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1st Birthday Party Ideas

ByNiño QuizonMay 7, 2023
asian baby celebrating his first birthday
The first big celebration of beans will always be a core memory for them and of course, for mamas and papas like you. The first year of having the bean in this world has been a great journey for your family. And this is the reason why many of us want the celebration to be close to perfection, if not perfect. So everything - 1st birthday party ideas for the program, games, themes, decorations, and the cake will all be critical to make the event memorable. Not to mention that we want to see our beans light up in the moment and when they look back at it in the future. If you’re still in the process of brainstorming about these, don’t you worry! Whether it’s 1st birthday party ideas at home, at a restaurant, or at an events place, we got some suggestions you could consider.
Choosing the Place
Before we run through the ideas, let’s first talk about deciding on the location of the party. Some of you may ask, “but why though?”. Despite this being a short talk because of simple options, the section will have a big impact on preparing for the celebration. Book with a restaurant or plan your own party - which is really right for you?
Restaurants and Food Chains
Many restaurants and food chains offer party packages to host your celebrations. And it’s also a very common choice for many when it comes to parties for beans! Mamas and papas don’t have to spend much time planning as the package is already complete. No more worries about the food, cake ideas, program and host, decorations, you name it. All the parents need to do is decide on the available theme and options in the packages. But with ease comes some limits too. Not much freedom is present on how you want the event to be as the theme and other party need choices are provided by the restaurant. So it would most likely be difficult if you want to incorporate some unique first birthday party ideas and preferences.
At Home
Many families celebrate birthdays of beans at home as long as there is enough space for them and for the guests. It’s simple plus your 1st birthday party ideas are sure to be put into reality without restrictions. The themes, program, games, decorations, cake ideas and food will all be decided by you. But note that all of these are also needed to be prepared by you, mamas and papas. While this may take a lot more time and effort, isn’t it very fulfilling to see your plans for your bean come to life?
Events Place
Having your bean’s first birthday party celebration at an event place is the same concept when having it at home. Freedom when it comes to all the elements of the party but this time, you will have more space too. That means your family can have more guests over to witness your bean turning one year old! Even so, the main difference aside from the space is the budget. Renting an event place will surely be an added cost compared to simply carrying out your 1st birthday party ideas at home. So be sure to weigh your needs and wants for the celebration when choosing the location.
1st Birthday Party Ideas
Organizing the first birthday of your bean means preparing and deciding on different features of the party. The two most important are the theme and the 1st birthday party program because other parts will follow from how these are prepared. Getting excited and curious to grab some ideas? Let’s run down some of our take and suggestions for these.
1st Birthday Party Theme
The center of the celebration will mostly be the theme. In fact, this is likely what everyone will remember about the event years from now. So it has to be unique and special, right? Not to mention that other important elements such as the 1st birthday party decorations and cake will depend on what the theme is. If you want an easy and safe choice, you can match the theme of your bean’s nursery to the theme of the party. But if you want something new, here are a couple of ideas to consider.
Animal Theme: Having cute animals as a theme to go along with your 1st birthday cake ideas and decorations will definitely be a fun sight for the beans and other children guests. Either pets such as dogs, cats, and fish or a zoo theme, you can never go wrong to have fur beans accompany human beans!
Movie or TV Theme: Does your bean have a favorite cartoon or show? Then why not make it the center of the party! The little one already loves watching it so it would be a dream for this to come into life on their big day.
Racing Theme: One of the simplest yet fit for little kids! They’ll surely have a burst of energy feeling that they are in a racing environment.
Sports Theme: Does papa and mama love a sport that you want the bean to learn when he grows up? Certain sports themes like basketball, football, and even baseball usually give the vibes of a party full of energy. Plus, your bean will serve as the star athlete of the day too!
Princess Theme: This is a dream for many little girls- to become a princess! Wouldn't it be great to let them live out this dream on their first birthday? They would be so thrilled in the future when they look back on this memory, that’s for sure.
Rainbows and Unicorn Theme: Being in a wonderland would also be a great experience for little kids. Surrounded by a colorful place and pretty creatures such as unicorns will sure to brighten them and other children during the big day.
These are just some of the possible themes you can consider. Note again that this will most likely be the basis of your 1st birthday party cake ideas and decorations too. Now while some of these seem simple, you can put your own twist to the theme when you have the freedom to do so. That’s why creativity and brainstorming from mamas and papas can come in handy to level up the party!
1st Birthday Party Program
Having a well-planned program ensures that the event will run smoothly and that your 1st birthday party ideas at home won’t encounter a problem. This would even be needed before the party as some include the program flow in the invitations for guests. It’s one way to attract them and even heighten their excitement.
The core of how the party will run is through the host or emcee. So be sure to have someone who is full of energy. Mamas and papas can even host themselves! But aside from that and of course the food, here are other important parts of a 1st birthday party program you need to have:
Music
  • Entertainment numbers
  • Photo op with the bean celebrant
  • Loot bags or giveaways for guests
  • Games
1st Birthday Party Games
Mentioned previously is that games are a must when brainstorming first birthday party ideas. No need to have the most complicated activities as guests can still have fun with simple games. Just be sure that these are still attention-grabbers so many will be eager to participate. We got a few ideas for you:
Bean/Toddler Race: A race between beans on who will reach their mama or papa first at the finish line.
Trivia Games: Other guests and families answer trivia questions about the bean celebrant for prizes.
Bring Me: A classic in every party yet will always make everyone excited to join. The host or the parents of the bean celebrant ask guests to quickly bring unique items in exchange for prizes.
Obstacle Relay: Beans and toddlers crawl or walk through an obstacle made up of various bean items such as balls, pillows, toy tunnels, and others.
Bean and Parent Stop Dance: The classic stop dance but done with a twist - mamas and papas dance with their toddlers or while carrying their beans to the music. A bonding time for them too!
Time to Party!
Implementing your 1st birthday party ideas goes a long way. It needs a lot of effort from the mamas and papas like you but we guarantee it’s all worth it in the end. Even just seeing the 1st birthday party decorations at the place before the event starts can give off emotions. Why wouldn’t it? Your bean turned one year old and that’s truly something to put in more work than usual. Don’t forget to have fun and capture photos of your bean! Nothing still beats a smiling picture of your bean during their first birthday caught by yourselves. Birthday greetings from the team to your bean!
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