We all know how heartwarming it is to see your little one take their first steps but the idea of them growing up one day might leave you with mixed feelings. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Between trying to catch bits of their childhood and stealing glances at their calm faces while they are sleeping, our little ones journey on to becoming adults in no time!
Overwhelmed but excited to say farewell to your baby’s first year? Well, the idea of planning the perfect birthday party might seem pleasant but with a baby in your hands, you might be having trouble figuring it out. From decorations to party favor bags, you want it to be the most memorable day of your baby’s life. But it sure isn’t as easy as it sounds, so to ease things up a bit, we’ve gathered all that you need to know to throw an indelible birthday party!
The first birthday is no less than a milestone in the life of parents and the child both, and most parents plan on making it the best experience their kid has ever had. First things first, there are no “rules” for baby/toddler birthday parties. If you’re a good planner, then throwing a memorable birthday party might come naturally to you, but what about those party favors you had in mind? Party favors are a fun way to engage parents as well as children in your baby’s birthday party. It’s a unique yet light-hearted party idea that both kids and other parents enjoy receiving. You can put in things that are useful for the kids and decorate them according to the party’s theme. Avoid putting stuff like whistles and slime in the party bags, which might end up in the trash can after some time.
Essentials for a First Birthday Party
It’s time to roll up those sleeves and get to work! We’ve jotted down a bunch of ideas to help you put together an unforgettable first birthday party! Here are some tips and essentials that you might need to keep in mind while planning your child’s birthday party.
Choose The Perfect Venue
Throwing the perfect party requires you to get your hands on the perfect venue. Be it a restaurant that your family enjoys or a cozy celebration at home, getting to set the most perfect picture requires you to get your hands on the ideal venue for your child’s first birthday party!
Choosing the venue might seem like a lot of work, so here we are! Here’s a list of some venues that you can go for according to your mood, theme, and budget.
At Your Home
Planning to throw a perfect party that is too in your budget? Why not do it at your home? The memories you’ve made there are endless and would surely spark joy in your little one’s eyes as soon as you light up the room with ornaments and birthday candles!
At The Beach
On your baby’s first trip around the sun, why not go out on the beach to lighten up the mood? Who doesn’t like going to the beach your child might even enjoy the cool breeze caresses! It might as well be the perfect spot for those candid pictures. So, get those sunny day vibes theme on to get the party started!
At A Restaurant
Do you have a local restaurant that your baby just absolutely adores? Why not book a birthday party venue at the same place? You can check in with the management of the restaurant to book the perfect spot for the surprise.
Narrow Down The Theme
It isn’t easy to know what your baby likes or dislikes. They’re just a year old, and it isn’t obvious for most children. But what about the aesthetics? You can’t just put together a party that has no theme. Well, here are some ideas that you can look into if you want to decide on the theme of your wee one’s first birthday.
Circus-Themed Birthday Party
Funny hats and magicians would surely light up your baby’s first birthday! With carnival games for children and their parents to engage in, you can make your baby’s first birthday happen and have fun!
You can set up carnival-themed games, costumes, and entertainers to make things more exciting for your wee one and their friends!
Rainbow-Themed Birthday Party
Colorful themes do intrigue little ones so you can set up a rainbow-themed birthday party to make instill joy in your little one’s heart! If your baby is a fan of unicorns, then a rainbow theme birthday party might be the way to go!
Get them the cutest yet most colorful birthday outfit and make sure the cake is as colorful as it can be. A classic pinata would work wonders in this theme so try to get your hands on a unicorn-shaped piñata to make things more engaging. With glitter and sparkle all the way, your baby would surely enjoy this theme to the fullest!
Wildlife Or Farm-Themed Birthday Party
If your wee one enjoys watching animal planet and owns a ton of animal toys, then it’s safe to say that they love animals.
Get them a cake with animal-themed toppers such as a lion sitting at the top or a monkey hanging from the side.
Cartoon-Themed Birthday Party
If your baby enjoys watching SpongeBob or Winnie the Pooh on television, then set the theme according to their interest. Get them their favorite stuffed toys and set up the decorations according to the theme. But hey, don’t forget the cake! Get a cake decorator or order online for a personalized birthday cake.
Get A Cake And Decorations
Whether it’s the aesthetics or you’re just worried about the taste of it, getting the perfect cake for your baby’s birthday party might not be an easy job. With so many flavors to choose from, it can be overwhelming to predict what your friends and family might enjoy. Try to get a universal cake, like chocolate or vanilla.
Make sure the cake is decorated with the birthday theme. You can book and discuss it with an online cake decorator/baker to make things easier for you.
Make A Guest List
As trivial as it may seem, deciding on who to invite to your baby’s first birthday party might be a crucial task as it revolves around the venue as well as your budget. If you are planning to make it memorable yet low-key, then add in your family and close friends only.
If you’re planning to throw a big birthday party for your little one, you can call in your friends, family, neighbors, and even your baby’s friends they’ve made.
Send The Invitations
Get the invitations printed in time to send them. Design them according to your theme. You can find multiple inspirations from the endless pool of ideas on the internet, that too according to your baby’s first birthday party theme!
Making Party Favors
Not essential but engaging, getting your guests these perfect personalized gift bags might make things more interesting for your toddler’s friends and their parents!
What Are Some Great Party Favor Ideas for 1-Year-Olds?
With all of that out of the way, just after you’re done sending out those invitations, you might be worried about those party favors. Well, putting together the perfect party favor bag is not that easy. Aligned with your wee one’s birthday theme, party favors ensure their friends also feel included!
Managing to put together interesting yet thoughtful party favors might seem like a difficult job, but here are some great party favor ideas that you can choose from.
Eatable Cookie Favor Bags
What’s a problem that cookies cannot solve? Personalized and themed cookies might take this party to a whole other level! Be it the classic chocolate chip cookies or a gingerbread man, kids would adore this flavor!
Birthday Beach Ball
If you’re planning to throw the first birthday at a beach then giving the children and adults beach balls might be the way to go! Colorful yet themed according to the party, you can get these children to play the games they like.
Coloring Books
Some children adore coloring books, and these might serve as the perfect favor gifts for your baby’s first birthday! You can find the perfect coloring book according to your toddler’s birthday theme on the internet.
Be it a unicorn-themed birthday or a dinosaur-themed historical birthday bash, coloring books are a good way to engage kids in activities that are helpful and calming for children.
Birthday Wrist Band
Wristbands might be a way of making your kid’s friends feel special! Customize it the way you like it! Theme-based wristbands might make things more exciting for your little one and their friends as well as parents.
Pencil Cases And Crayons
Cute little pastel unicorn pencil cases as first birthday party favors for a rainbow-themed birthday party might be a good idea for your child’s celebration. You can add some crayons into these pencil cases and let kids enjoy drawing during the party as an activity.
Favor Bags to Match Your Theme
Planning to put together goodie bags but worried about how to match them to your theme? Well here are some ways you can put together a goodie bag that matches your child’s birthday decor!
Be it a Mickey/Minnie-themed birthday party or a wildlife-themed one, setting up the perfect goodie bag is possible only if you think hard enough.
Use The Perfect Gift Wrap
Favor packaging plays a significant role so wrap the goodies in interesting gift wraps to make them blend into the party’s theme. Make sure the color of the bag is to your party’s color palette.
Shaped Cookies
Cookies can be shaped in any way you want them so why not use this to your advantage? For a wildlife-themed birthday party try to get different animal-shaped cookies to make things more fun!
Add In Relatable Goodies
A small teddy bear might be a wonderful option if you are planning to throw a teddy bear-themed birthday party. You can also add candy or gummies to excite children!
For a race-car-themed birthday party, get toy cars, and for a unicorn-themed party, you can gift the kids a stuffed toy. You can also add party-themed sippy cups as a favor. Other things you can add up include stickers and art supplies in these favor boxes.
Where To Buy These Favors?
You can buy such cute part favors online from Etsy stores or shop from local small businesses on Instagram. Make sure you communicate what exactly you need and how much you need them. After that, you can create these boxes yourself.
For the cookies, you can contact the same baker if they can make you these favors, but if not, you can bake them on your own.
What Not To Gift As Birthday Party Favors?
Make sure you keep in mind that these children might not be old enough to know what to eat and what not to eat. Anything, actually almost everything makes its way into their mouth one way or another so make sure you avoid things that might choke them! Not gifting small pieces of gifts might help you avoid possible choking hazards.
You can also avoid food items if you are scared that a toddler might develop a severe allergic reaction. Try to be cautious while adding sugar candies into these favorite bags as well.
Is It Rude to Not Give Goodie Bags?
Already stepping out of your budget and there’s no room or time for these party favors? Well, it’s okay to not give party favor bags to guests, and it isn’t an obligation to do so. It’s just a fun way of saying thanks to the people that joined you on this unforgettable day and making them feel extra special!
Do not stress yourself out if you can’t manage to add in such birthday party favor boxes, throwing a good engaging birthday party would be enough for your friends and family to enjoy. It’s all about the memories, isn’t it?
Final Thoughts
As your baby leaves infancy behind, you might be worried about how to throw the most memorable birthday for your little one. Booking the perfect venue, and getting the decor done, all whilst taking care of a wee baby, is sure a lot of work! Setting up the best gifts for your guests might be a lot of pressure, but it isn’t as difficult as it seems.
Try to set a theme and plan party favors accordingly, but this isn’t set in stone. If it’s out of your budget, you can skip such party favors easily. It’s just a nice gesture towards your guests.
You can put wristbands, cookies, coloring books, and crayons into your baby’s friends’ gift bags. Try to make things easy by buying them online on Etsy. You can also add in sippy cups or toys that challenge their fine motor skills. Try to avoid anything that they might swallow or choke on.
