A baby’s first birthday is a milestone to cherish. Growth and development happen so fast in those first years that it is worth an extra special celebration. Planning a first birthday is easy to do, and any party planning specialist from a party supply store will be more than happy to help you.

Themes to celebrate your baby’s first birthday can include a number of characters holding the number 1. Plain characters, a color or other party theme can also be used if your baby shows a favorite. Pink is very popular for girls and any shade of blue is tops with boys.

A tradition at many 1st birthday parties is to let baby smash their cake. They get their own cake, whether it’s big or small depends on you and how much of a mess you want to clean up. Put the cake on their high chair tray and let them pick away at it with their bare hands is entertaining. The first taste of sugar and frosting may prove to be a great photo op for any guests. Removing any important clothes is recommended at this point!

Create a special scrapbook for baby to remember their party. Clip a piece of wrapping paper from every gift to tape on a page. Add a paragraph of who it was from and what was in it. Special notations of how long it took baby to open the present are fun to read over when they are grown up.

When sending thank you notes, include a picture of baby with the cake and frosting smashed all over their face. The picture will be cherished for years, whether it is a friend or relative receiving it. The picture also works well at high school graduations and weddings and gets a good laugh.