WOW! Your child’s first birthday is already here! Just a few months ago, they were in your womb, and here you are now; planning for their Unforgettable 1st Birthday Bash!
In case you haven’t admitted it yet, first birthdays are a celebration for the parents. That's because your tiny guest of honour is a bit too young to fully appreciate your party-throwing efforts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go all out! After all, you did make it through the baby’s first year. YAY! So, get everybody together, show off how much your beautiful baby has grown, and thank everyone for loving your family on this special day. This is your munchkin’s most special birthday, so celebrating with lots of fun is a must!
Whether you decide to plan a big bash or keep things more intimate, choosing a theme can help make the party feel all the more special. It’s also the key to staying organized. Knowing that the party is all about mermaids, trucks or whatever theme you land on and will help you make decisions about snacks, decorations, invitations and more.
To help narrow down your choices, here’s an expert tip: Consider aligning the party theme with the theme of your little one’s nursery. There’s a reason you chose that theme in the first play, right? You love it!
But the real bonus: Since you’re already familiar with the aesthetic, it simplifies the planning process. The other bonus to choosing the theme of their nursery? Chances are, you already have a lot of complementary decor, which will save you money and reduce waste (we love some reduce, reuse action!).
To keep things interesting, you can always tweak the theme to better suit a first birthday. For example, if your baby has a safari-themed nursery, the party theme could be Wild One. Of course, there’s no harm in straying from the nursery theme if you want to exercise your creativity.
Pick a theme you know your child will love and carry it through everything from the invitations and decorations to table settings and cake. The theme could be colour-related, such as perfectly pretty rose gold or bold and beautiful rainbow like the one we did here. In case you're curious, our most requested first birthday themes for this year are:
🐘 WILD ONE
🍭 SWEET ONE
☃️ ONE-DERLAND
✨ ONE OF A KIND
🍉 ONE IN A MELON
🎩 MR. ONE-DERFUL
🐝 1st BEE-DAY (BDAY)
⛺️ ONE HAPPY CAMPER
🦌 ONE-DEER-FUN YEAR
🃏 ALICE IN ONE-DERLAND
If you're in Montreal, you know we have the cutest packages with luxury rentals that will surely make a bang!
BALLÖOM TIP: Take some photos of the set-up before the other children arrive. It won’t take long for your perfectly-curated party set up to look considerably less... considered. LOL!
FANCY DRESS Take the theme one step further by dressing your child to match the theme and asking children to attend in fancy dress. They may only be one, but having a whole room of little ones in animal onesies or angel wings will create a happy atmosphere almost instantly, as well as looking lovely in photographs. Outfits don't have to be anything too extravagant - animal-themed pyjamas can work just as well as full-on costumes, and will come in useful after the occasion, too. The important thing is to have fun and be creative! BIRTHDAY MUSIC The children may be too young to play proper party games such as Musical Chairs and Pass the Parcel, but that doesn't mean it should be a music-free party. Why not organize a nursery rhyme session to add a tuneful element to the occasion? Set up a playlist of children’s favourites, or better still ask a friend who can play piano or guitar to lead a sing-along. You could even provide basic musical instruments for the kids to use, or create a mini disco with coloured lights, streamers and pompoms.
1st BIRTHDAY PARTY FOOD It’s best to keep this super simple.
Make sure you have fun treats; our popcorn cart is a fun snack among children and adults and can be customized to fit any party theme. If you're not in the city, you can pre-make your popcorn and use them to decorate the sweet table. Speaking of fun, there is, of course, the cake to consider, too. Tie this in with the main theme by using a cake topper, and make sure you don’t forget the all-important first birthday candles! A super trendy cake smash, will also make for beautiful photos while they make as much mess as possible. We carry a vintage high chair especially for these where we hang special banner or tassels to match the party theme!
BALLÖOM TIP: If you opt for a cake smash, have a spare outfit on standby for afterwards.
PHOTO BACKDROP
Get ready: You’ll be posing for photos with your 1-year-old all party long, and everyone will want shots of your whole fam, their fam, and them holding your baby. Many of these pics will be candids, which is great, but it’s also nice to give guests a good spot for photo ops. We carry packages for every budget to be sure you have the most special photos to show your baby once they grow up!
If you're keeping your kiddo's 1st birthday decor super simple — and super sweet — you can get a framed photo banner for all of their firsts. Not only is it adorable decor for the party, it's a beautiful keepsake you'll always cherish!
TAKE IT OUTSIDE If it’s a summer birthday, you might want to host it outside, so plan some outdoor games and activities. Ball pits like this one are HUGE right now, and there's also this one with a roof in case it's super sunny out. Outdoors is also perfect for a teddy bears’ picnic: each child can bring along their favourite cuddly, or you could provide a selection that they can take home as a party favour afterwards. Set a space up with paper plates and outdoor decorations, make sure there’s plenty of shade available, and provide practical items like sunscreen, too.
BUBBLES!
One thing we have learned from experience is that, babies loooove watching bubbles bebop through the air, so if you do one activity just for the birthday boy or girl, make it this. Hit up a dollar store for bubble concentrate and various-sized wands and pipes, it’s a super-chill activity that’ll keep the kiddos busy and the adults won’t mind doing either — especially if it makes your baby giggle and wiggle with delight, or get a complete bubble-making kit like this inexpensive one on Amazon, it will give mom and dad a break, and the bubble fun continue without interruption! You’ll get your money’s worth from these for sure! MAKE IT PERSONAL Ensure the birthday boy or girl is truly the centre of attention by using personalized products. This could be just one element, such as the cake topper, or go all out with banners and balloons delivered to your home as well! Have a keepsake book for your little one by asking friends and family to write birthday messages that can be kept forever.
TUNNELS
If your little one enjoys a good game of peek-a-boo, he will have a blast crawling through a simple pop-up tunnel. You could go all out and create an obstacle course for baby to crawl through and retrieve a few stuffed animals and sensory balls for an even more fun party idea!
STORY TIME
Gather all the kids and any interested adults to join you and the birthday baby in a circle in the yard. Nominate a relative, friend, or older child to sit in a chair and read a baby-friendly book or two (bonus points if they dress up in a funny costume). Peter Rabbit is a great book choice and super trendy right now!
PARTY BAGS Buying lots of fiddly little toys isn’t a great idea for one-year olds, so why not send them home with a single, larger gift instead? Books are always great presents for little ones, as are soft toys. Whatever you choose, tie it in with the theme of the party for a special memento of a magical day. If you do have older children in attendance, and would like to treat them, you can get trendy cotton customized candy jars, they are super trendy right now and make for the perfect "after-party treat"!
If you're still unsure of a theme or how to decorate your child's birthday after reading this post, you NEED to check out our Pinterest Boards! Everyone at BALLÖOM wishes your child the very happiest of first birthdays! Don’t forget to take some photos and tag us on all socials @balloom.ca
xo
Tami
