Cheap 1St B-day Ideas Anyone???

I did a small party at home. Fortunately, his birthday is in the summer so I was able to have it in my backyard. Chuck E. Cheese is so expensive and I find that our area traffic on weekends makes it nearly impossible for anyone to make anything on time, so being on a time limit makes it really hard. At least at your home, late party goers can still come and have fun. Cake, toss around balloons and bubbles are great for 1 yr olds.

Just keep in mind that 1st birthdays are more for the family than the kid, and then its all about getting a pic of the baby with cake on his face. We had a barbeque at the house.
M.

Have you tried your local rec. center? They have Party rooms, some have gym mats , soft climbing cubes etc. When they are that young, they love to climb,roll around, play with lots and lots of balls.Soft, washable toys that they can throw. Avoid balloons, high choking hazzard.
Most rec. centers charge around $50.00 for a couple of hours.

A small drive for you, but well worth it if he likes playgrounds would be Clemyjontri Park in McLean (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/clemyjontri/). They have a carousel for a fee, and you can rent the pavilion if you register early enough, but you can be there all day and not spend a dime! Enjoy!!!

Yes, I would recommend going to the rec center too. The newest one is in the centerville/chantilly area, Cub Run Rec Center. They have an awesome family pool with a special pool area for babies and toddlers and two giant slides for big kids. It costs around $5 per person to enjoy the facility. If you want to have a small party room for one hour, you pay about $105, and that includes entrance to the facility for 15 people. I know all this because we're doing a party there in November!
Good luck!