FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS - IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE!
 

 

It only happens once, so be sure to plan accordingly so you arrive at your little one's first celebration of life in a great mood ready to enjoy the festivities. The alternative is to stress yourself to the max, arrive exhausted, wide-eyed, and frazzled!

 

Invite only the friends and family that are most important in your child's life. Too much fuss and activity, people, and hoopla may cause some toddlers to become overly excited and suffer a meltdown.

 

FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS - PRESERVE THE MEMORIES--THEY'LL THANK YOU LATER

 

Obviously, your baby's first birthday party is more for the parents at the time it occurs. However, you'll want to be sure to make it special and preserve the memories so you may share them with your child as he or she gets older. They'll be able to appreciate your efforts and see all the family and friends who attended to honor and celebrate their birth.

 

FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS - DOCUMENT THE EVENT

 

Check your cameras, video recorders, etc. ahead of time to ensure you have sufficiently charged batteries, film, media cards, etc. As parents, you want to be sure to be available to enjoy the celebration and participate accordingly. Designate official photographers and videographers to catch all those special moments. Use older siblings, relatives, friends, photography students, or hire a pro.

 

FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS - CREATING THE DVD

 

Have someone shoot video or take digital pictures so you may create a keepsake DVD. To truly document that special first year of life, you might want to include a few shots of things like your baby's bedroom, that special toy they love, their well-worn blanket that they drag around with them, etc. Add their favorite song to play in the background.

 

FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS - CREATE THE TREASURED SCRAPBOOK KEEPSAKE

 

Have older siblings help you create the 1st birthday party scrapbook. Place your photos in chronological order. Be sure to set aside a clean themed napkin, a blank invitation, deflated Mylar balloon, streamers, ribbons, etc. to use in decorating the scrapbook.

 

You might consider incorporating photos of other firsts like the first photo of baby which might be a sonogram picture or a swollen belly. Add photos of the first bath, first food, crawling, standing, walking, crying, playing, hugging, kissing, etc., all of which lead up to the first birthday.

 

FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS - FOR THE ACTUAL EVENT

 

Create your invitations and place a photo of your baby on the front. Say something fun like, Hooray for you, Hooray for me, Come have fun, I'm turning one! On the reverse side add all of the party details.

 

Decorate your party room to create that special 1st birthday party theme that you have selected. Perfect ideas for this age are Noah's Ark, Alphabet Party, Winnie the Pooh, Elmo, Baby Einstein, Teddy Bear, and Sesame Street, just to name a few.

 

For games, stack soft blocks, sing simple songs and do hand/body motions, or read a book to the little ones in a very animated fashion. Toddlers love to go for rides so why not give them what they desire by decorating cardboard boxes that are large enough for your toddler to sit in. Put a pillow in each box for comfort. Line them up and have the parents push them to the finish line.

 

Remember to have food and munchies for all the adults, along with goodies for the babies. Make a plain cake special and match your cake to your theme by topping it off with little plastic decorations, a cake topper, or an edible sugar art image. Add some sprinkles, confetti, curling ribbons, and theme candles and your cake instantly becomes a masterpiece suitable as a centerpiece.

 

Have a wonderful first birthday party. As you can see, it doesn't take much to create a celebration to remember!