First Birthday Party Ideas

Planning & Invitations

While in most cases a birthday party is just for the child, first birthdays are a bit different. The truth about first birthday parties is that they are really an opportunity for the parents to celebrate making it through the first year! Don't get overwhelmed planning for your child’s first birthday party, have a friend or relative help you out. Here are some party planning tips to make your first birthday party a success.

• Choosing a theme will make it easier to decide on decorations, partyware and activities for your child's party. Consider using one of our first birthday patterns, or choose a theme based on your child's favorite book, TV character (Elmo, Pooh), toy (teddy bear, blocks), or perhaps a favorite color.


• Select a location for your child's first birthday party that is familiar to your child. This could be your own home, a grandparent’s home, or a park you visit frequently.


• In our experience, the best time of day for a baby birthday party is immediately after naptime. A well-rested baby is much more likely to enjoy a party full of lots of noise and excitement.


• A good length for your first birthday party age group is between 1 – 1 1/2 hours.


• Be aware that not all babies and toddlers will be comfortable participating in party games and activities. Some of them may enjoy the party more from the safety of a parent's lap.

First Birthday Party Invitations

Let your friends and family know that you want to celebrate your child’s 1st birthday in their company with some creativity and fun. We have come up with a few creative ideas for making your child's first birthday invitations exciting!

• For a special touch, let us printpersonalized invitations to match your birthday theme! We’ll include your child’s name and all the party details with a background design that complements your party theme.


• Attach a card-style birthday invitation to our personalized 1st birthday items with curling ribbon. Items such as personalized bag tags and luggage tags are great for your guests’ diaper bags and strollers.


• Create a small paper diaper with the party invitation written inside. To do this, fold a square piece of paper in half on the diagonal and cut it to create a triangle. Then fold all three corners of the triangle to the center so that the ends touch or slightly overlap. It should now look like a folded diaper. Open up the diaper and write your party invitation inside, then fold the corners back into place and hold them together with a safety pin.


• Cut a large No. 1 from colored cardstock and attach a small photo of your child to the front. Print your child’s name underneath the photo and write the party information on the back side. Remember to measure your envelopes first to get the right length and width for your cutouts.


• Try using a fun rhyme inside one of our blank birthday invitations:
  Our bundle of joy is turning one,
  So come on over and join the fun!
  With snacks and decorations and games galore,
  Our friends are all we’re waiting for!

Decorating & Food Ideas

First Birthday Party Decorations

In addition to basic party supplies like tableware and decorations. Choose from our list of decorating ideas to create a festive atmosphere for your child's first birthday party.

• Lay a blanket in one corner of the room to hold stuffed animals, picture books, dolls, plastic truck toys, or other toys for babies and young children to play with as they arrive.


• Celebrate in style with a personalized 1st birthday banner to commemorate your child’s first birthday. After the party, ask your guests to sign the banner and leave notes with permanent markers for the birthday child to read when they are older!


• Make the birthday boy or girl really stand out by decorating his or her high chair with one of our adorable highchair kits.


• Make a height chart for all the guests to sign and hang it just inside your door. Cut a 5-foot-long piece of white paper and draw a design along one side from bottom to top. For a girl's party, you might draw a long green stem with a large flower at the top, and for a boy's party, you might draw train tracks with a train chugging off the top corner.


• Place your favorite photos of the birthday child on tables in the party space.


• Set out the baby book or a photo album from the past year.


• Display a newborn outfit and a clothing item in your child's current size to show how much your baby has grown over the past 12 months.


• Make a decorative timeline of the past year to display at your child’s first birthday party by clipping photos and notes of special milestones to a clothesline with clothespins. Include a picture from each month of your child’s development and special events such as the first time they stood or their first word.


• Spell out your child's name in building blocks and place it on a shelf or table.

First Birthday Party Food Ideas

Babies and toddlers can become very cranky on an empty tummy, so be sure to have age-appropriate snacks available during the entire party. You will want to give your own child a good snack before the guests arrive. Here are some more food, snack and cake ideas for your child's first birthday party.

• Consider giving the birthday child his or her own small cake to dig into. This is their first opportunity to completely get covered in birthday cake so have your camera ready! If you are concerned with giving your baby too much sugar or potentially allergenic ingredients, a separate cake is a perfect opportunity to give your child something to smash into while providing your grown-up guests with a traditional birthday cake. If you don't want a messy baby, you can give your baby his or her own special cupcake with a number 1 candle.


• For toddlers, stick with familiar food items such as teddy bear shaped graham crackers, fish shaped crackers, dry cereal and perhaps some teething biscuits.


• The adults attending your party may be holding their own child in one arm, so choose food that can be eaten with one hand. Consider serving a submarine sandwich cut into small portions, a vegetable tray with dip, mini meatballs with a tasty dipping sauce, and cut fruit.


• Making a cake in the shape of a "1" is fairly easy to do yourself. First bake a 9-by-13-inch cake in any flavor and let cool. Using a serrated knife, cut out the shape of a 1 and frost.

Party Favor Ideas

First Birthday Party Favors

Party favors for babies and toddlers should be chosen with safety in mind. We suggest the following favors:

• Bathtub toys


• Finger puppets


• Picture books


• Large balls


• Soft toys


• You can also choose from our large selection of individual first birthday party favors, favor bags, and favor boxes to create your own goody bags.


• For a final, special touch, check out our personalized first birthday favors like stickers, magnets and bag tags, which can be printed with a special message or your guests' names.

Also check out our complete favor sets and personalized products such as zipper pulls, placemats, and stickers.

Party Planning Toolbox

Use the links below to quickly find related theme party supplies, planning tips, printable checklists, and advice from our party planning experts.

• First Birthday Party Supplies: Includes paperware, invitations, personalized items, favors, and decorations for your party theme.


• First Birthday Personalized Items: Check out our exclusive personalized items including invitations, bookmarks, stickers, and more!


• Birthday Party Decorating Ideas: This guide will tell you how to decorate for your party theme, what to do with balloons and streamers, how to decorate with food, how to set the table, and how to make your own party decorations.


• Parties Under $100: Use this guide to celebrate in style without breaking the bank!


• Party Budget Estimator: Download this guide to help budget your expenses.


• More Birthday Theme Ideas: Browse our list of over 130 themed party guides to find tips for your child's next birthday! Each guide includes ideas for invitations, decorations, food, favors, games and more.

Games and Activities

Leader of the Band Stage a music parade with you and the birthday child leading the way!	Bean Bag Toss How many bean bags can your toddlers toss at a target?
A Birthday Garden Plant a garden that will grow every year on your child's birthday!	A Growth Chart Start a yearly tradition with a growth chart!
Birthday Wishes Here are creative ways to scrapbook birthday wishes for your child!	Birthday Storytime Ask your family members to participate in this story time activity.