Congratulations! You’ve survived the first year of parenthood, and your gorgeous little baby is now a toddler. This is an important milestone, so it’s time to celebrate their special day.
First birthday parties are a great way to celebrate your baby’s first year. There’s a lot to consider when planning this special event, from the party venue and first birthday themes to party food and party entertainment.
Luckily, we’ve got it all covered in our guide to planning a first birthday party. We’ve got plenty of unique first birthday party ideas that will help you celebrate your daughter or son’s first birthday in the best way.
Check all of these tasks off your list for a day to remember!
Baby’s first birthday is a special milestone that you’re sure to want to celebrate with close friends and family. You might want to save the special day itself for a small celebration and then hold the big bash the following weekend so it doesn’t clash with work.
Late afternoon is a great time to hold the party, as your baby and their guests will have had a nap and be well-rested.
When it comes to the first birthday party venue, throwing your party at home is a good option if you’re planning a first birthday party on a budget. It means your little girl or little man is in a familiar place, which might make it easier for them to nap. Your guests can stay longer, which makes the event feel more relaxed, and you’ve got everything that your baby could need right at hand.
However, there are other good options for first birthday party venues. Planning your son or daughter’s first birthday party at a restaurant, function room or soft play area is another great option, but this will obviously cost more. The major advantages are that you don’t have to do all the food prep and clean up yourself, and you won’t have to provide decorations.
The number of guests at your party will depend on your budget and venue. The more people you invite, the more food, drink and space you’ll need.
Start your invitation list with a small guest list featuring the most important people. Obviously, the birthday boy or girl will be the guest of honour, and you’ll want close family members to be there too. Then you might also want to invite fellow parents, a few baby friends from nursery or baby groups, and other family friends.
If budget allows, you can extend your invitation list to cover extended family, coworkers and a wider circle of friends.
Good company is essential for any successful first birthday party, and picking a first birthday party theme will help make the day extra special. A theme also helps to guide your party planning because you can base everything from invitations to the birthday cake on it.
Planning your baby’s birthday party for the first time means you have many fun themes to choose from.
If you and your baby have a favourite bedtime story, you could base your party theme on that. Or if the birthday girl or boy is devoted to a special teddy bear or stuffed tiger, you could go for a woodland first birthday theme or throw a ‘wild things’ party.
The seasons can provide party planning inspiration, from a summer beach-themed party or pool party to a winter one-derland theme.
Some other popular themes include:
It’s traditional to send guests home with a party bag, but you might like to choose a single gift like small cuddly toys or board books for each guest instead. Another good idea is to order some cookies that fit in with your first birthday party theme and give these to your guests at the end of the party.
Whichever party theme you choose, the Party UK Directory is full of suppliers for the little details that will make your party special.
If you’re holding a party at home or in a hired room, birthday decorations help to turn the space into a party.
Your theme will decide the colour scheme and what sort of decorations you need to buy, but bright colours will always be popular with your younger guests. Look for themed tablecloths, napkins, cups and plates for your party food, and other decorations like party balloons, bunting and banners to go on the walls.
Unless you’re having a first birthday cake made by a professional cake supplier, you’ll also need a cake topper and candles for the birthday cake, and you might want to buy party hats for your little guests. If your budget allows, you could even splash out on a balloon arch to welcome everyone to your party!
You’ll find more great ideas for party supplies from the businesses listed in our Party Decorations category.
When planning the food for a 1 year old party, you’ll need to provide food for babies, older kids and adults.. Remember to check if any of your guests are vegan or vegetarian or have allergies.
The best food for first birthday party guests is easy to eat. Make sure you offer your baby’s favourite foods and plenty of age-appropriate finger foods for their little guests. Little kids will also enjoy finger foods, so some great first birthday party food ideas include chicken or fish fingers, veggies with dips and little boxes of raisins.
Platters of sandwiches and other traditional party foods will always be popular with your adult guests. And, of course, favourites like pizza and ice cream are good first birthday party menu options for nearly everyone.
Are you planning to do a first birthday cake smash? This is a popular tradition for first birthday parties and a fun way to mark the big occasion, but it can get pretty messy. A good way to get around this is to save the smash cake for another day and take lots of photos to send to your guests.
If you’re hosting a first birthday party at home, there are lots of fun activities to keep the birthday baby and their young guests entertained.
You could hire a party entertainer to lead the little ones through age-appropriate activities. If you’re planning a budget first birthday party, little guests will enjoy a lot of the activities you already have, like a ball pit, water table or sand pit. Remember to organise a quiet space somewhere so that little ones can wind down if they are tired or over-excited.
If there will be older kids at the party, consider setting up a play area with arts and crafts, organising fun activities like face painting, or hiring a bouncy castle if you have space. There’s plenty of inspiration for first birthday party entertainers in the Party UK Directory.
And here’s a little secret to remember – every party has its hiccups, so try not to stress if things don’t go as planned. The most important thing is that everyone has fun and enjoys this exciting time. So breathe, try to relax and enjoy the big day.
At the end of the day, celebrating your baby’s first year of life is a big milestone. You’ve come a long way as a new parent, and your child’s first birthday party is a memory you’ll cherish for years to come.
Once you’ve ticked off all the tasks on this first birthday party checklist, you can relax, enjoy the party, and watch your baby enjoy a very happy birthday.