1st Birthday Party - what to have and do?

[lil monkey]

Hi all,

Well, I know it's still a few months off but I had better start planning Tayla's first birthday party!

We are having a mix of things for bubs and adults (DP wants a keg)!

What sort of party food and ideas do you guys have? I was going to have the ol favourites like chocolate crackles, honey joys, fairy bread, cocktail franks etc but what else can I have?

Also what party games for littlies? I read somewhere about every adult gets a bubble blower thing and all the kids are in the middle and the adults standa round and blow bubbles at them but what else can you do with a 1 year old?

[whatwasithinking]

With Hannah's 1st birthday we had baby frankfurts, sausage rolls, pizza slices, chips, for both adults and kids - depends on what your 1yr old is allowed to eat. We didn't have any party games and the only ages of the children who came was 1 - really boring I know but there is not much they can do except crawl and walk (for the lucky few).
Wasn't real much help was I? Sorry.

[Mamaduke]

Taylasmum,
With Jesse's 1st birthday we hired clowns and their performing dogs! Jesse was the youngest and had a good giggle at the antics but the older kids really enjoyed the magic tricks and the doggies!
For Lucas' 1st birthday we went to a place in the Dandenongs called Gum Gully Farm, I was originally going to get the farm animals to come to us, but it worked out easier to have it there. We hired the 'barn' - it was fantastic, they have weddings there, it was so beautiful. Because his birthday is in June it was cold and they lit the huge open fire for us. All we did was take the food. The father and son who owned the place set up a small area with baby animals in it for the kids to play inside, then they took them for a tour around the farm while the adults ate. Then the kids came back, had all the party food and then went for a hay ride. I bought plain white ceramic bread and butter plates and painted an American style barn on it and wrote on it "A day on the farm...Lucas' 1st Birthday" for each child to take home as a reminder of the day. I also set up a little table at the entrance with a large white mat I got cut to size for a frame with an insert in the middle for a photo of Lucas. The kids put their handprints on the mat and the adults signed it - it's up on Lucas' wall now and looks great!
A great idea foodwise is to have the mini franks and then buy the little 'bake at home' dinner rolls from the supermarket - the franks fit in them perfectly and you could have shredded cheese to put in them too - mini hot dogs!
You'll have a great day whatever you do.
Hope this helps,
Carly

[whatwasithinking]

Try this thread that was posted awhile back - might give you more ideas

http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/showthread.php?t=5392&highlight=birthday

[lil monkey]

THanks Donna,

I thought I saw a thread already but couldn't remember!

Thanks to you other ladies too - was thinking barn animals but maybe for her 2nd birthday when we meet more people around this area as we have just moved and don't really know too many babies!