Hi,
my baby's first b-day is coming up. I want to make it special, memorable, AND creative. We will be having it at my house with just close friends and family; not too many folks. I want goodie bags for the kids that come but i dont want the lame stuff in the baggies that every parent hates and ends up throwing away--know what i mean?
I need ideas for great baggies and just the whole event planning all the from cake to games. Now i know that at 12 months we cant do toooo much but im hoping that i can make it the best 1 year old b-day bash--:>)
For both of my chidren's first birthdays I had everyone that came to the party to write a one-line Birthday Wish for my child. Ex. My first was an Elmo theme and I found some cute elmo note pads that I used for goodies. (I had mostly adults at my party.) I saved one and that is what I had everyone write their wish on. After the party I made a collage (sp.) with the wishes and put it in his baby book. Also if you are purchasing your birthday cake from a local grocery store (I know bi-lo will because that's where I get my cakes from) will give you a free small cake or cupcake for your child for his first birthday (for him to "play in"). Also you can find some really cool and inexpensive stuff for goodie bags at the dollar store. If I were you I would not worry to much about games unless there are going to be several children at your party because believe me the adults HATE to participate. Also keep in mind that adults can entertain themselves as long as they have good food and good company (they're just there because they love your child, and want to share this monumental occasion). If you are having quite a few children at the party and want to have games and crafts check online and your local library for party books. They have some cool ideas for almost every theme. To keep the cost down, try your local craft store (like Michael's and AC moore)and the dollar store, and make your own decorations, party favors, etc. Oh yeah, bubbles and balloons are great too. I know both of my boys loved those at one. Good Luck! Hope this helps.
My favorite goodies from parties that my children have received in the past aren't goodie bags full of "stuff", but one special thing....books are great and you can usually find an inexpensive book that ties in with your theme. Another fun party favor my child received was a bubble blowing set (a huge plastic container full of fun bubble blowers and bubble stuff). You can usually find one fun item for around $3 to $6 (which is what you would probably spend on each child's goodie bag anyway). In the past, I have wrapped up a book or tied a decorative ribbon around the item with a computer printed note attached to it from the birthday girl (thanking the guest for coming to her party). I love it when my kids come home with something that they will love to use instead of a bag of candy and Oriental Trading stuff that breaks in 1 day....good luck and have fun! Hope your little girl enjoys her party!
Well, I guess the first question would be: what are the ages of the children who will be coming to the party? That's going to play a major role in the activies you plan, as well as the goodie bags you hand out. First of all, don't set yourself up for disappointment. Your child is going to have no recollection of this day. Furthermore, if you plan too much, she will find it overwhelming, and you may end up with a very cranky birthday girl. For my daughter's first birthday, we had just close friends and family over to the house for a cookout. The special event that I planned just for my daughter was her own birthday cake which she got to smash, smear and nibble on to her hearts content. The ensuing giggles became contagious. We have hilarious pictures of her smearing her green St. Patrick's Day birthday cake all over her head. Just remember that birthday parties for kids under the age of three are really for the parents. So plan the party that YOU want for her now, because by the time she turns four, she is going to have her own ideas, and you won't neccessarily agree. Good luck!
I am not too good with goodie bags so how about books. I saw at Target that they have Elmo paperbacks for $1. My son loves Elmo and with books you can't go wrong..you could also add some finger paints but I wouldn't add too much considering the age group..I hope that helps. As for the cake I do know if you order your cake from Publix bakery and tell them that it is for a 1st birthday that you get a free mini cake for the birthday girl..the icing isn't as sweet..and it will give her a cake to "play" with..Good Luck!
Jennifer
If you have a Gymboree play program near you, stop in to see some of their items. We sell several items for $5. or less such as bells, balls, and puzzles at our site. Most should be appropriate for a 1 year old. You could take individaul pictures of the children and have some inexpensive frames for the grownups to decorate with stickers and markers. A nice remeberance of the day. Good luck!
If you want to do something different for your goodie bags, we bought t-shirts from a lady on ebay. She started her business because her son wanted kid show t's that she couldn't find. And she does a deal for birthdays.
I haven't gotten my shirts yet but I have ordered them. We're doing t-shirts that go with the theme, stickers of theme and a mylar balloon. Wilton makes a lot of great cake pans that make it easy decorate characters. Because I'm doing a couple cakes, I also ordered a cake picture from ebay. That I did get already and the lady was wonderful. My 2 yr old chose Super Why for a theme and there aren't cake pans. I figured out how to make the individual characters with icing but I really like the picture for the cake and the cupcakes.
Are you trying to make it memorable for you or your daughter? When my daughter (my first child) turned 1 you'd thought we were having a block party for her!! We had cake for the adults, a smash up cake for her, hot dogs, hamburgers, presents galor, kids of all ages running everywhere (thank goodness it was outside!!) and I was going in 50 different directions that I really didn't get to enjoy myself. She didn't make a mess in the cake like you expect them to do and she had so many presents that her dad and I started opening and showing her them about 1/4 through!! And then I was left with the aftermath of clean up! I didn't start goodie bags till she was about 3yrs old either.
My son's 1st B-day was totally different. We didn't live in the same state as the rest of our families but an Aunt, his Great Grandma and a few cousions where there along with some neighbors that had met him from day one. I baked two cakes, one for the adults (with hubby's name on it since their days are a week apart) and one for my son to make a mess with. He opened a few presents and screamed and cried bloody murder when I put the cake in front of him!! The older kids ran around in our back yard and played on the swingset while the adults talked. I did do hotdogs again only for the fact I did it at his lunch time because he takes a nap shortly after and that way he would kinda stay on schedule for me.
All in all, I so wish I could redo my daughter's first B-day like my son's!! They were both memorable, but my son's in a good way and my daughter's in a hetic and crazy way.
In other words, you don't need to go all out for her party. She isn't going to remember any of it and you can have just as beautiful memories if you don't have any one around at all!
what are the ages of the other children attending???
sippy cups {dollar store}, with boxes of raisins, teething rings, and as much other similar stuff as will fit {and you can afford}...
mom's appreciate that kind of thoughtfulness {i know i did}...
if there are older children... just upgrade the idea...
the first years makes "take and toss" sippies in sesame street, pixar's cars, and disney princesses...
maybe a small {4} box of crayons, stickers, ect....
bigger kids maybe get cartoon tumblers...
filled with pencils, erasers, maybe {if you can find it} a pencil sharpener too
You might be placing a little too much stress on yourself!! If your child is going to be one, have a party, but goodie bags aren't a necessity - they're not even aware of it at this age. When my daughter turned one, I took a white cake mix and separated it into 4 bowls and dyed each bowl a different bright color. Then I put the cake mix in the pan a spoonful at a time. The result was a very bright, colorful cake that the kids all enjoyed. The diaper was quite interesting too :(.
If there are "older" kids there, maybe take a picture of them with the baby and print it right then to give them. Kids absolutely LOVE this. Or maybe give them some silly putty if they're a little older.
Celebrate getting through a year!! Maybe give all the moms a little bag of soothing bath powder or something like that?
Have fun and don't stress over the mechanics! Cake and ice cream and enjoy the friendships that you have :).
I don't know if you think this might be too much for kids, but you could always get simple clay pots (terracota pots), put some soil in a bag, and then put some flower seeds in another bag. It would provide a project for the parent and child team and then the child can watch some flowers grow!
I did the same kind of party for my little one when she turned one (she's almost 4 now).
We had the party at our house and just invited family and close friends. One thing that my daughter (and the other little ones her age) really enjoyed was a bubble machine. I found one at Target. You feel it with a huge bottle of bubbles and it spins huge bubbles out for awhile. I'll never forget my birthday girl standing in the middle of all those bubbles laughing. The older kids enjoyed trying to catch them.
I did appetizer foods and a cake. Our theme was pink and yellow flowers because I figured that it was the only year that I was going to be able to choose the theme.
Good Luck and most importantly----RELAX and have Fun with her on the big day. Its a celebration for you too...you have made it thru the first year of motherhood.
HI Amber,
My Husband was deployed during my second daughters 1st B-day, so my friend and I made invites that looked like a bear with all the info in pink and had her face as the bears face! They were way to cute! I made a standing pink bear and a small cake just for her! I had small finger foods and bought bath toys for teh goodie bags! The whole theme was Baby Pink Bears and I believe I bought all the plates at Party City.
I had toys laid out so that they children could play.
Good Luck!
Amber, this is going to be fun. Go to you local craft store, ie Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Get a soap making kit or something like that. Something fun for bathtime. Every mom would appreciate that. Hope your day is great!
I think they would love a bubble machine. Something else they would love is painting with pudding where they can lick it off their fingers. As for goodie bags, how about some homemade playdough. Cheap to make and much softer for little hands. It's also used at school to develop their hand muscles. Have fun, they only turn 1 once!
Hi Amber!
I know a lot of people thought i was crazy going all out for my sons 1st birthday but it was such a great time! We had a lady from the puppet playhouse come over and do a puppet show for the kids! She did such a great job and all the other kids had a great time as well. He is 16 months and people are still talking about his 1st birthday party. Email me if you want more information. Have fun planning and don't be afraid to go all out! They only have one first birthday!
I've given balloons to the kids to take home. For this age you might want Mylar balloons. Maybe a Beanie baby? And my son loves the bubbles he's gotten as favors at other parties. Maybe photos of the kids having phone if you have a Polaroid or a digital photo printer. Don't go overboard on cake as all the baby cares about is that it tastes good and makes a nice mess. If you can follow the directions on a Betty Crocker cake box do that and do cupcakes for the children. I think games are ambitious. Just have fun.
Hi for my son's 1st B-Day we had a little kiddie pool filled with plastic balls and all the babies that came I put gerber finger buffs and biter biscuits, teethers that sort of thing in their goody bags. Everyone loved it. We designated one room for the kids to play in because most of them were all close to turning one put stuffed animals in one corner the kiddie pool in the center. They all had a great time.I also sat out puffs and biter biscuits as snacks so the kids loved it. As far as the bigger kids I usually do candy, pencils, bubbles they tend to be used or eaten quickly so you don't have party toys laying around their houses for weeks. Hope it helps a little.