Looking for Great 1St Birthday Party Ideas

For a First birthday it is usually best to have a party at home. Inviting family and friends over to either your home or maybe a family members house can always be fun, while the kids just run around the house playing with eachother and giving the adults time to socialize while collectively watching the litle ones. One major reason for this is that this is (usually) the first time your little one will eat cake on His/Her own. This is a really messy but fun event for them. You are going to want to plan for an extra outfit for after cake, and a bath immediately after as well. My son had green frosting in his hair, ears, diaper (don't know how) etc... He and I excused ourselves when he was done, and went upstairs for a quick wash before rejoining the festivities. Parties can also be a bit overwhelming for little ones. Being around that many faces is very stimulating, and you may find that providing them with the comforts of home make them much more comfortable...and lets face it, this party is all about them. It's also cheaper. We went to Costco and bought sandwich trays, relish trays, chips and dip, and soda for next to nothing, for a party of 40 of our closest family and friends. The only thing I had to make was the Cake, and I loved being able to really make it creative because there was nothing else to worry about. Paper plates and plastic silverware and paper table cloths make for really easy clean up too. Congrats and have fun!

J.,

I recommend looking into restaurants & park district locations. We had my son's 1st b-day in a restaurant b/c our home at the time was not big enough for all the guests. It was a lot more expensive than having it at home, though. Some park districts rent their facilities for a lot cheaper than a restaurant would. You could even rent the party room at your local park district building. Good luck!

I know of a great place to have your daughter's 1st birthday party. its called GYMBOREE and they do great Bday parties. look them up, its not that expensive either.

While I cannot recommend a 'place' for a 1st birthday party, I can tell you what we are doing for our son's 1st birthday.

We decided to have it at our house and invite friends and family. We set the start time at 3:30 - right after his afternoon nap so he will be well-rested. He eats his 'dinner' around 4:30, so the cake timing will work well.

I have heard that the 1st birthday party can be a little overwhelming for the baby, so we wanted to make it as easy and less stressful as possible. He will have many other birthdays (that he actually will remember) that we are saving for special places. Sometimes I think the "first birthday party" is more for the parents than the kid.

Hi J.,
If you need help finding some adorable 1st birthday party invitation I can help! I am a stay at home mom and my business is listed in the business section. Feel free to email me and I can send you some samples if you are interested. I am from Oak Lawn so I am not family with Oak Park area for parties places. Thank you.
D.