Baby's First Birthday Party

May 16, 2008

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Baby's First Birthday Party

by Penny Warner
reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Many parents plan birthday parties when their children are old enough to understand the significance of the event. But if you don't celebrate your baby's first birthday, you'll miss the opportunity to gather family and friends together to honor this important milestone. Yes, your child may not comprehend what all the fuss is about, but she's more aware than you might realize and will understand that this is a special day. And if you take care to preserve the festivities through pictures and other mementos, she's sure to take pleasure at recalling the day when she's older, knowing that she was loved and appreciated from the very start.

Two different approaches
There are two basic approaches to celebrating your baby's first birthday: a gathering just with family members, relatives, and close friends, or a party with other babies.

The first type is more common, and holds special meaning for the adults and older children in a child's life. It's a time to gather everyone together to share memories of Baby's first year, and the activities and food have an adult focus. Older siblings play an important part in the party, too, since they may be able to help plan the event, serve the food, and open gifts. The little guest of honor also is sure to have a great time, enjoying new experiences, playing with attentive relatives, and receiving special presents.

The alternative is a full-blown baby birthday party, in which you might invite a few other infants and their parents to share in the fun. You'll have to craft your activities, timing, and menu around your very young guests, and a theme is helpful here to lend focus to the event.

Whichever party you choose, planning is essential to success. Here are some tips to help you prepare that very special first birthday party for your baby, whether it's with doting family members or very young friends.

1. Choose a theme
If you opt for the adults-only approach, the only theme you might need is the group's mutual affection for the birthday boy or girl. But if you're throwing a party for other little revelers, a theme adds to the festive atmosphere and helps focus the activities and decorations. Some ideas to consider:

On Safari (or At the Zoo or In the Woods) Party. Play off your child's favorite animals and invite some cute and cuddly stuffed critters to join in the fun.

By the Sea Party. Have a backyard beach party for your baby with a sandbox and baby pool.

What a Year It's Been Party. Use photo displays and short video highlights to showcase your baby's life over the past year.

I've Got the Music in Me Party. Put on some catchy children's dance tunes and invite parents to cut a rug with their little partners. Then let the kids take a turn making sweet music on their own with some toy drums, tambourines, and maracas (if formal instruments are in short supply, you can always let them drum on pots with wooden spoons or bang wooden blocks together).

2. Set the time and the guest list
Plan the party for the time of day when your child is most alert, probably right after her usual naptime. And keep the party short (maybe an hour and a half) to match your guests' limited attention spans. Restrict your guest list to one to four babies; if you have too many, the children may get cranky and set off a crying jag.

3. Plan the favors
If you're just hosting adults, you probably can forgo favors, or perhaps give each guest a framed photo of the birthday child. If young guests are involved, a theme can inspire you and simplify things. For the By the Sea Party, for example, pails and shovels are a natural parting gift. Or infant-proof stuffed animals or sturdy picture books about creatures large and small-perhaps accompanied by a box of animal crackers-would be a big hit for the Animal Adventures crowd.

4. Keep safety in mind
If wee ones are on your guest list, make sure that you're especially diligent about baby-proofing your home. Keep decorations like streamers, posters, and balloons up high, out of their reach (and make sure that those balloons are Mylar, not latex, because of the latter's tendency to pop and cause a choking danger). If the party is held outside, protect your guests' tender young skin by applying sunscreen and confining activities to the shade as much as possible. Lock up any excitable (or allergy-provoking) pets, and enlist the services of a few child-savvy adults to help keep an eye on things. When you light the candle, keep the cake a safe distance from all the babies--the birthday child included. In fact, one-year-olds are physically incapable of blowing out candles, so Mom or Dad should do the honors this time around. And if you're having a pool party, even if it's just with a shallow, inflatable pool, be sure that the pool area is alwaysunder adult supervision.

5. Schedule in a little downtime
Some babies get overstimulated by all the excitement and attention. Make sure that your child is well rested before the festivities begin (and count on giving her a nap after the party, too). If you see that she is getting a little wound up, take her into the kitchen or bedroom with you for a short break from the action.

6. Keep the guests occupied
Besides any activities inspired by your particular theme, have extra playthings on hand to amuse the young ones. But be careful not to overstimulate them with too many choices and too much noise.

7. Serve fun and healthy foods

Keep treats simple and nutritious, but decorate and serve them creatively. The snacks should be fun but easy to eat and safe (i.e., watch out for hot dogs, grapes, and other foods that can pose a choking hazard for babies).

Check with parents to make sure their children don't have any food allergies, and do your best to avoid using any of the allergy-causing items in the party food.

Bake a birthday cake and decorate it to fit the theme of the party, or have one made at the bakery. You can also go with a more generic symbol of infanthood, such as a baby book, a giant rattle, or a baby blanket.

8. Save the memories

Be sure to use film that photographs well in indoor lighting, but try to avoid shooting flash photos too often. Camera flashes can irritate babies and make them edgy.

Don't forget the video camera and put someone in charge of capturing all the special moments on film. Have each guest take a turn in front of the camera to wish the birthday child well or share a special memory.

Buy a pretty scrapbook to hold the party photos, copy of the invitation, birthday cards, the guest list, a list of the presents, notes of funny or touching things the baby and guests said or did, and other details and mementoes.


RELATED INFORMATION

			Birthday Parties: A Child's Time to Shine
			Parties

Created April 24, 2001
Reviewed April 30, 2001

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