Daughters 1st bday party on sunday, did I forget anything????

Question

There will be 35 adults and 10 kids (ages 7-6 months). It is an outdoor bbq type event from 1:30 pm -4ish....

I have :

Placed cake order

Placed balloon order

Gotten:

Candles

Plates

Utensils

Cups

About 25 seats

3 large tables (1 with umberella)

goodie bags

2 large beach blankets (to sit on)

a play gate to hold gifts

play pens/exersaucers for the babies (there are a few)

hot dogs

burgers

steak for steak sandwhiches

condiments

Will be getting:

rolls/buns

veggies (tomato lettuce onion peppers ect)

drinks (soda and Ice tea) (juice boxes for the older kids) water

Daughters gifts are already wrapped and ready to go...anything else???

Answer 1

Nappy Change,

Baby Proofing House

What else is needed....

The need to gather memories

The need to say THANKS.

The need to show off the worlds perfect child.

The need to tell the world you are a 1 yr old Parent

These are all valid reasons to want to celebrate your bub's first birthday party in style.

The first is special and because of this let's have a look at some key considerations. These thoughts are here to help you think about the whole first birthday party picture.

Best FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY Considerations

Timing

Short and sweet. A hour is fine. Think of it like an extended morning tea. Any longer and routine might be interrupted. The child doesn't care about their first birthday party, they care about warmth, food, calm and the family unit.

Check the sleeping-feeding patterns of other bubs coming and choose the best fit.

Invitations

About this time the handmade bug usually bites people and the virus lasts till about age 10yrs.

Look at: How big is your family unit? What is the level of THANKS you are dishing out? How big a first birthday party do you really need to have? Bub will have a small circle of friends so keep it close and informal.

Memory Gathering

A must!! A please give it some thought. Yes, we live in the digital age but you can't video, snap pics and phone all at the same time. Get some help with this. From people who do a reasonable job. The best batch of photos we ever had was from a snap happy orderly who happened to be in the operating room as my wife has her caesarian. We did a count of all the roles and this lady seemed to be part of the show. Not sure what she was doing there but she did a fabulous job of recording the whole operation. I said to her simply: "Take lots of photos with lots of faces"

Film is cheap and digital is literally "free".

Have a variety of Keepsakes and mementos of the time.

Sending out notification to the world.

You might want to put an ad in the paper.

You do this for the future not for now. Think future & act now. A lot of people think now and act now and the "memory pool " becomes a bit shallow.

Cakes

Who is this really for? I mean at age one, who is it for? Tip: have a simple generic cake and candle. Don't freak your bub out. Store bought is fine, as long as there is enough to go around. Remember you are going to "wrap" this in other elements, have a build up and remind people about the day.

Allergies - may be lurking unawares. Don't have the usual suspects: egg, peanut butter, citrus juice.

Food - some will have teeth, some won't. Goes for the kids too! Simple and easy - finger food in small sizes will suit all.

Some mums will be breast feeding - a suitable area for them will be appreciated. We've used a quite room at the other end of the house.

Families - good time to gather all esp. Grand Parents. Keep out those who ruffle the family feathers - the stress isn't needed.

Tiredness in you and spouse. Don't bust a gut. Have the party when you are both rested, even if it's not on the day!

Baby Proofing House - new things into the house might mean hazards. Watch for random pick-ups of tea spoons and the like. For more mobile bubs make sure the gates are in place and cupboards are locked. Protect the pets as well.

Games & Activities - not needed as the time will suit a free-for-all rug crawl from the bubs present. No loud noises, just fun and closeness.

Nappy Change - allow parents to be self-sufficient. Set up a Change Station: quiet room-splash mat-wipes-rubbish bin and any other nice touch you can think of - hand cream worked well for us.



The Future..

Perhaps the greatest bit of help we received at our daughters first birthday party was the reminder of the old adage adopted by women around the globe -- or so my darling Margaret tells me:

"When going out ladies, finish dressing and then go back into your bedroom and remove one accessory"

I laughed at the time. And then we reviewed the photos of us as New Parents. Stuff coming out of every pocket and space in clothes, car and house. This is a good time to loosen the "be prepared" Scout motto parents take an oath to uphold.

The next year will signal more changes as bub gets moving and up on two legs. The less encumbered you are as a parent the more "in the moment" you can be. Lessen the load and take life on the move in your stride.

Best Birthday Suggestion

Short, simple and meaningful. Remember the routine you have created. Make the FIRST one low in stress and when you look back at the variety of memories and you show your child their first birthday party and you hear with utter amazement "Is that me as a baby?" You'll know the party has been a success.

Answer 2

Outdoor toys for the kids.  I had a few big balls, frisbees, velcro balls with mits, etc.  It keeps the kids entertained with each other and allows the adults to mingle.

Also, once the kids were done playing with those toys, I gave them the goodie bags.  This kept them occupied for a little while longer ... bubbles are always good for the older kids.

Answer 3

not that i can think. looks like you got it all planned. Happy Birthday to your daughter

Answer 4

get seats for the older children unless you plan on them sitting on the ground (if so bring a couple blankets)

something small for your daughter to eat other than just cake since she is to young yet for steak sandwiches and hot dogs

dont forget sunscreen and  extra clothes for your daughter

doesnt sound like you left out anything else

Answer 5

2nd on the Slip'n Slide!  

Also look online for simple, easy games for the kids (adults can play too to keep from getting bored)...

---like drop pennies into a jar of water onto a target or into another glass placed inside

--Raw Egg on spoon race;  (substitute styrofoam peanuts or something lightweight).

--Pinata, etc.  

Should also have:

LOADS of BATTERIES!  To try out new toys!

Extra toilet paper.  

Camera

Small towels, wet wipes or paper towels for washing up hands, faces, or messes.  

Radio, tape or cd player to dance off excess energy or to lull fussy ones to sleep.  

Designated TIMEOUT spot.  

A few SPECIAL rewards for Best Behavior or Quietest.

A TV/VCR with cartoons for those who tire out.

Bug repellant

First Aid Kit

and

Valium, wine for parents.

Answer 6

Napkins! You also may want to get some chips and pretzels...just something for them to snack on while they're waiting for the burgers/dogs. Maybe some salads for sides. You might want to invest in small cake plates and extra untensils for cake (and ice cream maybe?). People will tend to throw away their plates when they're done eating the regular food, then when you're ready to eat cake everyone will be plate and untensil-less, unless you got at least double the plates and utensils.

Answer 7

We can't answer that question for you because it's you who is deciding on what the party should have. The question shouldn't be, "I'm I missing something" it should be "What else should my party have". Trust me you'll get better results.

It's kind of sad how important we treat one-year olds who won't remember this after a few years, yet I know full grown adults who really don't do anything for their birthday, despite them actually having a capable memory by now.

Answer 8

I would take some sun screen and some extra clothes. the cake can get really messy. grab a coulple of rolls of good paper towels because the cute napkins usually dont clean up much. happy bday to the baby. my little girl is turning one in three weeks, and we are having a cookout too. so much fun. she loves to play outside so it is perfect!

Answer 9

toys and activites for the kids if it's going to be hot you can get water games for them make sure you tell their parents to bring their swim clothes of course. a slip and slide is a great out door game my daughter has one and we used it on her party this past friday all the kids loved it. they also bobbed for apple's I know people usually do that during the summer but the kids liked it. we also did a sack race. musical chairs and pin the tail on the donkey and I gave prizes to the winners.