Food Question and First Bday Party Question... :)

Ask for help with party. If family is in the area call them to help with entertaining and seating (i.e. folding chairs etc). Friends can help with entertaining and seating too. Don't be shy because people usually like to help with parties and if not they'll probably let you know. Entertain with simple comfort foods and board games, Wii, TV, cards - whatever you do on rainy days.

Eat first. Set up little area with toys for one year olds to play. Open presents at the end. If you feel you must give party favors give a ball and a book to each child. However, I don't think 1 yr olds need party favors.

AS for the party - easy food - pizza? or stuff you can make ahead of time - basked pasta (baked ravioli, baked ziti, lasagna) hot dogs cooked in a big pot so you can just take them out with tongs and get them into rolls. Salads from a deli (potato & macaroni salad, tossed greeen salad). Then birthday cake, ice cream cups (liek we used to get at school) , open gifts and over.

As for food for kids this age - anything cut into small cubes (smaller than a choke risk obivously). Tiny peices of balogna, omlette, american cheese, fruit, cucumber, red pepper. My kids used to eat frozen vegies while they were still ice cold. So I'd put corn, peas or carrots from a frozen bag into a small cup or bowl. (This began when, preoccupied, I put a small dish of frozen veggies in front of my DD in her highchair - and she ate every last piece!!! Now as a teen she still will pour herself frozen corn once in a while - odd I know.)

Good luck - then they become teens and you can no longer control what they eat - yikes!

Hi! Congrats at the one year mark...lots to go! I have been a daycaare provider for 15 yr. and have had this questions, re: bda,y lots.
First remember he has a very small attention span...next 35 ppl is going to be very overwhemling! Short and sweet...best option. Open a couple gifts, he will be very overwhemed with this idea too. The paper is going to be THE BEST present! Save some presents aside to open on a " rainy day, or when a sitter is needed, it's a great distraction! Play, eats some cake..a couple gifts and that will probably be more than enough for him. Party favors? Personnally not needed for a 1 yr old, but small cans of paydough, parents can put in pockets and purses are great play items for restaurant waiting, large size crayons, plastic slinkys,. and stickers! ages 1-5 usually like them! Good luck!

i just had a birthday for my sons first. i am not an entertainer, but it turned out pretty good... we order a meat and cheese tray, i made a fruit tray with yummy dip, and i made cupcakes. We had guests come over between his naps, so noon to 3. we ate first, then opened gifts soon after, and then soon after that we did cupcakes. I wanted to do it pretty quick because i knew he would get overwhelmed with all that was going on! We didnt have enough seating either, bt people gathered on the couch, ottoman and floor and others were eating, and it all just worked out, and im sure it will for u!!

Congratulations on 1 year old! Some snack options - cheese sticks, cut up fruit, berries, veggie sticks (health food section), and goldfish are always a hit. As for bday - make it as simple for yourself as possible being that it is at home. Set up table with finger foods, appetizer type plates, use paper/plastic so there is little clean-up afterwards. If there are kids coming, get a little favor bag for each, depending on age. You can find stuff at target/walmart/party store. Take pics, let your son enjoy socializing, but not too long as he will likely get tired and overwhelmed. Then do the cake eating tradition. If you can time it, so there is an easy way out for him, in case he gets cranky. 2 hrs is probably more than enough for a 1 year old. We didn't open any gifts, during the party, it was too much to do. Instead we opened them the following day and enjoyed our son's delight all by ourselves :)

we just had my daughters first birthday party and ate first. I had tables upstairs and downstairs for people to sit, then we did presents and then cake and ice cream. I would not do party favors yet. My son is going to be 4 and i still wont be doing them. Mabye have the kids play in one area of the house if possible so they are not running all over. I things to move along quick at parties that way people can either leave when its done or hang out and chat. With an indore party we just did little sandwiches, ramen salad, chips, pickles/olives, punch, pop, etc. Simple stuff.

As for snack ideas, he can eat most anything. My daughter loves cereal bars in the morning, fruit cut up small enough, crackers, cheese, fishies, yogurt, applesauce, veggies. She eats what ever we do.

If it is tight quarters...Keep the food as appetizers that are more like finger food. Pizza, pizza puffs, mozzeralla stixs, veggies, fruit. chips and dip, cookies, chips and quesso etc... As far as snacks for your lil' one..saltine crackers (lower sodium) cheese slice, bananas, other fruits without skin, yogurt. :)

Happy 1st birthday to your son :)

I think your idea is right,eating first then gifts,I have celebrated my kids birthday that way & all goes smooth.

Good luck

My son's favorite snacks at that age:
all fruit cut up into pieces-grapes, bananas, strawberries, pear, orange, blueberries, peaches
applesauce
frozen blueberries
cheese and crackers
yogurt
cereal-cheerios, raisin bran, etc
pancakes cut into little pieces, I would make a big batch of little ones and freeze them to thaw as needed-add carrot, zucchini, any pureed veggie, or bananas, blueberries, apple, etc
chopped and steamed-apples, carrots, sweet potatoes
rice "pudding"-leftover rice or other grain with a little cinnamon and some almond milk on top
cold pasta

Really I didn't limit him to "snack" foods at snack time because I took any opportunity that he was eating to get some nutrition into him.

Have fun at the party. Let me know how it goes, we're doing something similar for my son's 2nd birthday in a month. Last year we had it in a park, but we just moved, so there won't be many kids at the party this year, but lots of family in a small house!