Look Who’s Turning 1! A First Birthday Party Idea For A Major Celebration

First Birthday Party Idea:

We’ve collected quality ideas to make your baby’s first birthday celebration a great party experience for both parents and kids.

This first milestone year is as much about the parents celebrating their monumental first year of parenthood as it is for the birthday baby. We have just the right party ideas for the big day - Look who's turning 1!

Although your birthday baby may not understand what all the commotion is about, she will be aware that this is a special day. Be sure to capture this important milestone celebration with pictures and other mementos that she is sure to treasure when she’s older.

By using a more general theme, you’ll find the opportunity to let YOUR creativity run !

Invitations Our first birthday party idea for invitations is, on cardstock or opaque vellum paper, print:

Look who’s turning 1!
Please join us on Saturday, November 20th at 2pm
11301 South Hill Lane
541.551.1111

>Consider adding a keepsake photo magnet of the birthday baby to the invitation. You can complete this project by purchasing magnetic strips with an adhesive side and an inexpensive, small acrylic picture frame at your local craft store. Then, simply insert a copy of a picture of the birthday baby in the frame and attach the magnetic strip.

Create a copy of your birthday baby’s handprint using black ink on cardstock, and attach it on the opposite side of the invitation for a memorable touch to this first birthday party idea.

If you decide to use a theme in addition to ‘Look who’s turning 1!’ you may consider using cardstock or paper for the invitations that reflects your theme.

Party Plan 1 hour, 30 minutes

:00 Beginning several days before the celebration, it is a great first birthday party idea to prepare the birthday baby by singing ‘Happy Birthday’ blowing out a candle and opening presents. A dry run or two will help prepare her for all of the excitement.

:20 Guests arrive. A memorable first birthday idea is to have a tablecloth decorated with the birthday baby’s hand and foot prints. Use either a solid fabric or an inexpensive flat sheet for the tablecloth and have a fabric marker handy for guests to autograph and write their special first birthday greetings as they arrive at the party.

Be sure to use a liner, such as butcher-paper, underneath the tablecloth to save your table from the fabric marker. This will create a memorable souvenir of the first birthday celebration.

:30 Activities. Kid’s play & grown-up’s mingle.

:15 Cake & fun food Remember to have two cakes – one for guests and one for the birthday baby to dig into – or better yet – it is a great first birthday idea to use the mini version - cupcakes!

:25 It’s a wrap! Open presents as the birthday baby’s attention span allows. Guests will surely understand if the birthday baby loses interest or becomes cranky! Have the goodie bags ready to go in a basket near the door as guests depart.

Decorations A great first birthday idea to build your first birthday celebration is ‘Look who’s turning 1!’ However, if your guest list includes many young children, or the birthday baby is especially fond of a character, animal, activity, you may consider adding elements to ‘Look who’s turning 1!’ Again, this is an opportunity to let YOUR creativity run WILD!

A good place to start for ‘Look who’s turning 1!’ is to choose a color or festive polka dots or stripes to coordinate your party invitations and decorations with.

As we mentioned earlier, a memorable first birthday idea is to have a tablecloth decorated with the birthday baby’s hand and foot prints. Use either a solid fabric or an inexpensive flat sheet for the tablecloth and have a fabric marker handy for guests to autograph and write their special first birthday greetings as they arrive at the party. Be sure to use a liner, such as butcher-paper, underneath the tablecloth to save your table from the fabric marker.

This will create a festive decoration and a memorable souvenir of the first birthday celebration.

You may also consider making a collage of family pictures taken over baby’s first year on a poster board reflecting back on ‘What a year it’s been!’

Balloons and a variety of toy balls always add fun and festivity to the party atmosphere.

Do keep safety in mind with balloons. Latex balloons pose a choking hazard if they pop. It is a good first birthday idea to keep balloons out of reach, or under close adult supervision.

When decorating, also keep in mind that toddler guests will pull themselves up on just about anything. Keep any streamers out of reach and be sure to tuck and secure table clothes under the table, to keep the little guests safe and your decorations in place.

At Wild-Child-Birthday-Parties.com, we have found that a great first birthday idea is to keep the theme and decorations fun and festive, but simple. Simplicity in the area of decorations not only helps create a safe party atmosphere, it also helps the birthday baby to be pleasantly unaware in the midst of all of the attention and excitement.

Activities Simplicity is the name of the game for first birthday party activities.

It is a great first birthday party idea to have age appropriate toys on blankets to keep the little ones entertained under the watchful eyes of parents.

Entertainment for preschool and elementary age guests might include a craft table with a variety of paper, stickers, crayons and coloring books. Remember to keep the small items (any item that could pass through a cardboard toilet paper tube is a choking hazard) out of baby’s reach.

Keeping to the traditional birthday party activities; the guests, cake & ice cream and presents provides more than enough fun and entertainment for the birthday baby!

Cake & Fun Food Cupcakes are a great first birthday party idea – they are just the right size for little guests and grown-ups alike! Consider using the theme color and the number one as decorating touches.

If you would like a traditional cake, decorating the cake to look like baby’s favorite stacking cups is festive for the occasion.

We have also found a variety of creative cake decorating ideas at http://www.bettycrocker.com.

Another great first birthday party idea is to scoop ice cream ahead of time and place the scoops in cupcake liners. Store covered in the freezer until cake time. With a busy birthday baby and guests, this is a terrific time saver!

Watch out for hot dogs, grapes, popcorn, hard candies, nuts – all which can be a choking hazard for toddlers age 3 and under.

For a short, afternoon party, simple snacks served creatively will be all that is needed to please the kids and adults.

Goodie Bags A great first birthday party idea for the goodie bag is to send guests home with a personalized candy bar. Replace the candy bar wrapper with the personalized version: ‘You’re Sweet! Thanks for coming to my first birthday celebration! Love, Henry’ Include a picture of the birthday baby on the personalized wrapper.

Another great first birthday party idea for the goodie bag is to send guests home with a picture of the birthday baby in a frame. Purchase an inexpensive 4” x 6” acrylic frame, fabric and ribbon. Trim the fabric to fit the frame and cut out a window. Glue the fabric to the frame. Insert the picture, centered in the window. Glue a bow as a finishing touch.

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