Gab is turning 1 on the 21st and we are excited for his first birthday celebration. We have started planning for the event two months back. We will be celebrating it with the family in Bacolod.
A “First” Birthday is a special milestone and needs to be celebrated. Baby’s first birthday party is really a party for parents and the baby is the special guest. Here are some tips on planning the first birthday party. We used these too during the preparations 🙂
Birthday Party Theme
A birthday theme will make it easier to shop for supplies – invitations, cakes, giveaways and birthday decorations.
For Gab, he loves and can recognize plenty of animals, we will be having a Jungle Safari Party. We hope we can find him a nice outfit as a Forest Ranger 🙂
Timing
Plan the party after baby’s nap time so the baby will be less likely to be cranky or miss the party completely. Keep the party short, about an hour and a half to two. The longer the party, the more it is tiring for the baby and also the parents.
Gab’s party will start 3pm as he usually naps after lunch and more active around this time.
Guests
The party is really for you to celebrate with those closest to the baby and the family. A small crowd is better than large group as babies can be over-stimulated by too much noise or people that might cause the one-year old to become cranky.
Food
If the guests are a mixture of ages, make food that is pleasing to all, such as spaghetti and meatballs. If there are a number of children, you could make child friendly food for them – finger foods are perfect, and plus whatever you want for the adults. A birthday cake is a must!.
We will be serving bolognese to the guests and mostly finger foods like chicken lollipops, mini sandwiches, and cupcakes.
Party Favors
While it is not necessary to provide guests with giveaways at a first birthday. It usually a nice gesture to say thank you for coming and should be kept inexpensive.
We are preparing an animal party box sweet treats and an activity book for the kids. Older guests will take home yummy cupcakes.
Activities and Games
These are the most important parts of the party. While cakes, and presents are loads of fun, the party can be turned into a yawn-fest if you don’t have a way to entertain the guests. Since one year old parties are for the grown-ups to celebrate, play games that adults can enjoy. When children are attending, traditional party games can be played.
For Gab’s party, we will ask trivia questions. We will see how much of Gab they know! We will have an additional game for the adults – heads down, heads up. This is one of our favorite games to play when we get together with friends. We’re still coming up of not so competitive games for the little ones.
Here’s some more things for parents to keep in mind, compiled from different sites:
– Be flexible! There will be a few surprises during the party – unscheduled rests, tears, etc. Just relax and go with the flow.
– Keep plenty of toys and activities available to keep children occupied at the party.
– Baby-proof the party space.
– Keep the party simple.
– Plan some special quiet time at the end of the day just for Mom, Dad, and baby.
There you go! Some useful tips!
Gab’s invites will be sent out this week. We’ll need to start packing our bags for the much awaited homecoming! 🙂
