1St Birthday Party Location

Hi C.: My kids are teenagers, so I have been to A LOT of birthday parties. I think the poster who suggested the park has a great idea. You don't have to provide anything other than maybe hot dogs and/or hamburgers, which you can cook on the grill there, and your extended family can bring other dishes. If you go to Hines Park, they have a lot of shelters, so that even if the weather isn't the best, you can still hold the party. The best part of this is, there is built-in entertainment in the form of nearby playscapes, etc. for the older kids. You could set up a volleyball net or similar for even older kids or adults. This will be the least stressful solution for you - you want to enjoy the party, too! I have always thought that home birthday parties are the best, but if that won't work, I think a park is the next best thing. Wait for the Chuckie Cheese type thing until your child is older, and then just invite friends (remember: the rule is to have as many friends as the child is old). Save the family gatherings for more casual situations and you will save your sanity!

I am not that familiar with restaurants, but a nice restaurant that has a private room would be my choice.

I would suggest a picnic at a local park so that when your daughter is tired you can take her home. The first birthday is a big milestone but it appears that ususally the needs of the birthday child generally get forgotten. 50 people is an awful lot of people to be around (especially as they will all want to spend some time with the birthday girl) any additional entertainment is going to be even more overwhelming. Just try to enjoy a fairly lowkey family picnic and don't expect your daughter to sit and open all the presents for everyone to ooh and ahh over - it will be too stressful for her.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

The first birthday is a very special one. I do have to agree that sometimes the child gets lost in all of it. From my own experience as well as with my friend's children, the birthday child does not usually last the length of the party. It is very overwhelming to have 50 people wanting to hold them, play with them, etc... Not only - you have to deal with presents! That is going to take a long time. Most kids would need a nap during all of this. I think if you have any family member that has a big enough house, that would be great! - Remember - this is your child's birthday, do what is best for them, not your guests. The entertainment idea is nice if you have a lot of kids, but your child will never remember. Good luck to you.

What about renting a hall and having it catered or some close family providing food? We did that with our daughter's 1st birthday with about 40 people. I provided some games for the older kids and we ordered pizza and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law made appetizers and salads and our neighbor made her birthday cake. I got alot of decorations and prizes from both the dollar store and birthdayexpress.com. It was alot fun and everyone enjoyed themselves. Good luck!

How about renting the fellowship hall space of your family's church and catering the food? Could $ave you big!
Helps your family's church also.

Chucky Cheese is too loud to most adults and too much for your 1 yr old.

It is also very popular to start the tradition of sharing with those less fortunate...think what you'll do witht all the presents...perhaps you wish to donate some to a good cause? There's so much of that in our area!

I have to agree that 50 people would be extremely overwhelming. My children have opposite personalities so one was ok with a small party and the other screamed and cried throughout the cake lighting and I felt terrible for her. Imagine what it's like to be one and have a bunch of crazy adults peering down at you and singing some random song? Anyway I would highly suggest you do the traditional birthday cake and other special moments with an intimate few and then use your child's birthday as an opportunity for a nice informal family gathering and keep all the attention and stress off your child. I would not waste money on entertainment either as he/she will be too young to understand the point. Keep it low key as possible!