Planning Your Baby’s First Birthday Party – The Ultimate Guide

During the late afternoon, most kids become lethargic and may not be willing to indulge in any activity. This is because the afternoon is their nap time after having lunch so this is not the time when they will interact much. So, having this party late in the afternoon may not be a great idea. The worst time to schedule the party is when your baby is tired.

If you are expecting a lot of guests at the party, then you must plan according to your baby’s active schedule. This will help them interact with the guests and enjoy their birthday party. Moreover, you can even include havan, puja, and other religious ceremonies as it’s your child’s first birthday, so make it auspicious as well.

How Many People Should You Consider Inviting to the Birthday Party?

The number of people you would want to invite completely depends on your preferences.  Some may wish to have a simple party with close family and friends. Others may wish to have a huge celebration and invite extended family and friends to the event.

If you plan to have a lot of invitees, you may need to book a spacious venue with plans for serving lunch, dinner and/or snacks depending on the time. However, if you have a limited budget, you can celebrate with people who are close to you.

If it’s going to be an intimate affair, you could even invite the baby’s grandparents as they are the ones who would be so happy to see their grandson or granddaughter turning 1. If you are planning for a huge bash, then you can think of inviting your co-workers, extended family members, and others. Keep in mind that your baby may or may not feel comfortable around so many people and you will need to plan accordingly.

Venue Options For the Baby’s First Birthday Party

Once you have decided on the guest list, the next step will be to choose the right venue for the celebrations.

Limited Guests

• If you have a big and spacious home and you may want to celebrate your baby’s first birthday only at home, then you opt for celebrating at home, especially when your guest list is limited to family and close friends.
• Hosting an event at home means that your guests can hang out for longer at your home and play with your baby.
• Your baby can feel most comfortable in familiar settings and planning a party at home can be a good idea.
• Throwing a party at your own home can be a great option but when doing this, you need to make sure that your home doesn’t get overcrowded, and guests don’t feel suffocated.
• You also need to plan everything well so that you don’t feel overwhelmed once the celebrations start.
• Opting for food catering can be extremely helpful when planning your baby’s birthday party at your home.

Large Gatherings

You have multiple options when you are planning an outdoor celebration for a large guest list. You can choose to celebrate at

• Apartment community halls
• Restaurants
• Function halls or banquet halls attached to hotels and restaurants
• Kids’ play areas in shopping malls
• Resorts
• Parks

When choosing an outdoor venue, apart from the budget and food, you can check on the special arrangements that the venue can make to make the party special.

If you are picking an outdoor venue, do keep the weather in mind. Neither your baby nor the guests should feel uncomfortable.

Choosing the First Birthday Party Theme

For many parents, the entire birthday planning may revolve around the theme and the theme becomes the starting point for planning every other aspect such as cake, outfits and return gifts. So, how to choose a theme?

Your baby’s favorite cartoon character, animal, rhyme or even movie can be a good place to start. You can choose themes specific to boys or girls too. If you find that your baby has a certain liking for a color, that also can be a good place to start choosing your theme. If you are totally clueless, you can also look to the internet for inspiration. 

[Read : First Birthday Ideas and Themes]

Selecting the Birthday Cake For the Party

More often than not, a cake is a centerpiece for any birthday. The bigger and more fascinating the cake, the better. You can match the cake with the birthday theme. This is a simple way to choose a cake. You can also choose a cake based on your baby’s favorite cartoon character or animal and base the complete birthday theme around it. Alternatively, you can also decide based on your baby’s dietary requirements or even likes and dislikes, coz let’s face it, it’s your baby’s birthday and they should get to taste at least a bit of their birthday cake.

If you are confused about what to pick, you can always turn to the internet for inspiration. Also, you can choose a home baker for customizations if you are looking for a sugar-free cake or a cake to suit your baby’s needs, especially if your baby has allergies. Commercial cakes may have colors added that may not be safe for your baby. In such cases, a professional home baker can help you get the cake best suited for your munchkin.

Mickey mouse, suit and tie and angry bird are some of the popular cake themes for boys while for girls you can choose a princess, castle, or Cinderella theme for the cake.

[Read : Top Creative First Birthday Cake Ideas For Your Little Munchkins]

Choosing Outfits For the First Birthday Party

Your little prince/princess deserves the best on their special day, and choosing the right outfit is of utmost importance. You can choose an outfit to match with the theme of the party or choose something more traditional. Modern outfits can make your baby look cute and stand out in the crowd too. Just remember to pick breathable clothes that your baby feels comfortable in. It can be quite confusing to pick the right dress for your munchkin. If you are looking to pick a first birthday dress for a baby girl, click here. For tips and ideas for choosing dress ideas for choosing first birthday dress for boys, you can click here.

Too many accessories can cause your munchkin to feel uncomfortable and can cause choking risk too.

Also, remember to pick a second more comfortable casual outfit to change your baby once the main event is over. Babies would not like to stay in heavy or party outfits for a long time. 

Once you choose your baby’s outfit, you can plan coordinating outfits for the parents, siblings and grandparents as well.

Picking Food Options For the Baby’s First Birthday Party

The food options can depend on the type of gathering, the time of the celebrations, and the venue.

For afternoon or night parties, you can plan to serve lunch for your guests depending on the tastes and preferences of the majority of invitees. Most party venues offer buffets to cater to the specific needs of the invitees.

For evening parties at home, you can even serve snacks at the party such as chaats, sandwiches, french fries, nacho chat, anything that can be easy to serve for you and will not disturb the flow of the party.

Buying Gift For the Birthday Baby

Your baby is your precious gift, and now is the time to gift them something special that they can use for a long time and cherish it too. As your baby grows into a toddler, they learn new skills. Your gift can be something that can help them hone these skills as they play with it. You can choose to buy an age-appropriate toy or a toy set, a musical instrument, a busy box, a puzzle, or even a push toy. Other options can include kitchen sets or a piece of furniture for your baby’s room.

If you are still confused on ideas, here are a couple of leads for you. If you are looking to buy a first birthday gift for your baby girl, click here to know the top 10 trending options. For the top 10 first birthday gifts for your baby boy, you can click here.

Choosing Return Gifts For Junior Invitees

Your baby is the center of attraction of their first birthday party but kids whom you invite also add a lot of color and fun to the event. It will be good to allow them to go home with lots of memories and some return gifts. You can send kids back with something useful that they can play with or make use of every day. Stationery sets, paint sets, lunch boxes, water bottles, in-trend toys are some of the options you can choose from. Activity kits can also be excellent options for return gifts for first birthday parties.

Personalized gifts are also trending big time. Your junior invitees will feel special when they see their name on your baby’s return gifts. You must first set aside a budget a consider the number of kids being invited to the party and their age group before settling on the gifts you wish to give out. 

[Read : 10 Awesome Return Gift Ideas For Your Baby’s 1st Birthday Party]

Planning Events/ Hiring Event Management Services

The trend of hiring MCs to make the first birthday party even more fun and memorable has caught on in a big way. Most party venues will have attached event planners. You can take the help of these services and this option is generally more affordable since it can be a part of the venue package. Alternatively, you can contact independent event managers or take it upon yourself too to conduct the event. Make sure that your venue has all the equipment such as mikes and speakers available before you plan to have events as a part of the birthday party. 

Keeping the Adult and Kid Guests Busy

Once you hire an MC, they will usually take care of keeping the guests-both kids and adults busy. But if you have not hired an MC, then you will have to make arrangements to ensure that the guests do not get bored irrespective of their age.

Some of the events you can include in the first birthday party can include magic shows, tattoo stations, small quizzes/ games and prizes for kids, dumb charades, and a small play area where kids can play and stay busy. You can also arrange for puppet shows where kids can stay busy watching interesting stories.

You can create separate hang-out areas for adults where they can reconnect and spend time together. Including games appropriate for adults can be fun too. You can have all-age inclusive games where everyone can have fun. Do not forget to organize games between families where everyone can participate.

Arranging For Photographers and Videographers

A photographer plays a major role in capturing those precious moments that you and your family, even your little munchkin, will treasure for the rest of their lives. If you are planning a big function, it is always advisable to hire a professional birthday photographer who specializes in baby photography. They will have the needed equipment and you can get videos made too. If you are planning to take the pictures on your own, ensure that you designate one person who will cover all the important events properly. Try and check if anyone you know has a good camera which you can borrow for the event.

Planning a Quiet Place For Your Baby

This often-neglected aspect in planning a baby’s birthday party is extremely important. One year olds can get extremely cranky when they are tired, hungry or do not like a lot of people around. A cranky baby is not what we want, we want our little one to enjoy the event too. So, it is important to have a room or a quiet space where you can take the baby to calm down or have food/milk when they are hungry. Once they have settled and feel better, you can get them back into the party.

Your baby’s first birthday is an extremely enjoyable time for you. Planning baby’s first birthday party meticulously and well ahead of time will ensure that you too enjoy the party without feeling overwhelmed or stressed out. You can always talk to family, friends, and other moms for suggestions. And finally, try and stay stress-free. Your baby’s birthday is a moment of joy and accomplishment for you too. Take this moment to celebrate your joy and success.

FAQ’s

1. Can Babies Eat Cake on Their First Birthday?

Absolutely yes, your baby can undoubtedly enjoy cake on their first birthday. Babies are encouraged to start consuming solids right after they turn 6. So, it’s safe to feed your baby cake on their first birthday.

2. What is a Healthy Alternative to Birthday Cake?

There are many healthy alternatives to birthday cakes such as oatmeal cakes, banana bread bars, pancakes, and much more. Check with professional home bakers who specialize in birthday cakes for healthier cake options best suited for your munchkin.

Read Also: Simple Ways to Celebrate Baby’s First Birthday Without a Party