Planning Your Baby's 1st Birthday Party

Soon I will be planning my daughter's first birthday party. While she is still young, there is this desire in me to keep it simple while another part wants to go all out. This might be the only year that I have total say in her birthday party. To make sure everything goes according to plan, I've done a little research of planning the first birthday party. Here are my findings.

Planning - It is recommended to start planning for a first birthday six weeks before the big event. If you need more time, you should start planning two months ahead of time. I always like to have extra time and have everything done ahead of schedule.

Theme - A theme for a 1st birthday party can center on a favorite TV show or video. Of course, my baby is just as intent watching Baby Einstein as Smallville. A theme could also center on a favorite toy. Right now Raegan's favorite toy is paper; besides paper she really likes this red dinosaur. Dinosaurs may be a little too boyish for Mommy's taste, but I could work with the color red by using it with paper plates and cups.

Menu - Since Raegan will be new to solid foods, the menu will probably be geared toward the older crowd. We'll probably stick with the old standby of cake and ice cream, possibly will server finger sandwiches. Since there will be other kids there, we might serve up some kid-friendly foods like animal crackers. I want to bake Raegan's cake. My mom always made my birthday cakes, and they were always really yummy. I plan on making a small one just for her so she can make a mess and get lots of good photos.

Games and Activities - I am putting together all of the home video of Raegan from her first year. A video montage to play at the party would probably be a huge success, especially considering the invitees are close family. It is recommended the length of the video be around 10 minutes. A bean bag toss, wagon rides, and story time are some ideas for activites that the guest of honor and others would enjoy.

Party Favors - Party favors have really come a long way since I went to birthday parties. They were a rarity back then but now they are almost expected. For your themed parties, look for small toys that might be sold that go with the theme. Usually there are packs of whistles, erasers, and other small trinkets sold in the party section of most stores. There are other options too like blowing bubbles, stuffed animals, tinker toys, or pencils/pads. The best thing about favors like bubbles or pencils is that they come in multiples. You can buy a six pack of bubbles or 12 pencils for one price.

While the birthday girl may not even realize it's her first birthday, it is still an occasion that we want to make truly special. By planning and organizing her first birthday party, the day can be a great experience for her and everyone in attendance.