How to plan & prepare for baby's first birthday party!

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Congratulations, you have officially made it through 1 year of parenthood and your baby’s first birthday is a milestone worth celebrating! Whether you’ve been counting down to this day or are just realizing how quickly your baby’s first year flew by, it’s the perfect time to reflect on their growth and your journey as a parent. This special occasion can be celebrated in so many ways, ranging from small, more intimate gatherings with close family members to the large traditional first birthday parties. The key is finding an approach that feels right for your family and makes your baby’s big day truly memorable.

While some parents dream of throwing a big party with all the bells and whistles, others may prefer a more low-key celebration for their little one — and if you’re wondering, I tend to fall into the middle. I love throwing my kids a party so they can celebrate with their friends, but I’m not into making it this big extravagant thing they probably won’t remember (at least not at the age of 1).

Both options have their place though, and whether you choose a smash cake at home or a party with lots of pictures and bounce houses, the most important thing is to honor your baby’s first birthday in a way that works for YOU. Let’s explore some great ways to celebrate this milestone—starting with alternative ideas for those who prefer to skip the big party.

How to Celebrate First Birthday Without a Party

If you’re wondering how to celebrate a first birthday without a party, rest assured there are plenty of meaningful and fun ways to make your baby’s day special. Skipping the guest list and avoiding the stress of a big party doesn’t mean the celebration has to be any less exciting.

We celebrated 2 small birthdays when my boys were under 3 and they were truly so special, memorable, and stress-free. So, here are some simple first birthday ideas to create a memorable day!

Have an Intimate Celebration at Home

Spend the day with immediate family, close friends, and make your baby’s first birthday celebration cozy and personal. A smash cake session in the living room is a great way to capture plenty of pictures without the pressure of entertaining your guests. If you decorate with a balloon arch or simple theme featuring your baby’s favorite character, bonus points, but not necessary at all.

One of my favorite first birthday decorations whether having a party or keeping it lowkey are the First 12 Months Photo Banners. They are so adorable to look back at and see how our babies have grown over the last 12 months. A great reminder that time truly flies by way too fast, but also to relive those memories while they’re still fresh in your mind.

image shows a decorated background for baby's first birthday with a blue and while ballooon arch, a happy 1st birthday blue's clues sign, and a highchair with a ONE banner.

Plan a Fun Activity for Baby

Celebrate your baby’s big day with an outing to a botanical garden, aquarium, local park, or even a petting zoo. These are great options (oftentimes pretty affordable too) for creating unforgettable memories with plenty of time to enjoy the moment without the stress and overwhelm of organizing a big party.

Create a Time Capsule

A time capsule is an easy way to make your child’s birthday celebrations unique and extra special. If you’ve never made one, here’s what you’ll need to do:

Gather little things that represent your baby’s first year—like a favorite toy, a letter from you, or small mementos from loved ones.
Seal it in a box, or large envelope, or even make a shadowbox from it.
Then, plan to open it on a special day in the future, like their 5th birthday, 10th birthday, or even their 18th birthday.

Many parents make a time capsule as a tradition to do with their kids as they get older, while I have never done one, it is such a simple and precious idea.

Have a Themed Photoshoot

Photoshoots can add up quicky, so you’ll need to decide if you’ll do a DIY photoshoot or hire a professional photographer. If you plan to take your own photos of your 1-year-old, be sure to:

Set up a space with cute props and party hats for your birthday babe
Get a decent tripod to set up an auto-timer (this way you can sneak into some of the pics too)
Use an app like Lightroom to edit your photos.

If professional photography is more your style, this is a great way to sit back, relax, and watch your photographer capture the sweetest images for your child’s first birthday. Some families like to have professional photos taken of their baby with a smash cake, all dressed up and formal, or holding a number 1 balloon — just to give you some ideas.

image shows a one year old baby sitting behind an aqua colored cake with party decor in the background

Enjoy a Family Meal Together

Treat your little one to their very own birthday cake (or an ice cream alternative!) and share some finger foods with the whole family. A small gathering with just your partner, siblings, and baby or even with close family members is a good idea for anyone who values those intimate celebrations over the larger traditional parties.

Opt for a Smash Cake

If you want to bake a homemade cake for baby’s birthday or get one made from a local bakery — stick with the smash cake at minimum. A smash cake is a small cake that’s meant to be smashed by baby as they explore and taste their delicious cake. This is why they can be simple and don’t require any sort of lavish design.

image shows 2 baby smash cakes in the middle and 2 first birthday decorated cakes in the 'baby first' and 'blues clues' theme.

If you’re having guests over, you can also provide cake or cupcakes to treat them. In the photo above, you can see my boy’s first birthday cakes and then their smash cakes in the middle.

How to Celebrate Baby’s First Birthday With a Party

If you’re someone who loves a more ‘proper party’, celebrating your baby’s first birthday with a festive gathering can be a great time to bring everyone together. Here are some first birthday party tips to make the day extra special!

Choose a Simple Theme

A first birthday party theme like teddy bears, their favorite characters, or a soft play setup can make the celebration that much more fun. Themes make decorating easier and create lots of picture-worthy moments. Plus, it can help you finalize other details like what kind of dessert to have, will you be handing out party favors, and more!

If you need some help selecting a theme, these are some of the most unique and popular first birthday party themes around:

Pick the Best Venue

Host the party at home, a local park, or even an indoor play place with a ball pit for older kids to enjoy. These venues offer great photo opportunities and are often a better time for families with little ones and older children. Plus, they take care of the set-up and clean-up so all you have to do is show up, celebrate, have fun, and be on your way.

If you celebrate at home, just remember all that extra work falls on you, so be realistic about the tasks you can manage on your baby’s big day, this way you’re not feeling too exhausted when the party starts.

Baby’s First Birthday Venue Ideas:

Host at home
Chuck E. Cheese
Local Park
Friend or Family’s Home
Housing Rec. Center
Kid-Friendly Restaurant
Zoo
Children’s Museum
Indoor Playspace

Keep the Guest List Small

Inviting close friends and family is always a safe bet, it keeps the party intimate and much less overwhelming. A small party is still a great opportunity to celebrate your baby’s big day without planning a big production to entertain a bunch of people who have probably only met your little one once in the last year.

Plus, with this being your baby’s first birthday, chances are they don’t have a lot of friends of their own yet too.

Keep the Activities Kid-Friendly

image shows a colorful bounce house blown up in a backyard with a family with young children inside having fun

With a one-year-old, there aren’t too many activities to have planned, however, we did round up a small list of ideas for those of you who like to incorporate play and activities into baby’s birthday party.

Set up a ball pit
Create a young-child-friendly sensory bin station
Put together a music corner
Hire a petting zoo (I go back and forth on this because some petting zoo’s don’t treat their animals the best, so please be sure to respect and treat any animals at your home with kindness)
Set up a one year old sized obstacle course with foam play blocks

These are just a few ideas, but should give you an idea to get those creative minds thinking of some fun age-appropriate activities for your baby and any other children who attend!

Offer Easy Party Food

Finger foods, ice cream, and a birthday cake are all you need to keep your baby and party guests happy. When we threw my son’s first birthday party we kept it ultra simple and went with pizza, veggie tray snacks, fruit kabobs, and of course — cake!

Homemade finger food cheeseburger sliders on a piece of foil

If you need some simple finger food ideas for baby’s first birthday, here you go:

Stuffed mini peppers (sweet mini peppers filled with a mixture of cream cheese, bacon bits, garlic, and any other flavors of your choosing)

Ham and cheese sliders (the key is to use provolone cheese so it melts in the oven and glaze your buns with some melted butter)

Tortilla pinwheels (you can make these in any variation of your choosing)

Fruit kabobs (slice up a bunch of your favorite foods and stick them onto a kabob stick)

Cheeseburger sliders (I love whipping these up just about any day of the week because they’re so simple and easy to make — you could whip up about 32 of these with ease, and they’d be delicious! My favorite recipe is from Natasha’s Kitchen).

Wrapping Up Baby’s First Birthday

Whether you’re a mom who can’t wait to throw her baby their first birthday or prefer to keep things lowkey when it comes to celebrating, none of it changes the fact that this is a special time to cherish forever. Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to celebrate your baby turning one for the first time.

What matters most is creating a fun, meaningful day filled with love, laughter, and lots of pictures to commemorate your child’s first year. After all, this is just the beginning of many happy birthdays to come!

How to plan & prepare for baby’s first birthday party!