Baby's First Birthday - Decorations, Cakes and Ideas

It's A Milestone!

The first year of a baby's life is filled with milestones - first smile, first word, first tooth, and first birthday. Although your baby really isn't too aware of what a birthday party is, or even that it is for him, the fact that there's a lot of excitement and fun is enough to keep him laughing and enjoying himself. However, the real celebrants are mom, dad, the rest of the family and all of the friends who have been invited to celebrate this big day.

Picking a Theme

Since this birthday is the very first of many to come, you want it to be extra special. Baby's first birthday ideas are plentiful, so choosing a theme isn't too difficult. The more popular themes for baby's first birthday decorations include the favorites, Winnie The Pooh, Mickey or Minnie Mouse Clubhouse, Sesame Street and the more current themes of Baby Einstein and Toy Story. There are all sorts of things you can buy to enhance the theme and create a little world of fun and entertainment in your home. Invitations that mirror the theme can be sent or handed out to friends and family, and you can do that by mail or email, using baby's first birthday clipart in the theme you've chosen. It's as much fun creating the invitations as it is decorating the house.

Decorating The Chair of Honor

Speaking of decorating the house, the guest of honor can have his own special decorations to make sure everyone knows exactly who is having their first birthday! High chair kits using the theme for baby's first birthday decorations include a plastic bib, plastic floor mat, and a mini plastic banner to decorate the tray of the high chair. Your little prince or princess will love being the center of the universe on this special day. Plates, cups and napkins as well as streamers, wall art and even a sign for the outdoors can all mirror the theme and make the entire environment festive. Garland, mobiles, hats and party favors sporting the theme of the party increase the energy and make things extra-fun.

And Now for the Main Event

Once the theme has been decided then the big item - the birthday cake (which is really what it's all about, isn't it?) can be designed and created. There are so many cute and amazing cake designs available today that it is hard to choose, even with a theme. You can check your local bakery for baby's first birthday cake pictures of cakes they've produced in the past. Some bakeries have an entire book of choices. You can find a specialty baker in the phone book, by referral, or on the net, or you can make the cake yourself. Baby's first birthday cake ideas are fun and, if you can't find what you really want, then you can work at a design with the cake decorator.

If the cake you choose is iced with marzipan and filled with sugar you probably won't want baby to eat it. The best first birthday cake ideas are those made with simple healthy ingredients and a whipped cream icing so baby can enjoy it along with everyone else. Or, you can have a wonderful cupcake made especially for the birthday baby and everyone else can indulge in a high-powered cake. There are lots of healthy options for cakes that do not require huge amounts of sugar and frostings can be made from cream cheese, yogurt or whipped cream.

Choosing the Perfect Gift

The fun for people attending the baby's first birthday is gift-giving. Your guests will have lots of fun hunting for the perfect gift for the baby's first birthday. While there are numerous lists of "Top 10 Gifts" for one-year-old babies, we have some suggestions that are time proven and lots of fun for little ones.

One thing we know for sure, music for babies is always a winner. Babies love sound, and at a year old, they are mimicking what they hear as they learn to form words. Baby Einstein sets are always a good idea. They have several learning modalities in each set, so the baby gets the visuals from the DVDs and books, and the sounds from the music that is included within the CDs and DVDs.

The Playskool Busy Ball Popper is a big hit with babies. The colored balls are dropped into a track; they tumble down into the belly of the toy and then pop up through the middle spout so baby can redo the process. It helps teach hand-eye coordination and it's just plain fun for a little one.

Pull toys, bouncing toys, and toys that sing are ever popular and great for babies. The Fisher-Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm is a classic toy that includes battery operated sounds to teach baby the sound each of the animals makes. Identifying the animals, knowing their names and the sounds they make is another step in the learning process for a one-year-old.