How to Plan the Perfect Baby Einstein Theme Party for Your 1 Year Old

From the time my son was six months old I knew I wanted to have a Baby Einstein theme first birthday party. It was at this time that I searched and searched for unique, inexpensive Baby Einstein theme decorations. I soon found that Baby Einstein was not cheap and wasn't so easy to find. In my article, I will share with you how I planned my sons party, the things that I wed did at his first birthday party, and some of the places I found to buy unique Baby Einstein birthday decorations.

Planning The Party

The first thing I would do is set a budget. Set your budget and do not go over it. No matter how much you may want just one extra thing, sticking to your budget is very important. Once you have that magic number it is time to decide how many people you want to invite. Once your list is made you can then decide how much money is going to different things. To make planning easier, divide this up into categories such as:

Food

Beverages

Decorations

Games

Goodie Bags

Gifts

Once you know about how many people you should be expecting and the amount of food and drinks you will need to purchase to accommodate your guests you can now go on to the fun part which is finding the decorations and planning your days activities and prizes

Buying The Decorations

There are several places you can get Baby Einstein theme decorations. The cheapest place is Wal-Mart, however Wal-Mart doesn't have a very broad selection of decorations. You can get your plates, cups and napkins there, which will save you some money. The best place I have found that offers lots of Baby Einstein items is www.firstwishes.com . First Wishes is a division of Birthday Express which also has a huge selection of Baby Einstein decorations. You can buy anything from deluxe party packages which is basically all the items you need in one box, to individual selections such as a personalized banner or pinata. I have searched the internet far and wide and www.birthdayexpress.com is the only website that offers a Baby Einstein pull string pinata, personalized banner and favor boxes opposed to favor bags. Both Birthday Express and First Wishes are somewhat pricey but I would highly recommend them if you have the means within your budget.

Games and Activities

When you are planning to entertain small children you need to have a plan devised to keep them busy. For one activity think about doing crafts. Notify the Moms before the party so you may enlist their help and they may dress their children accordingly. Baby Einstein makes a hand print kit where you can have every child make their own hand print. Other crafts that are easy and mess-free are Foamies. You can find Foamies in just about every craft store. I would recommend the pre-stick Foamies for an even easier experience.

You may also consider renting some activities for the kids. Many places all around the world have Moon Jump rentals also known as bounce house rentals. Depending on the size of these jumpers you can rent them from 4 to 8 hours for about $100 to $350 a day. I personally had one for my sons party and he loved it! He crawled around for hours in it, and I found one in primary colors to match the theme.

Preparing For The Big Day

A few weeks in advance you need to make time to send out the invitations. After this part is done make sure that you have last minute items completed. Ask yourself these questions:

Have I ordered balloons?

Do I have condiments and extra plates?

Do I have more than enough grab bags for all children?

Do I have enough film or disposable cameras?

A few days before the special event, begin to pack and label all your decorations, utensils and party favors. Having these items packed according to what they are will make decorating the day of easier. If you are doing grab bags for the kids make sure to put these together ahead of time as putting them together can be time consuming.

The night before pack everything into your car. Make sure that you bring your play yard and high chair. Baby may need a quick nap during the party and the high chair is a necessity for when baby gets to dig into his/her "smash cake". And don't forget to bring babies presents!

If you have two vehicles at your disposal you may want to take both to the party. Your child is sure to be spoiled on their first birthday and there's not telling if you will have enough room in your vehicle to get everything back home.

The Big Day!

Remember to take plenty of pictures. Encourage Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents to get a lot of photographs. You will be the party liaison, and won't have much time to think about these things. You may want to schedule cake last, as your child will become covered in ice cream and cake. You don't want to break the flow of the party by stopping all the fun to shower your little one. Most importantly remember to have fun, take a breath and truly enjoy your child's day. It's a lot of planning for such a brief amount of time, but believe me it's well worth it!