Child's first birthday. How to celebrate

[Alexchallex]

What did you do for your little ones 1st birthday? How did you celebrate it? Party/ no party ( is it worth the bother?)
Ideas please! He's 1 in the spring

To be honest, I think parties for one year olds are more for the parents/family than for the child (who is often overwhelmed).

On DS1's first birthday, we just visited my folks on his birthday, the inlaws the day after and other than doing present opening at his grandparents, that was it (we didn't do cake as we were trying to keep him away from sweet stuffs at that age, doubt we'll be able to get away with that this year when DS2 turns one though - DS1 will be expecting cake!)

My lil girl has just turn 13 months old and we just had a little tea party for her with family as she has loads off cousins. We just had a peppa pig cake as she loves peppa lol and just had party food and sweets not that she ate much was more for me the sweets lol theres no point in going to over board as they won't really remember it

Tea and cakes at home with some family. Son had a cupcakes, didn't eat much of it.

We did the same for his 2nd birthday and will do so until he goes to school and realises there can be more to parties than DGM, DUnc, a couple of cousins and a mis-shapen cake!!!
Party lasted an hour or so, nothing overwhelming, some nice photos and that was it.

We do a family day out for birthdays. To the farm, zoo or aquarium. Nice to do something to mark the occasion. We generally incorporate tea with the grandparents too. We start parties when they are 4.

Dd spent her first birthday in hospital :( day 10 of a 13 days stretch. I was heartbroken but tried my best

I decorated her cot with streamers, banners and balloons. I got one small present for her to open. The play team got her a present and came n sung happy birthday to her. She had a small cake (with no candle cos of it being a hospital) which she demolished. Otherwise it was a flop cos she was hooked up to oxygen and we couldn't go anywhere.

It's her second birthday in March so we intend to more than make up for it

Oh if the stay in hospital hadn't messed it up me and her dad were having the day off work (were both ft) and were going to go to the aquarium and have a picnic. With family coming over at the weekend for tea and cake

We had a little family party - just us amd grandparents and then dh, dc and I went for afternoon tea at a fancy hotel. Obviously dc didn't have a clue if we were in ritz or McDonald's but we enjoyed it, dc got a bday cake the pianist played happy bday and the other guests made a fuss.

It was more of a "we made it" celebration for us (years of IVF etc.) so a tea party for our closest friends and their children - we ended up having five little girls making cupcakes.

I made a low sugar banana sponge with fresh cream and strawberries for his cake which he enjoyed a lot.he spent most of the party playing with his dad and one of the girls in the garden. We laid out some toys and played some music for a bit so a few of them bobbed about to that.

Suspect we'll do something similar for DTs 1st birthday later this year with DS in charge of cupcake production line.

I also did a separate "baby party" for NCT and pregnancy yoga mums and babies ("his" friends) during the week with home made treats (eg home made jelly with fresh orange). But that was more of a glorified coffee morning. Very nice though.

oh and melliebobs - so sorry that was your first birthday celebration. Have a blast with the 2nd. DS had a week in hospital (pneumonia) just before his 2nd and was planning to do nothing but instead got a hall, entertainer, baked for Britain - the works. I think I enjoyed it the most.

I skived off work :) We went to a local stately home for a picnic with dgps. Dd had a cupcake with vast quantities of icing. She enjoyed that greatly.