1st birthday parties what did you do ?

[milkgoddessmakesthefinestmilk]

wondered if you could tell me what you did?

just getting ideas for dds 1st bday party

so far in think bbq in the garden, if it rain indoors.

one of those helium baloon rainbows

food,drink,music.

perhaps a bouncy castle for her older cousins etc.

dd, party at home, other toddlers, food for adults.

ds (2nd dc) big picnic in botanical gardens. lots of food and wine for adults, cake and very successfully BUBBLE MACHINE.

We have a bouncy castle which gets hauled out for all parties our own and mates. It goes down well. The bubble machne is v good.

For older ones a helium balloon set from asda is good. but younger ones go for normal balloons because they can reach them.

Buffet stuff:
little finger foods on reachable tables for 1 y.o.s grapes/cheese/bread/biscutis/ginderbread/breadsticks/strawberries etc
and adult stuff.

for party bags for dd I didn't I do't think, but for ds I wrapped a light up ball and some illicit dried fruit snacks up in tissue paper and tied with ribbon.

A paddling pool with balls is good for 1 y.o.s

slur, wow! thanks for hte great ideas, i will definatly do the balls in the pddlingpool, and bubble machine,

oh yeah i forgot party bags too

i like the idea of mini gingerbread men too

Absolutely nothing at all - saved all the fuss (and expense) for when the dcs were older and had a bottle of champagne with dh when ds/dd had gone to bed.

We just had extended family and one little 'friend' around for DS's 1st, and TBH, even that was a bit too much for the star of the show after a while. This time, we'll dispense with inviting a friend, and stick to family only, and we'll have much lower expectations of how much DD will enjoy it!!! I think until they're 4 or so, you're having the party for yourself, so you should just do what you want, whether that's a big bash (and knowing that baby will get grouchy and overexcited and have to disappear for a nap), or sharing a bottle of champagne with your DH to celebrate having made it that far.

We had planned a picnic in the park (our garden is tiny) but on the day it rained so we had 10 babies and their parents in our living room. We had helium baloons and cake and a small buffet for the adults but we didn't do any games or anything. The kids just drawled around to a CD I put on and the adults chatted. In lasted 2 hours and was very sweet. TBH anything more would have totally overwhelmed DD and been wated effort on my part because at 1 they don't really need planned activities and I certainly didn't want to encourage the party bag culture so young!

oh im liking the idea of having some champers with dh when everyones all gone, yes i do fancy having a party to celebrate, dd has a nap about 12pm till 3pm so i waas thinking of doing the party from about 3-4pm.

i know its for us more than her though.

Invited our friends around (for dd1, she didn't have any friends yet!), cracked open a bottle and said 'thank god we have made it through the first year!'
enjoy..