When it's time to celebrate a baby's first birthday, there are so many fun ways to celebrate that don't cost a fortune. Here are my favorite first birthday party ideas to share the love and celebrate the milestone.
Simple First Birthday Ideas
It can often feel overwhelming to celebrate such a big milestone, but it's possible to have the day feel special even when you keep things simple. So this is your permission to not feel like you have to do all the things—unless you really want to!
Favorite First Birthday Themes
Some popular, classic themed first birthday party ideas include:
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar
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Princess
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Sports
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Mermaid
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Unicorns
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Best Tips for First Birthday Parties
Plan the timing around baby's nap schedule so they don't have a party happening when they'd rather be sleeping.
Include party supplies on your list such as tableware, napkins, utensils, plates, cups, and candles.
We love a simple party favor like a favorite printed photo of baby or the whole family.
Take inspiration for planning the themed birthday party from baby's favorite foods or games.
Healthy First Birthday Party Ideas
When it's time to celebrate a baby's first birthday, there are so many fun ways to celebrate that don't cost a fortune. Here are my favorite first birthday party ideas to share the love and celebrate the milestone.
First Birthday Cupcakes
Use two of my favorite recipes to make a batch of easy cupcakes to share with the family. Each of these is lower in sugar than a traditional cupcake but totally perfect for celebrating the big 1st birthday. We love sharing these with cousins or baby friends who come to celebrate, too.
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Healthy Vanilla Cupcakes
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Healthy Banana Cupcakes
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Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
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Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
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Pumpkin Cupcakes
Fun First Birthday Activities Ideas
Make the day feel a little more special with these fun and easy first birthday party ideas you can do at home. These work well if you have older kiddos in the house who can help join in the fun of the day, but you can do them with just one kiddo, too.
- Smash Cake Video
Set out a sheet, put a little cake down, and let your birthday boy or girl have fun with their cake—smashing it and eating it however they like!
- Ball Pit
Order a bunch of small plastic balls, fill up a baby pool, and let the little ones play. Stay close to help them if they need it!
- Balloon Toss
Blow up a few balloons and toss them back and forth and up and down.
- Painted Onesie
We made a few first birthday onesies for my baby the day before his big day and had a contest for which one we liked best—and then he got to wear that one on his big day!
- Name Banner
Make or buy a simple name banner to hang on the window or near the kitchen table to signify that it's a special day. (We actually hung two star banners and kept them up for months since we loved the gold glitter stars so much!)
- Bath Painting
Let the Kiddo get extra messy on their big day with painting in the bathtub (or baby pool). Put them into the tub or pool, give them finger paints or washable paint, and let they go to town!
- Painted Handprints
Paint washable paint onto the kid’s hands (or feet!), and help them make handprints on paper. Write on the date and occasion once dry and stick into the baby book for a memento.
- First Birthday Crown
Pick up one from the store (Target usually has sets of cardboard crowns in their birthday plates and cups aisle) or make one. I’ve done both and each was a fun way to make the birthday more fun.
- Water Play
This can be done any day of course, but playing with a water table is always a fun activity for the kids!
- Music Time
Whether you play instruments or not, can carry a tune or not, have a family dance party as a fun first birthday party idea. You can put on a favorite album, look for something you like on YouTube, or use a streaming service like Spotify.
Fun Ways to Connect with Loved Ones Remotely
If you live far from relatives or can’t gather for one reason or another, there are ways to connect remotely that will still allow you and your birthday kiddo to feel loved. Here are a few.
- Google Hangout to Sing Happy Birthday
Invite the family to a Google Hangout (or go with Zoom if it’s a large crowd!) and have everyone sing happy birthday to the special kiddo if they can’t be there in person. You can also have loved ones send recorded videos and play them throughout the day.
- First Year Video
I used Animoto to put together a video slideshow of the best photos of my baby's first year. This was something I could easily share with family and friends and a great way to keep the memories in an easy place for the future.
- Mail Cards for the Baby Book
You could ask loved ones who live far away to send a card with a note that includes their favorite memory from baby’s first year for the big day to keep with the baby book.
- Facetime Storytime
You could have a grandparent or loved one read a favorite birthday book over FaceTime as a special treat for the big day. We like birthday books including Dr. Suess’s Happy BirthdayBaby
