Baby's First Birthday... What to Do!?!

Congratulations to your little guy! Since this is a first birthday and he doesn't really know what's going on and given that the weather will probably be cold, I would just plan something small and low key at home. A few party games for the older children, cake, ice cream and presents and call it a day. He won't know the difference and right after the holiday people are tired and would probably like something calm and low key. have a good one!

the Tilden carosel could be really fun since it should still all be decorated for X-Mas. But....it's been under construction & was supposed to open in July but didn't. We stopped by a couple of months ago & it still wasn't open. I also agree w/the previous poster....honestly, he will not remember a thing. The first b-day is more for the parents to celebrate making it thru the 1st year! He may also get very over-whelmed w/all the hullabaloo & not want anything to do w/his party or the guests. Keep it simple & low-key....a few folks at your house w/some decorations & cake. Best of luck!

E.,
If you are willing to go to Berkeley, there is a great place for little ones and toddlers. It is called Habitot. It is on Shattuck and Kitteridge Streets. They have a small separate room for parties and the kids can run around the entire place. Habitot is a hands-on museum / play area where kids can explore and have a lot of fun. Here is the website: www.habitot.com
Good luck with your party planning.
T.

I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old and have gone pretty overboard the last couple of years. While the first birthday is more for the parents and company than the child since they won't remember, a lot of people advise to keep it small.

We did a sports theme for 1st party
Jungle theme for 2nd party
Cowboy theme for 1st and 3rd party if you would like to know what we did you can email me offline.

I have found www.birthdaypartyideas.com to be very helpful. Good Luck!

You might try looking into Gymboree Play and Music. They do great birthday parties and it's perfect for the 1 year old kids who will be attending. You can get specific info about the Gymboree closest to you by looking at their website which is www.gymboreeclasses.com.

Congratulations on making it through the first year!!

J. F.

Since your LO is not going to remember the event, my suggestions are to keep it as simple as you're happy with and you think your LO will be happy with. There will be plenty more years ahead when your son will be running around and wanting to do something fun with his friends, so I doubt he'll feel he 'missed out' if you don't have a big celebration for his first birthday ;-) (For our twin daughters, we only had cake with close relatives for their first 3 b-days and didn't start having parties until they were 4, and they haven't complained).
What did you have in mind - just family and close friends? do the guests have children and what age range? that'll help you narrow down your list of formats/locations.

I know the urge is to go all out, but as a seasoned mother, keep the first birthday small. There will be many more to come for the big stuff. They don't really understan all that's going on, and anything to crazy (like clowns or jumpers) can just scare and overstimulate them. Invite over a few relatives, friends, playmates and play, make some healthy snacks, and even some cake if you like. My son did enjoy staring at the candle, but he was more interested in the balloons and boxes than any gifts, toys or party games. Keep it mellow. If your child naps regularly, schedule a few hours in between naps or after the nap. That way, they wear themselves out playing and go down without a big fuss. I have seen parents go crazy, even letting their kid skip the nap which only results in a cranky, overtired toddler.