1 year old - birthday party .... help ! not sure what to do

[muminko]

My DS's birthday party is coming up at the end of September therefore its likely to be held indoors.I think I am ok with the theme as not planning anything spectacular but not sure what to put in party bags. Most babies will be around 1 year old with couple of 2-3 years old.I am also bit worried about huge amount of icing and colouring that seems to be used on birthday cakes and cupcakes. I would still like him to have a nice birthday cake though. Any ideas? thanks

The answer on the cake is surely to make your own, then you can control what goes in it. On the party bags I did less things, but better quality than I do for older kids. e.g. a wooden toy like a mini musical shaker, a squishy ball and a plastic farm animal, plus chocolate buttons or something like that.

Or if you buy a cake, just pick the icing off before giving it to your DS. That's what we did. DS was so happy to have a whole slice of cake to himself that he really didn't care about the icing.
Other parents will do the same if it bothers them.

I made dd a plain victoria sponge with buttercream and jam in - any cake is special so long as you call it 'birthday' cake.
This year I put in a bit more work and made a big oblong victoria sponge filled with jam, cut it into the shape of a 2 and iced it with plain glacé icing.

Save your effort till they are 7 and demanding an army football cowboy Ben10 pirate cake.

I didn't bother with party bags at 1yo, and when dd was 2 they just had a balloon and a party hat each to take home

Thanks for all your advice. DP is quite handy at baking cupcakes, I am sure he could bake a yummy cake. I am not good at baking cakes at all but understand will have to learn to bake soon as it seems to be desirable skill when one's child will go to a small village school. I like the party bags ideas I was thinking of making animals out of conkers but dp being a legal eagle poo pooed the idea saying that he would have to type some sort of small parts choking hazard disclaimer to go with it.

oh cupcakes will do fine

line them up on a tray put one letter of her name on each one