1st Birthday Ideas/Tips?

[SweetErika]

Our son is turning one next month, so it's time to start planning his party (which will be mostly adults and maybe 5 kids from 9-18 months).

Hopefully, the event will not be at our house, which isn't great for that many people, and I'd like to keep it fairly low-key and inexpensive because our kiddo can get overstimulated easily, none of the kids will remember this and I want this to be a celebration, rather than a stress-inducing event.

So, with those parameters in mind, does anyone have any ideas or advice?

 

[Ellafun]

Don't know if you have anything like a "Chuck E. Cheese" in your area of the world SE, but they have pretty good birthday packages that cover pizza & soft drinks for the adults...

Low key is easy...just have some finger foods (chips/pretzels for the grown ups, cheerios for the kids) soft drinks, juice, and the cake, and call it a day. Balloons make great decorations and then take home party favors for the children. I used to go on Familyfun.com all the time to get ideas when kids were little. Remember that the first birthday party is more for you than for your little buddy...take lots of pictures of him playing with the cake! If I think of anything brilliant, I'll send you a pm...
Congratulations to the little man!

 

[Berwyn]

Lots of food store chains will give you a small cake for free for first birthday, soo look around. A lot of people like to get a small cake just for the birthday child and let them destroy...I mean eat it
What kinda advice are you looking for exactly otherwise? Like you said, he ain't gonna remember it anyway, so it's more for you and the family than him.

 

[SweetErika]

Don't know if you have anything like a "Chuck E. Cheese" in your area of the world SE, but they have pretty good birthday packages that cover pizza & soft drinks for the adults...

We do, but last I heard, it was really lousy, overpriced food and not fun for adults. I can foresee doing something like that when he's older because most kids love it, but I'm not going to put adults through that. We also have a children's museum close, but we checked it out last night, and he's still a bit young. I'm thinking we'll probably end up renting a room at a community center and bringing some toys for the kids since the weather is too iffy at that time to do something outdoorsy, like a park or zoo with babies/toddlers.

Low key is easy...just have some finger foods (chips/pretzels for the grown ups, cheerios for the kids) soft drinks, juice, and the cake, and call it a day. Balloons make great decorations and then take home party favors for the children. I used to go on Familyfun.com all the time to get ideas when kids were little. Remember that the first birthday party is more for you than for your little buddy...take lots of pictures of him playing with the cake! If I think of anything brilliant, I'll send you a pm...
Congratulations to the little man!

Good idea on the balloons, and I'll have to check out FamilyFun.

His actual bday is St. Patrick's Day, so I thought about doing a green/lucky theme.

I know it's for the adults, and if we weren't having family in from out of town at that time, we'd probably just do the maternal grandparents and like one friend at home. But my husband's side seems to expect something more, so that's going to add to the headcount and everything.

 

[coastal-boy]

balloons are great, but you also have to be very careful...broken balloons and 1 yr olds means into their mouth it goes.

We made a cake specially for ours...with lots of creame filling so that it felt fun in her hands

 

[SweetErika]

Lots of food store chains will give you a small cake for free for first birthday, soo look around. A lot of people like to get a small cake just for the birthday child and let them destroy...I mean eat it
What kinda advice are you looking for exactly otherwise? Like you said, he ain't gonna remember it anyway, so it's more for you and the family than him.

Well. like that kind of advice! I knew to get a separate small cake/cupcake for him to smash, but I never thought to ask if the store did it for free (or like w/ purchase of a larger cake).

I suppose I'm just looking to learn from others' experiences throwing or attending first bday parties. Like even what kind of party favors are appropriate for that age group? Would it be appropriate to ask people to make a donation to his college fund in lieu of a material gift since that's what he really needs? Any 'I wish we/they had done X instead of Y?' type of things? I'm pretty much a blank slate on this since I haven't attended any first bdays yet and just started thinking about it.

 

[Ellafun]

balloons are great, but you also have to be very careful...broken balloons and 1 yr olds means into their mouth it goes.

We made a cake specially for ours...with lots of creame filling so that it felt fun in her hands

Right about the balloons; at that age, though, you can be sure that the parents are still paying attention!!!

 

[fire_breeze]

No bambinos of my own and am not a parent, but you did say that you wanted to hear the experiences of those who attended as well. I've attended all my nieces and nephews 1st and I seem to recall that epsilons don't really care about birthdays until they are bout 4 or 5, so while there were children running around, it was adult oriented, much like the Muppets are.

The best one I went to was for my youngest nephew 4 years ago; there were finger food, some wine and juice, snacks for the kids, and of course cake. We had the candle for on the adult cake, helped him blow it out, and then we gave the children separate cupcakes. It was then we discovered that birthday boy isn't big on sweets . While the mess was incredible, it was fun just to watch them rip it apart.

I also liked the fact that it was short (3 hours); as the auntie, I'm sort of obligated to be there for the whole time but this short time was perfect for everyone, including the parents. It wasn't draining, there weren't any crying and it didn't really take the whole day. For all the others, the parties were a whole afternoon thing and it was much too long.

I usually ask the Mother what to bring as a gift, who asks for stuff like diapers or even donation for a larger gift. If you feel uncomfortable doing that, maybe get a close friend/relative to start a pot; have him or her call and say something along the lines of "Hey, I know SweetE has invited you to the little punk's first birthday - I'm thinking of starting a college fund for him, would you mind donating 20$?" This way, they (the guests) are not obligated if they don't want to, but they have a clear idea of what is needed and can chose. It lets your desires known without being too pushy about it, in my opinion. Just don't be surprised if the guests do bring a little gift in addition to the donation. I do it all the time.

Again, as these parties are for the adults, the party favours can be something small. A small, elegant candy bag, or a framed photo of the pumpkin is ample. For my youngest niece, we had a pacifier with a small photo of her attached to it, reading "thank you for celebrating my 1st with me". Or something St. Patrick themed, like a shamrock button with the little leprechaun's photo in the middle. Maybe sending a group picture after the party. And who says that there needs to be party favours anyway?

And congratulations

 

[bailadora]

Oh, bless you a million times over for not subjecting the adults to Chuck E. Cheese. I hate that place.

The community center idea is excellent, as is Fire Breeze's idea to keep it short. I'd say 3 hours maximum. I also concur that party favors are really not necessary, but if you feel compelled to do something for the bambinos, what about a small gift bag of individually packaged toddler treats/snacks. I'm thinking things like Goldfish, Gerber Fruit snacks, yogurt melts, 'nilla wafers. Stuff the kiddos usually like to eat, aren't choking hazards and that the parents can actually use the next time they have to leave the house.

Oh, and if at all possible, try to hold the party well before or after nap time. Tired bambinos turn cranky very quickly.

A year old already? Wow, how fast time flies.

 

[NippleMuncher]

Has it been a year already? Doesn't seem like a second over 11 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 19 hours, 14 minutes ...

Time sure flies. I wish I had something helpful to add, in lieu of that, congrats on the 1 year mark, I hope that the critter, you and dad are all doing well.

 

[omgitselaine]

My best advice is to try to keep it simple thus you're not stressed out and can actually enjoy the day and of course the company of those attending !

Perhaps a hall where you can have the food catered and decorated nicely with ballons ?? It's a celebration of son's birthday which is the most important thing and those going wants to celebrate with you and your husband !

Congratulations and i hope you do enjoy !!

 

[Ellafun]

Oh, bless you a million times over for not subjecting the adults to Chuck E. Cheese. I hate that place.

The community center idea is excellent, as is Fire Breeze's idea to keep it short. I'd say 3 hours maximum. I also concur that party favors are really not necessary, but if you feel compelled to do something for the bambinos, what about a small gift bag of individually packaged toddler treats/snacks. I'm thinking things like Goldfish, Gerber Fruit snacks, yogurt melts, 'nilla wafers. Stuff the kiddos usually like to eat, aren't choking hazards and that the parents can actually use the next time they have to leave the house.

Oh, and if at all possible, try to hold the party well before or after nap time. Tired bambinos turn cranky very quickly.

A year old already? Wow, how fast time flies.

Hey, y'all! Don't be judging Chuck E Cheese! We have two around us, and over the past couple of years, the quality of the food and the service have actually been quite remarkably impressive...I suggested it because it's simple, and easy.

I like the cupcake idea...no frosting, and I would love it even more! The toddler snack idea for favors is also a great tip. If you can reserve the community center for free, kudos...if not, can you just have the party at your home? And as far as the gifts...that's a tough call. Asking for money can make guests feel uncomfortable. I'm sure whatever you plan will be fun, and everyone will have a great time!

 

[bailadora]

Hey, y'all! Don't be judging Chuck E Cheese! !

Oh the older kids love it, that's for sure and the hosting parents don't have to do much other than pay for the party and provide the cake, so in that sense, it IS easy. But, honestly I do think it's a little much for the toddler set. When my kids were that young, they were easily overwhelmed by the noise level (which is still off the charts) and I was constantly chasing after them in the game area, worried they were either going to get lost or mowed down by the bigger kids running amok.

 

[NippleMuncher]

running amok.

Yeah, you gotta watch out for those running amoks! They're very dangerous in their native environment!

 

[Aquagal]

Chuck E. Cheese doesn't have much to offer for that age group. And the food stinks and it IS very loud and can be over stimulating for littles.

 

[Lunar_Eclipse]

Wow! A year already? Oh how quickly the time has gone by! Well, when I was little, my parents always held it at home, so perhaps one of the other parents house, or if your living somewhere with decent weather, a park? Then just some decorations and inexpensive snack foods and a little cake~

 

[SweetErika]

balloons are great, but you also have to be very careful...broken balloons and 1 yr olds means into their mouth it goes.

We made a cake specially for ours...with lots of creame filling so that it felt fun in her hands

Yeah, I thought of the choking hazard. I was more picturing helium-filled or bunches so they'd be out of reach of little hands and mouths, but were still festive and could be taken home for decoration and supervised play.

I didn't think of the feel of the cake, but that's a great thing to consider. Wherever we are, the kiddos will definitely eat their cake over a disposable sheet, tablecloth, dropcloth, etc., so we're not in for a massive cleanup.

No bambinos of my own and am not a parent, but you did say that you wanted to hear the experiences of those who attended as well. I've attended all my nieces and nephews 1st and I seem to recall that epsilons don't really care about birthdays until they are bout 4 or 5, so while there were children running around, it was adult oriented, much like the Muppets are.

The best one I went to was for my youngest nephew 4 years ago; there were finger food, some wine and juice, snacks for the kids, and of course cake. We had the candle for on the adult cake, helped him blow it out, and then we gave the children separate cupcakes. It was then we discovered that birthday boy isn't big on sweets. While the mess was incredible, it was fun just to watch them rip it apart.

I also liked the fact that it was short (3 hours); as the auntie, I'm sort of obligated to be there for the whole time but this short time was perfect for everyone, including the parents. It wasn't draining, there weren't any crying and it didn't really take the whole day. For all the others, the parties were a whole afternoon thing and it was much too long.

I usually ask the Mother what to bring as a gift, who asks for stuff like diapers or even donation for a larger gift. If you feel uncomfortable doing that, maybe get a close friend/relative to start a pot; have him or her call and say something along the lines of "Hey, I know SweetE has invited you to the little punk's first birthday - I'm thinking of starting a college fund for him, would you mind donating 20$?" This way, they (the guests) are not obligated if they don't want to, but they have a clear idea of what is needed and can chose. It lets your desires known without being too pushy about it, in my opinion. Just don't be surprised if the guests do bring a little gift in addition to the donation. I do it all the time.

Again, as these parties are for the adults, the party favours can be something small. A small, elegant candy bag, or a framed photo of the pumpkin is ample. For my youngest niece, we had a pacifier with a small photo of her attached to it, reading "thank you for celebrating my 1st with me". Or something St. Patrick themed, like a shamrock button with the little leprechaun's photo in the middle. Maybe sending a group picture after the party. And who says that there needs to be party favours anyway?

And congratulations

Tons of great thoughts there; thank you! I really like the photo idea. Maybe we could take one with each guest and send them out after with the thank you notes as a favor.

Oh, bless you a million times over for not subjecting the adults to Chuck E. Cheese. I hate that place.

The community center idea is excellent, as is Fire Breeze's idea to keep it short. I'd say 3 hours maximum. I also concur that party favors are really not necessary, but if you feel compelled to do something for the bambinos, what about a small gift bag of individually packaged toddler treats/snacks. I'm thinking things like Goldfish, Gerber Fruit snacks, yogurt melts, 'nilla wafers. Stuff the kiddos usually like to eat, aren't choking hazards and that the parents can actually use the next time they have to leave the house.

Oh, and if at all possible, try to hold the party well before or after nap time. Tired bambinos turn cranky very quickly.

A year old already? Wow, how fast time flies.

Yeah, short and sweet for sure! I'm guessing the monster can only handle 2-3 hours with all of those people, and that should also fit into everyone's feeding and napping schedule.

I LOVE your snack favor idea! I'm all about things people can actually use vs. junk that will sit around or quickly be forgotten.

Has it been a year already? Doesn't seem like a second over 11 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 19 hours, 14 minutes ...

Time sure flies. I wish I had something helpful to add, in lieu of that, congrats on the 1 year mark, I hope that the critter, you and dad are all doing well.

Thank you, and we are! This year has gone quickly and slowly. On his bday, I'll be celebrating making my goal of a year of breastfeeding and the end of my pumping regime, which will free up several hours each day.

My best advice is to try to keep it simple thus you're not stressed out and can actually enjoy the day and of course the company of those attending !

Perhaps a hall where you can have the food catered and decorated nicely with ballons ?? It's a celebration of son's birthday which is the most important thing and those going wants to celebrate with you and your husband !

Congratulations and i hope you do enjoy !!

I don't think catering is in our budget, but some snack trays might be. We'll probably have the party between mealtimes because of the hassle and expense of feeding everyone and several of the adults attending have food allergies or intolerances to major things, so I don't want to feel obligated to provide alternatives for them.

Hey, y'all! Don't be judging Chuck E Cheese! We have two around us, and over the past couple of years, the quality of the food and the service have actually been quite remarkably impressive...I suggested it because it's simple, and easy.

I like the cupcake idea...no frosting, and I would love it even more! The toddler snack idea for favors is also a great tip. If you can reserve the community center for free, kudos...if not, can you just have the party at your home? And as far as the gifts...that's a tough call. Asking for money can make guests feel uncomfortable. I'm sure whatever you plan will be fun, and everyone will have a great time!

I don't have a problem with C.E.C., I just agree with Bailadora. I don't think it's age-appropriate or fun for a lot of adults. The same goes for many venues.

I don't mind paying a bit for a venue. As I said, our house is too small/oddly laid-out for that many people, and we will have at least one family member staying with us at that time, so I don't want to do it here.

Yeah, you gotta watch out for those running amoks! They're very dangerous in their native environment!

You know who's dangerous? Parents! When we were at the kid's museum last night, there were a ton of parents who were allowing their 4-10 year olds to run and jump around the 0-3 year old area. Those kids were stepping on us and came close to hurting little kids like ours several times while their parents played with their phones or just watched them being dangerous with only a "be careful" here and there.

Now I don't always catch our son before he grabs a handful of another kid's hair, but we watch him like a hawk and would never let him run amok. If he's doing something dangerous, it's because we're not supervising him properly or we've put him in a situation that allows him to get into trouble.
</tangent>

 

[cryforme1v]

for my sons first birthday, i set up the party at a friends house <because it was much bigger than my puny apartment. We had cake and icecream that the adults liked, and about 4 little cakes for the babies/toddlers to dig into. When we had my son open his presents, we had a little present for all of the other kids to open too so they wouldnt get jealous or upset that they didnt get to dig into the wrapped fun.
We had misc food for the adults / teens like finger sandwiches / chips / fruit punch with 7up that both adults and kids liked. And for the kids food we had little home made pizza rolls that my mom makes <so yummy and the kids had no problem eating them because they were super soft and in really tiny bitesize bits small enough for them to eat on their own<<<OBVIOUSLY someone has to watch them while they eat this because anything can be a choking hazard at 1. Also - if you do that, dont use much sauce and no pepperoni <can get too spicey for their little tastebuds. a tiny bit of sauce n cheese and a tiny chunk of sausage. Helping to make those was actually more tedius than anything else lol
I was nervous about using balloons - if one pops and you cant find a chunk of it, a kid might and decide to put it in his mouth. As far as games went - we didnt really do many. It was basically everyone just hanging out and visiting then cake n ice cream then presents and some more visiting and done.

 

[glynndah]

You might want to consider hiring a "baby wrangler" for the afternoon. An older child/preteen, perhaps an older sibling, who likes playing with babies so the adults can supervise the toddlers without having to get down on the floor and retrieve the toys {and the tots} from under the tables, etc.

 

[NippleMuncher]

You know who's dangerous? Parents! When we were at the kid's museum last night, there were a ton of parents who were allowing their 4-10 year olds to run and jump around the 0-3 year old area. Those kids were stepping on us and came close to hurting little kids like ours several times while their parents played with their phones or just watched them being dangerous with only a "be careful" here and there.

Now I don't always catch our son before he grabs a handful of another kid's hair, but we watch him like a hawk and would never let him run amok. If he's doing something dangerous, it's because we're not supervising him properly or we've put him in a situation that allows him to get into trouble.
</tangent>

<tangent>
That's why I've always had a problem with other people and other people's children. On more than one occasion I've wanted to walk up to someone and say, "excuse me, but would you like to discipline your child or shall I?" My mother would have knocked me into the middle of next week had I done the kinds of things I see kids doing today.

I don't mind kids when they're well mannered and behaved, the other kind I don't have much use for. The same applies to adults too.
</tangent>

 

[pplwatching]

The biggest advice I have, in hindsight, for 1st birthdays (and even 2nds) is don't over think them. It's a nice time for everyone to get together and catch up, but the kids are oblivious and no one else remembers them anyway. Just focus on a pleasant experience and be nice to everyone who takes the time to come and share a special moment with you. You can serve something home-cooked for a special meal if you like. Cupcakes are perfect. You don't have to spend any money at all, if you don't want to.

If you are looking for something special to do, in the Korean Community first birthday's are celebrated by putting several items on the table, and setting the toddler in front of them. He/she goes around the table and picks up items that attract their attention. The child's future is "predicted" according to the what is picked up. The first and second items the child grabs are considered the most important. The child's future is predicted according to the items:

- bow and arrow: the child will become a warrior
- needle and thread: the child will live long
- jujube: the child will have many descendants
- book, pencil, or related items: the child will become a successful scholar
- rice or rice cake: the child will become rich
- ruler, needle, scissors: the child will be talented with his/her hands
- knife: the child will be a good cook

Usually Korean parents place the items that they want the child to choose near to the edge of the table . Obviously the scissors and knife are child's toys. It's good fun.

Just enjoy watching your kiddo grow.

 

[SweetErika]

The biggest advice I have, in hindsight, for 1st birthdays (and even 2nds) is don't over think them. It's a nice time for everyone to get together and catch up, but the kids are oblivious and no one else remembers them anyway. Just focus on a pleasant experience and be nice to everyone who takes the time to come and share a special moment with you. You can serve something home-cooked for a special meal if you like. Cupcakes are perfect. You don't have to spend any money at all, if you don't want to.

If you are looking for something special to do, in the Korean Community first birthday's are celebrated by putting several items on the table, and setting the toddler in front of them. He/she goes around the table and picks up items that attract their attention. The child's future is "predicted" according to the what is picked up. The first and second items the child grabs are considered the most important. The child's future is predicted according to the items:

- bow and arrow: the child will become a warrior
- needle and thread: the child will live long
- jujube: the child will have many descendants
- book, pencil, or related items: the child will become a successful scholar
- rice or rice cake: the child will become rich
- ruler, needle, scissors: the child will be talented with his/her hands
- knife: the child will be a good cook

Usually Korean parents place the items that they want the child to choose near to the edge of the table . Obviously the scissors and knife are child's toys. It's good fun.

Just enjoy watching your kiddo grow.

That's a cool tradition!

And it totally reminds me of this King of the Hill episode. LOL

 

[favoritesgoddess]

Having done it three times, I'd advise to not worry about what will make the kid happy and concentrate on having a gathering that the parents will enjoy. Put out some tasty eats, plenty of adult beverages, comfy places to sit and chat, and a kid-friendly zone set up where you don't have to watch your kid like a hawk lest he swallow the Draino, chew a power cord, or shatter a family heirloom.

Do the cake as soon as everyone has arrived so that when the little ones start to fall apart the parents aren't forced to try to hold them together until the cake is served and they can exit gracefully.

Those guidelines also apply for all subsequent birthday parties as well.

 

[PrettyLilPistol]

Keep it simple. (Best advice given and received.)Its the first so you want it to be special, and outstanding! When my daughter turned 1, I wanted the biggest theme and most beautiful-to be remembered- party. Hundreds of dollars in Themes, set-ups, custom made invitations and cakes, Highchair accessories to match, Food etc etc etc... and she didnt even realize its HER birthday, let alone ANY birthday for that matter. She was just like.." so many people... Ack! wth.."

So point is... make it fun, make it memorable... but keep it simple. TAKE TONS OF PICS <3 Because after all that effort--its only YOU who it will really be for. The child is too young the first few years to care or notice. As long as there are kids, toys, treats... fun times, just make accommodations for the adults of the party to be happy ( fed and entertained ) It should go well. I wish you luck

 

[bailadora]

Erika:

I'm not sure if you've had your son's party yet or not, but I thought I'd post a link for a party favor idea. These crayon wheels were handed out at an event we recently attended and the little folk LOVED them.

From a parent's perspective, I found them pretty nifty as well. Six colors in one item means less things to drop or keep track of!