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Andrea S
04-11-2003, 11:09 AM
I know I still have some time, but I have started thinking about Andrew's 1st birthday and how we can celebrate it. Our families do not live in the area mine are 12 hour drive south and 8 hours the opposite way so we may have something here for our friends and some family here than something small with my parents, sisters and their children in NC.

A lot of our friends have children now around Andrew's age or younger. Do you have a theme or is he to young? One 1st bday party we went to they gave out goodie bags to all of the kids. At this party they did not open gifts until everyone left is that normal? I thought about just having a cookout at our house that way if Andrew gets tired he can take a nap? (I am sure that is wishful thinking)

Just wanted to see what other people have done or are going to do.

Andrea
mom to Andrew 8/14/02

brubeck
04-11-2003, 12:49 PM
When my daughter turned 1 I invited 5 children over with their parents. I made baby-friendly macaroni and cheese, and offered sides of Gerber Graduates fruits and vegetables along with various bread-y snacks (biter biscuits, goldfish, Cheerios, Wagon Wheels, etc.). Milk and juice were also available. The adults had a make-your-own-sandwich bar. I told each guest to bring something to feed their baby in (booster chair, infant carseat, etc.) so generally one parent fed the child while the other ate, then they switched.

Every child got a bowl, spoon, bib and sippy cup to use at the party and to take home as a favor.

After the kids ate they all played with toys while the birthday girl took a nap in her high chair. When she woke up 30 minutes later we played a game I invented called Grab The Prize. I put 10 prizes on the floor. Each child got to walk/crawl over to the prize pile and the first one they grabbed was theirs. Parents could watch but not touch. The prizes were varied: a pack of spoons, a pair of socks, a sweater, a can of Wagon Wheels, etc. Generally they were things I picked up on clearance at various stores for the previous two months. The kids loved this game but the parents loved it more. One Mom was shouting to her child, "Pick the socks! Take the socks!" and of course he took a sippy cup instead. It was quite funny, maybe you had to be there. :-) This was the main entertainment until I brought out the birthday cake. It was not chocolate so every child got to eat some. I also had applesauce available if parents didn't want to give their child cake. Then we opened the presents, and after that it wound up. It was about a 3 hour affair and everyone got fed and took home a prize.

I found that spending money on the favors (cups, spoons, etc.) and prizes was way better than spending it on some crazy theme no one would even remember. And if you get the feeding items on sale (I got mine at a TRU baby sale) they are about the same price as buying character paper cups, plates and napkins.

Personally I like the idea of opening gifts in front of everyone because it gives your child a chance to learn how to be grateful. At my daughter's second birthday I had the giving child sit next to her while she opened the gift and then we said thank you. Of course I said most of the thank yous but the giver child got special attention and it set a good example for my daughter that these gifts didn't just appear out of thin air.

Just my experience!

nigele
04-11-2003, 12:52 PM
I've been thinking about Tom's first birthday party, too, even though it is not until July. If Andrew has any friends around his age, I heard a nice idea is to give each baby a sippy cup as a party favor.

My sister did a cookout for my nephew's first birthday and it was really nice. There were mostly adults there so it worked out well.

I do think it is strange that the party you went to did not open gifts until guests left!

mama2be
04-11-2003, 05:17 PM
...I can tell you why they MIGHT have done this...or rather a scenerio when one should do it.

If on the invitation it is written "no gift please"...then it is not considered polite to open any gifts that might come anyway thus not making the folks who did not bring one uncomfie.

All fothe birthday ideas sound great by the way...I'm taking notes and can't wait for Tristan's 1st!!!

Great question!!!

flagger
04-11-2003, 08:18 PM
Some mates of mine had a separate party with just adults after their DS' first birthday. I thought it was a great idea for the adults to get together in celebration of making it through their first year as parents.

mamahill
08-25-2003, 11:17 PM
We just had a birthday and I wanted it pretty low key. Basically I just wanted to be able to take a picture :). The cookout sounds like a great idea. We had about 9 kids over, varying in age from 5 weeks to 7. On the invitation I put that it would only be about an hour (I was afraid some people might not come if it was longer, since it was on a Saturday afternoon, right around nap time!). As it was, it actually stretched into 2.5 hours!

Anyway, DH cleaned the garage till it shone, and hung lavender and pink streamers, with lavender and pink balloons, inside the garage and out. We got a big beautiful lavender and pink dragonfly balloon to attach to the mailbox. On the invitation I had asked that parents bring a high chair, stroller, or something for the child to sit in. I had a cake for Ainsleigh to pulverize (see attached pic), and white cupcakes for the others. I also had several dozen fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, and cake and ice cream for the adults. I thought about doing favor bags, but decided against it since I couldn't think of anything (though almost got bubbles for everyone - I like the sippy cup idea). I did make a note of "No presents please" at the bottom, so I figured I didn't need to have party bags ;). I didn't want a lot of toys, and I knew my family would be generous. Ainsleigh has plenty to keep herself occupied. Any more means more cleanup for me!

It was a lot of fun. I don't know if you have a Party America near you, but they have a really cute new line of "My First Birthday," for boys and girls, with all the fixins, including a birthday girl/boy bib! Good luck. It was so much fun!

ps - attaching some pics, including the group (2 babies were being bfed, so they missed out)