A Simple First Birthday Party Checklist

After a year of all the most miraculous firsts, it’s time for baby’s very first birthday party! With this simple but effective first birthday party checklist, this special celebration will be a total hit. Although your little one probably won’t be able to remember this milestone birthday when they grow up, that is certainly no reason not to celebrate this momentous year of growth and joy

Besides, that's what pictures are for, after all! If you find yourself stressed about all the things that go into planning a party, never fear; this helpful list breaks everything down to a tee. 

We’ve even added this simple first birthday party checklist that’s downloadable for free as a PDF and can be printed too.

Here is a simple first birthday party checklist: 

Determine Your Budget

The very first thing you need to think about when planning a party of any kind is how much you want to spend. Knowing what your budget is and what your priorities are will help you figure out where your money should go. Are there elements to the day that you have to have? Are there some parts of the day that you can DIY? 

Think about all these elements, and make a list. Once you have that mapped out, you can begin thinking about the fun stuff!

Outline Your Guest List

Whether you want baby’s first birthday to be a who’s who of the playground or a more exclusive soirée, the guest list requires some careful thought. When considering who to invite, your immediate family and closest friends are a sure bet. 

After that, depending on how big you want the party to be, you might want to start looking at extended family members and close friends. If your little one goes to play classes or daycare, the other families and their children might also enjoy an invite. Keeping the guest list small (both literally and figuratively) is probably the most manageable, but this is totally up to you.

Find a Venue

The setting or location of this first birthday party will really set the tone for the event as a whole. With so many options available, including everything from the park to the beach, you have to take quite a few factors into account before making a choice. 

Maybe you have always dreamt of hosting your little one’s first birthday at home or in your backyard, which would certainly feel both inviting and comfortable. Or, the idea of going all out and booking a venue for an extravagant celebration might be more your style. 

Choose a Theme

Picking the theme for any party is probably one of the most exciting and fun aspects of planning. The birthday party theme can really have an impact on the atmosphere and mood of the day. Choosing something whimsical and lively, like a Western or fairytale theme, will foster a sense of playfulness and joy, letting the younger party guests’ imaginations run wild. 

A theme that focuses on the passage of time or baby’s future will feel more emotional and sentimental for all of the adults in baby’s life. Do they have a fascination with dolls, trucks, or the latest cartoon? The options are endless! 

You can also always opt for a themeless party, capitalizing on the versatility that this offers. Without the constraints of a theme, you don't have to worry about fitting into a certain box. 

Send Invitations

After you have determined who will be coming to the party, where it will be held, and what the theme is, it's time to think about party invitations! Go old school with paper invitations delivered by hand or in the mail, or go green and do it all through email or a virtual invitation service. 

You should also think about what would be easiest for both you and your guests when it comes to creating the invites and RSVPing to them. Set a deadline for RSVPs so you have enough time to confirm numbers and start planning the food and drink menu as soon as possible. 

Plan For Food and Drinks

Baby might have only recently broken into the solid-food game, but the rest of your friends and family will be expecting some tasty treats to keep their energy up during the party. You can keep things simple and have snacks that will be appropriate for both children and adults, like potato chips, fruit, or veggies. 

However, if you don't fancy the idea of cooking or baking yourself, then it might be worth it to hire a caterer. With a professional’s help, you can craft a menu that will provide something for everyone and can coordinate with your theme. You could even do a buffet-style setup, so that everyone can serve themselves, giving you a chance to relax and enjoy the food. 

You can also take the same straightforward approach when it comes to drinks. You can set out an array of soft drinks, juices, tea, and coffee, for your guests to sip at as and when they like. Alternatively, you might like to hire a company to take care of all that for you. 

Some fun ideas include a juice bar—which can easily turn into a mimosa bar for the adults—or a coffee cart, or even something more out of the box like a slushy vending machine or a milkshake bar. 

Pro Tip: You can hire a bartender to craft cocktails and mocktails that align with your theme. Guests will love to have the option to enjoy fun and fancy drinks.

Order a 1st Birthday Cake

Separate from the food and drink, but no less important, is the cake! Undoubtedly the best thing about birthdays (even first birthdays) is the fact that it almost always means that cake will be involved. 

A great idea for a first birthday party is to have two cakes. One for all the tweens, teens, and adults to enjoy, and another specifically for baby and their friends. A “smash” cake is a cake specifically made for adorable little fingers to dig into. 

Even though they are only one year old, your little party animal deserves the treat of cake on their special day. The photo opportunities alone will make up for the mess. 

Pro Tip: Hire a photographer to take photos of the cake smash and party in general so you don’t have to worry about capturing every moment.

Prepare Decorations and Party Favors

You can have a lot of fun decorating baby’s first birthday party. No matter what you have chosen as your theme, you’ll want to make sure that the decor pieces you choose are brightly colored and visually stimulating. 

Babies love to look at bright, shiny, colorful, and moving objects, so take advantage of this fact when thinking about decor. You can incorporate banners, balloons, streamers, and flowers into your venue. 

To make it a touch more personal, think about decorating with some pictures from your little one’s first year—incorporating some important milestones or memories!

When it comes to party favors, we recommend putting together little party bags. The party bags should align with your theme and can include kid appropriate snacks and treats.

Hire Kids’ Party Entertainment

A first birthday party is a chance for all those in attendance to embrace their inner child! Having a variety of fun-filled activities and games at this party is a must. As there will most likely be people of all ages at the celebration, having a few different options would be a smart idea. 

For baby and their friends, finger painting, bubbles, or even a storytime activity might be just the thing. For those who are a bit older, you might like to try a sensory box activity, face painting, a clown or magician for some laughs, or have a petting zoo come and delight everyone with the darling baby animals. 

Enjoy the Party!

While this might go without saying, you deserve to enjoy baby’s first birthday party too! Take some time to really be present on this special day, because a first birthday only happens once. 

You have worked hard to make this party happen and should make an effort to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Your little love has been on this planet for a whole year, and that is certainly worth celebrating to the fullest!

Other Considerations

You have put in the work planning a first birthday party, and soon it will be time to experience it! But, before everything is finalized, there are a few more considerations to take into account. 

Time might be flying, but baby still has a schedule to keep

When it comes to setting a date and time for the party, you should try to plan around baby’s schedule. While it will still be a while until they have a clock to adhere to, they will no doubt have their own routine. Try to consider when in the day baby gets fussy or needs a nap. It will make the party all the better if your bouncing bundle of joy is, in fact, joyful and awake.

Hire some help

It may be worth it to consider hiring some additional help for the party. While it isn’t a complete must, it might make the party more enjoyable and relaxed for you as you host the party. 

Having a babysitter there who is solely focused on the kids will give all the parents some time to unwind and socialize. You might have a responsible teen in your family or a beloved babysitter who might like the extra cash, too.

Make a day of the party schedule

When you throw a party, it's always a good idea to help keep track of last minute things that need to be done day of. It will also make sure you’re on time for when guests begin to arrive. It's almost like a back up first birthday party checklist to get you ready as a host.

Find more party planning tips here on The Bash.