It’s your child’s first birthday…. you are super excited and you are nervous. You have so much to plan but you are clueless from where to start, what to do. You want to make sure that you don’t miss on anything important.

To make things easier for you, we have come up with useful tips to help you plan a perfect first birthday for your child. Read on and follow these tips to make it a memorable one!!!!

The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Baby First Birthday Party

Getting the timing right

Another important thing on the 1st birthday planning checklist is the time of the party. Because your little one is still small and needs naps to stay fresh and active, it is important that you wisely and practically select the time of the first birthday party so that the baby has slept well by then and is in a condition to enjoy the celebrations.

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Guest List

The next important thing to decide is the number of guests you wish to invite for the celebrations. From intimate to gala, you can make your pick. This would depend on your preference and also your budget, so take your call. Make sure you list your guests on a paper to avoid any confusion.

Party Venue

Having the party at a private place which is quite and comfortable is the best choice. This would allow the baby to move around so that he doesn’t get irritated with guests around. Avoid congested places to make it a success. If it is a small party and you have decent enough space at home then nothing like it. But if your guest list is long then you will need to book a space outside. It could be a park or a restaurant. This would again depend on the season, party timings and your budget.

Select a First Birthday Party Theme

To make the first birthday of your child more special, pick up a theme. There are various themes ranging from animals to balloons, ribbons to cars, dolls to color centric themes. You can opt for themes based on what your child likes. For instance, if your kid is fond of cars then you are sorted. Likewise, if it’s a baby girl and she loves Barbie dolls then you can have a party planned around this as the theme.

Birthday Cake

It is the first birthday cake and it cannot be something regular. You can have a theme based, customized cake designed for your little one. This would add on to the birthday fun. There is nothing like baking it yourself but make sure that you order it from some bakery to keep things sorted.

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First Birthday Party Invitations

When it comes to first birthday celebration ideas for baby boy and girl, you must keep in focus the birthday party invitations. Always invite your guests using personalized invitations that match the theme of your party, if there is any. A perfect invitation would include the date, time and venue of the first birthday party.

Decorations and Supplies

If you want to keep the expenses low then you can keep the decorations simple yet very stylish. There are various DIY decoration ideas which you use to decorate the birthday venue. Balloons, paper ribbons and cut-outs make amazing decorations if used right and don’t even cost much. So be selective in picking your decorations.

What Food to Serve at a First Birthday Party

This is another very important thing to have on your mind. Your menu will depend on your guests. If most of your guests are adults then the menu will be designed for them with few dishes for the babies. Include those items on the menu which are healthy and are handy to eat. Be clear on what meal you wish to offer your guests- you want to keep just snacks or you want to serve a proper meal.

First Birthday Return Gift

Any kids’ birthday party is incomplete without return gifts and therefore, you have to be thoughtful when it comes to picking the first birthday return gift. A perfect first birthday plan for baby girl and baby boy is incomplete without picking the best return gifts. It is a great idea to go with customized return gifts that include baby or kids essentials so that all kids are able to use them.

Planning First Birthday Party Games and activities

It is important to think of some simple yet interesting first birthday party games and activities to keep the little guests engaged. Though your baby is too small to participate in all of these games and activities, it is important to think of activities that kids of almost all age groups enjoy. For instances, body painting or magic show, ball pool or trampoline are some activities that are loved by kids and make interesting and unique first birthday party ideas.

First Birthday Party Favors & Prizes

Don’t forget to go with prizes and party favors for the 1^st birthday celebrations. Make sure that you have got your hands on some interesting birthday party favors for the games and activities you have planned for your guests to reward them and bring that beautiful smile to their faces. The 1^st birthday party gifts have to be special.

First Birthday Party Dress

First birthday dress has to be special as the occasion is so special and therefore, when it comes to planning the first birthday party for your little one, it become important that you pick the best first birthday outfit. Whatever you choose, make sure that you keep in mind the comfort of your child. Choose colors that go with the season. Don’t pick dresses with lots of embellishments.

With these tips, you are good to plan the first birthday celebrations of your little one!!!

How to celebrate first birthday without a party?

If you are not too keen on throwing a big birthday bash when your little one turns one then you can go with the ideas shared below to make this important and special birthday a memorable one without a party.

• Go for a vacation: Vacations are the best times to have with your family and therefore, you can always have vacation planned to a destination where you think that your baby is going to enjoy. Make sure that you plan a relaxed trip. A trip to a beach location would make an interesting unique first birthday plan.
• Go for a picnic: You can also plan for a picnic for your little munchkin to a beach or to a garden and have your little one have a good time amidst nature and greenery. The only thing to keep in mind is the season and the time of the day.
• A visit to a zoo: Kids love animals and if your kid has one such liking then take your little one to the zoo on his or her birthday and make it a fun birthday. With so many animals and birds to see, the first birthday celebrations are going to be awesome.

Top Tips for a Successful Birthday Party

To make sure that your first birthday party planning is on dot, we have come up with a few important tips for a successful birthday party:

• Keep small, pointed things away from your little guests. Whatever you think is going to be hazardous for the kids, remove it from the party place.
• Make sure that there are lots of toys available for the little guests so that they are busy and happy.
• As you will be busy hosting the party, ask someone to volunteer to click lots of pictures so that you have the best moments captured right.
• First birthday planning guide suggests that you don’t have any delicate or breakable things around.
• Make sure that your pets are kept away.
• Always have a quiet and private area reserved for breastfeeding moms.
• It is important to have a handy and clean nappy changing corner at the venue.
• Make sure that your corners are covered and stairs are secured with stair gates.

The ultimate 1st Birthday Party Planning checklist

We have listed for you a 1^st birthday party planning checklist which you can keep handy in order to make sure that you don’t forget anything important while you are busy planning this special day:

• Guest List: Make sure that you have a preliminary list of guests you wish to invite.
• First birthday party theme: If you wish to have a particular theme then you must think of it in the start and stick to it. It is always good to do with themes that are popular.
• Venue: The venue you choose has to be convenient for you and must be big enough to accommodate your guests.
• Budget: It is very important to define your budget and then plan everything within that budget in order to be sure of the amount you are going to be spending on the celebrations.
• Invitations: Send online invites or handmade invites to your guests in order to formally invite them to the celebrations.
• Return gifts: You are going to be giving some favors to your guests and you have to plan that as per their age and choice.
• Baby’s dress: It is the special day of your little one and therefore, you must pick a really special dress for the birthday baby boy or girl.
• Food menu and cake: It is always good to pick a menu which is loved by kids and also adults. If you are planning a special birthday cake then for that you have to book it in advance.
• Games and entertainment: It is very important to think of some interesting activities and games to have the little guests entertained and engaged.
• Decoration: It is important to think of a good decoration which could be theme based if you have a themed party or otherwise.
• Seating arrangement: You may need a certain number of tables and chairs to make sure that your guests are seated comfortably.
• Music: Baby friendly happy music is what should be on the playlist and you need to plan that in advance so that all babies are enjoying the music.
• Party timings: It is important to keep the time when your baby is usually active and playful so that your baby enjoys and guests can also come and meet your munchkin.

With these tips, you are good to plan the first birthday celebrations of your little one!!!

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