure your child has some exposure to other people, including other babies, before the event. So it doesn't come as too much of a shock.
Food and Beverages
Check with parents to make sure their children don't have any food allergies, and do your best to avoid using any of the allergy-causing items in the food. If that is not possible, let the parents know which foods are off-limits for their children. If you have pets, be sure to discuss animal allergies as well, making any needed adjustments.
Keep treats simple, but decorate and package them creatively; the snacks should be fun, but safe to eat.
Here are some more ideas to consider:
Save the big cake for the adults and let the babies have an unfrosted cupcake to minimize the mess. Or go ahead and frost the cupcakes. Faces smeared with frosting do make wonderful photos and happy memories.
Put the children around a low table on small chairs or boxes, if they won't be in highchairs. And expect that there'll be lots of getting up and going to Mommy or Daddy.
Skip the cute paper tablecloth and napkins. They are liable to be torn and eaten.
You might want to consider this Baby Block Cake as your 1st birthday cake...
*Excerpted from Baby Birthday Parties. © 1999 by Penny Warner. Used with the permission of Meadowbrook Press.*
For more information on this book or to purchase a copy, please click on this link.
Return from General First Birthday Ideas to 1st Birthday Page
Back to Kids' Birthday Party Guide
Subscribe to Family Smiles
Privacy Policy | About Us| Contact Us
|
