Planning Baby's First Birthday Party

Baby’s 1st birthday is a celebration, not just for Baby but for Mom and Dad as well.  You’ve made it through the first year and you’re all in one piece… it’s time to celebrate!

Decide what type of birthday party you would like to have for your little one. Some prefer a special dinner with homemade cake and immediate family only, while others make a day of the event and invite everyone they know! It is really a matter of personal choice, as the baby isn’t going to remember this first birthday… this occasion is more for family and friends to celebrate.

A stay-at-home party with other small children is fun for everyone involved but can be a lot of work. If you plan to invite the children of your friends and relatives, make sure the parents are prepared to stay and help out. Send invitations out at least two weeks in advance, with directions to your home. You can never have too many sets of eyes when children get together to play!

All kids parties should have plenty of fun and age appropriate games to keep the kids entertained. Ideally, a children’s party will last from two to four hours – anything longer than this makes it very difficult to find things for the kids to do. Plan simple, relatively neat foods like pizza or hot dogs to keep you out of the kitchen and in amongst the action.

If you don’t have time to bake a cake, pick one up at the local bakery. Make sure you have plenty for all of your guests!

A fun family dinner could include grandparents, aunts and uncles, or just you and Baby. As long as you’re spending time together, you’re making memories and that is what counts!

A homemade and hand decorated cake or cupcakes are a must for your baby’s first birthday. Don’t worry about using a bib – Take their shirt right off and let them tackle the cake with both hands! You will get some priceless pictures, but they’ll need to hit the bathtub right after dinner.

A “Day Away” birthday party helps to keep everyone entertained without destroying your home in the process. While this can be a more expensive option, planning, decorating and clean up are much easier tasks.

When it comes to planning activities, the sky is the limit! You could take everyone out to a theme restaurant, petting zoo or tobogganing. If you do choose an outing like this, make sure you have enough car seats and drivers to accommodate all of your tiny guests.

Whatever you decide on, buy all of your plates, decorations and invitations a few weeks before the party in case you can’t find just what you were looking for. Don’t sweat the small stuff – your baby will enjoy the party even if you bought the wrong color of plates! Have fun celebrating your child’s first birthday and keep the camera handy!