Why Bother for a 1 yr Old?
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about birthday parties, as my little man is just a couple months away from his first one. A lot of people seem to think that parties at this age are just for the parents since the babies won't remember. I think there are a lot of great reasons to have a big party for a first birthday.
It's a huge milestone, and though your baby won't know what's going on or remember, a 1st birthday party provides a lot of opportunities for photo and video memories. Time goes by so fast, you should take every opportunity to celebrate milestones and record memories.
Birthday parties are also a great way to form a circle of friends for you child who are about his/her age. My son doesn't have a lot of baby friends, so I'm going to take the opportunity for his 1st birthday to invite some of my acquaintances who have children around his age. Hopefully invites to their parties, and playdates will arise from this, and I can respark some old friendships in the process.
Themes
Do you even need a theme for a birthday party? Absolutely not. Any get together with hats, cake, and presents is a fun enough occasion. Many parents, myself included, have more fun planning a theme party. They certainly don't need to be complex at this age, however.
A zoo theme is a lot of fun and you can get creative planning it. Make zookeeper passes for the invitations. Get ahold of some animals for the kids to pet. Obviously you don't need an elephant. If you know people with goats, ponies, snakes, rabbits, etc... these are great animals to have. They are different from regular dogs and cats, but common enough that you should be able to track some down. There are places which rent these types of animals for parties as well, if you're willing to pay. Gift bags can be decorated with different animals- zebras, lions, tigers, etc... Go wild with it and have fun!
TV shows are another option for themes. Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street are just a couple of ideas. Even though your baby probably doesn't "watch" these shows, they make fun themes. I know my son always perks up when he hears the Plaza Sesamo (Spanish Sesame Street) song start to play. We watch a few kids' shows (English and Spanish to expose him to foreign languages early) on weekends, and that's his favorite song. Your baby might have one too that you've noticed- go with it.
You can also go with simpler themes, such as primary colors. Party supplies will be much cheaper than if you go with something like Dora, but the atmosphere will still be fun and festive. Or you can choose one animal for a theme- maybe from your baby's favorite toy or stuffed animal- moneys, teddy bears, cows, puppies, or whatever.
Enjoy
My number one tip is to enjoy the party. Don't get so hung up on coordinating details that you miss out on precious moments of your baby's special day. The cake will get messy, streamers will fall and balloons will pop. Let it go, and focus on your son/daughter on that day. You don't want to miss a thing.
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