70 Of The Best 1st Birthday Party Ideas For Boys & Girls

This theme features a playful twist on words, providing the perfect springboard for a fanciful Alice in Wonderland theme. Frosted Occasions placed the emphasis on Alice’s tea party with the Mad Hatter, but you can do so many things. Feature all of the characters, go purple and pink like the Cheshire Cat or highlight the Queen of Hearts.

You can also opt for the Disney version or go with the classic Lewis Carroll tale. You can go prim and proper like Alice or decide to get topsy-turvy in true Wonderland style.

SHOP: ONE-derland Birthday Decorations

Poppy + Grace shows off a fantasy-inspired mermaid birthday party with aqua and pink and delicate touches. The net overlay on the table is just the right touch to add an under the sea vibe. You can also evoke the mermaid style with shimmery fabrics and seashell decor.

Dress up your little darling in a mermaid-inspired dress to match the party colors. You can go with a general aquatic theme or let Ariel from The Little Mermaid and her friends take center stage.

SHOP: Mermaid Birthday Decorations

Your one year old daughter might not know the 1980s movie classic, but Pretty in Pink still makes a great party theme. You can also use this theme for a Pinkalicious birthday or just pepper the rosy color all over your party like Tera Bare.

It’s a sweet, classic look that’s just right for a baby’s first birthday. Use pink cupcakes, pink flowers, and pink balloons, and add interest by layering different shades. You can use pastel, fuschia, or hot pink, and toss in some sparkle too.

SHOP: Pretty In Pink Birthday Decorations

Sofia the First is one of the most lovable little Disney princesses of all time. She’s got a big heart, is brave and daring, and stands up for what’s right, everything you’d want your little girl to be.

Made to Be a Momma creates a simple but elegant birthday scene with an all-white backdrop. The white helps the purple and pink (Sofia’s signature colors) stand out. You can decorate with the colors in any way you like, add sparkly amulets like Sofia’s, and set out tiaras for the guests.

SHOP: Sofia The 1st Birthday Decorations

Bumblebees are a popular theme for children’s parties and can really make your baby’s first birthday buzz with excitement. Plus, you get some options to play with when you choose this theme. For example, dew.and.rose goes with bee decorations and lots of yellow and gives everything an elegant edge.

But you can also go full Queen Bee and dress your special girl in a sparkly bee outfit and tutu along with a birthday crown. Add in glitz and glam if you prefer a bit more pizazz.

SHOP: Queen Bee Birthday Decorations

Little girls adore unicorns; they’re just magical and beautiful and mysterious. Plus, just the thought of unicorns makes you think of rainbows, sparkles, sprinkles, and everything fun. Yours Truly & Co. certainly delivers a colorful unicorn party display full of glittery goodness.

Carry the unicorn motif onto the backdrop, the cake, the favors, and even the drinks (notice the bottle water wraps)? Colorful strips of tulle make the perfect table drape and are super easy to work with. Find more magical unicorn birthday party ideas here!

SHOP: Unicorn Birthday Decorations

Check out this theme, whether you’re a fan of the classic book series like One Creative Housewife or just want a bright and happy birthday look. Yellow makes you feel joyful, so what better way to celebrate your little one’s special day?

You can decorate with bright yellows, cut-out suns, hang yellow paper lanterns or balloons, or tie up sunny streamers. You could also opt for sunshine and sunflowers as your main decor. And of course, the birthday girl can show off a frilly yellow dress for the occasion.

SHOP: Little Miss Sunshine Birthday Decorations

Kids love stories, so creating a birthday party around a story theme is a no-brainer. Happy Kid Party gives a fairy tale vibe to this Once Upon a Time event. The greenery wall adds the perfect neutral backdrop to help things stand out.

You can also focus on one of your favorite storybooks or fairy tales, like Red Riding Hood or Cinderella. Small books make a great favor for this party, and adding in a storyteller is a bonus.

SHOP: Once Upon A Time Birthday Decorations

For another play on words, take your guests into a snowy winter showplace. This is an especially great theme for winter birthdays since you can incorporate a hot chocolate bar into your menu. A popular color choice for this theme is usually frosty blues, whites, and silvers.

However, Glorious Treats decides to go in a different direction with pink, purple, and penguins. Get creative and have fun with it. It’s also a great way to work in a Frozen theme if your little girl loves Anna, Elsa, and Olaf.

SHOP: Winter ONE-derland Birthday Decorations

This classic nursery rhyme and song comes to life in this cute party theme from Hostess with the Mostess. Decorate with teddy bears, serve food and drink in picnic baskets, and make sure to sing the song with your young guests.

Use red and white checkered tablecloths and create a woodland backdrop as your picnic setting. Dress up the birthday girl in a teddy bear outfit and give her a special mini picnic basket with some of her favorite goodies.

SHOP: Teddy Bear Birthday Decorations

This Dr. Seuss favorite is an inspiring and motivating book for people of all ages. What a perfect way to celebrate your daughter’s first year, with encouragement and hope for the future.

Kara’s Party Ideas pulls color inspiration for the party decor from the book’s cover. You can decorate with various images from the story. Another great idea is to have a copy of the book on your welcome table for people to write a message to the birthday girl.

SHOP: All The Places You Will Go Birthday Decorations

Minnie Mouse is the epitome of charm, and little girls love her. So it makes sense that she’d be a popular choice for the birthday celebration theme. You can decorate with her iconic red with white polka dots and black accents.

Or go with the softer version, like Catch My Party, and create a pink and black palette. Don’t forget to add Minnie’s signature bows to your decor.

SHOP: Minnie Mouse Birthday Decorations

Kids grow up so fast, and when they’re little, you wish it could last forever when they’re little. That’s why this theme makes an excellent choice for her first birthday. You can also say “Do-nut Grow Up” as another option.

Hope, Heart, and Home makes a donut balloon their centerpiece, and of course, there are donuts everywhere. You can decorate with inflatable donuts, create a donut wall for guests, and instead of a traditional cake, create a tower of donut holes.

SHOP: Donut Birthday Decorations

This theme is a great option for an outdoor, summertime birthday. It just screams sunshine, sweetness, and summer fun. Jennie Tewell uses pretty, vibrant pinks and bright greens to evoke the watermelon vibe.

You can add fabric flags to make colorful banners, cut out watermelon slice decorations, and make a fancy balloon garland. If you prefer a more traditional look, go with a deeper red and darker green. And, of course, make sure to serve fresh watermelon to your guests.

SHOP: One In A Melon Birthday Decorations

How about a cute cowgirl theme for your baby’s first birthday? See Vanessa Craft gives this western theme a sophisticated and luxe vibe with charming touches throughout. The pink, aqua, and hints of brown add just the right look for this kind of event.

Add in ponies, rope trim, and mason jars to keep things more rustic. You can also go with a more bold cowgirl theme, like Jessie from Toy Story. It’s all up to you and your preferences.

SHOP: My First Rodeo Birthday Decorations

You can’t go wrong with a fairy theme for a magical birthday. Use pastels, sparkles, and twinkly lights to create a mystical forest fit for a fairy princess. Choose one color to serve as your main decor inspiration and sprinkle in a few accent shades.

Purple Skye Creations decided to use purple as the star of the show. You could also go with a Tinkerbell theme or mix in a butterfly display. Make sure to have some shimmering wings for the birthday girl.

SHOP: Fairy Birthday Decorations

One of the more recent princesses to hit the scene, Moana is a popular character that many young girls will know. You’ll find several birthday decoration sets that feature baby Moana, making it a fun way to celebrate your daughter’s first.

KEEPIN It Cute trims out the table in a grass skirt and colorful flowers with a greenery backdrop. You could also add LED (safety first!) tiki torches to heighten the Polynesian vibe. Make sure to have a singalong ready and let guests get a Moana tattoo, just like Maui.

SHOP: Moana Birthday Decorations

Let kids experience going to a carnival when they come to your daughter’s birthday. Set up a popcorn machine, cotton candy maker, and fun carnival-themed treats you’d find at the fair. Pop of Gold uses a red and aqua theme, but any colorful combinations would work with this fun-filled idea.

Spell out the birthday girl’s name with giant marquee letters and place balloon bouquets all around. And plan to play some carnival-inspired games, like ring toss and knocking down bottles.

SHOP: Carnival Birthday Decorations

How sweet it is to celebrate a baby’s first birthday! And what better way to do it than with lots of sweet treats? Use lots of colors, sprinkles, cupcakes, and more — this is a theme where a lot of your desserts can double as your decorations.

You can also do a Candyland theme like Coffee and Confetti Mom. It’s one of the most popular kid’s games of all time. Put colored squares on the floor to create a giant-sized board game. Make giant lollipop decorations, gumdrops, and more.

SHOP: One Sweet Baby Birthday Decorations

Sometimes, simply choosing a color as your theme is all you need. Popular colors for first birthdays are rose gold or gold. Mix in white or cream to create a sophisticated palette for your daughter’s special day.

You can also go completely gold for a bolder, glitzier statement like Inspired by This. If you want to go the humorous route, decorate with some elements from the classic TV show, The Golden Girls. The kids might not understand, but the adults will get a real kick out of it.

SHOP: Gold Birthday Decorations

This game is a classic at kid’s parties, and it’s a special favorite of young children and toddlers. Even the adults get a kick out of it. You can get the original donkey version on Amazon or create your own to match your theme. For example, land the rocket on the moon, or catch the butterfly in the net.

Little kids love a good bean bag toss. It’s a great way to test your skills, practice coordination, and have lots of fun. Hostess with the Mostess did a circus theme to match their party. Give everyone a few turns, and you can also offer prizes to the participants if you want.

Bubbles bring instant smiles to kids of all ages. Get a bubble machine and let kids go to town chasing and popping bubbles. You can also set out a bubble station with various wands for kids to make their own floating creations. It’s an especially fun activity for an under the sea theme.

You might be surprised how something so simple can provide hours of fun. Get an inflatable kiddie pool and fill it up with plastic balls. Throw a few large balls in like Lovely Indeed to add to the excitement. You can match the ball colors to your party’s color scheme.

Get a regular kid’s wagon and set up a wagon ride for your little party guests. You can place some fun props along the route for kids to spot and give older kids a checklist. If you have a farm theme, add some hay to the wagon for instant hayrides.

Having an art project or craft for your younger guests is a creative way to keep little hands and minds engaged. Older kids at the party will especially appreciate being able to create something unique and help the younger kids. First Palette shows off some various party hats, but you can also make crowns, necklaces, swords, or anything else that goes with your theme.

Balloons provide all sorts of entertainment possibilities. You can play Keepie Uppie (Don’t Let It Touch the Ground), a winner for even the little ones. Older kids can take on more of a challenge. Write letters on the balloons and shout out a word. Have the kids work together to find the balloons that spell out the word.

Set up a toddler-friendly obstacle course in your backyard, like Lauren McBride, for young guests to get active. They can crawl through tunnels, wriggle under tables, jump through hula hoops, and more. You can also add in a kiddie slide for a big finish or to make the perfect starting point.

Water play and kids is an instant success. They love to splash, feel the water, and interact with it. You don’t have to get a fancy water table. Even a few bins with shallow water will do the trick. Add some bath toys, buckets, and scoops to provide lots of entertainment.

For kids, a box is much more than a box. It can be a spaceship, robot, race car, castle, and so much more. Gather up a few boxes of various sizes and shapes in the weeks leading up to your party. Set them around with a few crayons and let kids go to town using their imaginations.

The highlight of the menu for many first birthday parties is the smash cake. Everyone needs to snag a picture of baby pounding their fist into a cake topped with yummy, messy icing. Belle of the Kitchen shows you how you can make your own smash cake for the big event. As an alternative, you can also use a cupcake piled high with frosting.

Displaying food at kid’s parties in a fun way makes it even more enticing for the young ones. Life with My Littles creates a food train, along with themed snack names. You can make one easily with aluminum food storage containers and whatever toy engine you choose. Include tasty veggies and lots of yummy fruits (always a kid favorite).

The adults at your baby’s birthday are likely going to come hungry, so make sure to give them something to satisfy their appetites. You can set out a bunch of sliders (great idea for a baseball theme) with all the trimmings or layout various toppings so people can create their own. Include some tasty sides, like macaroni and cheese and potato salad.

How cute are these mini pancakes on a stick from Little Miss Party? Kids love pancakes, and these bitesize ones make the perfect finger foods for a one-year-old’s birthday. You can even add some food coloring into the batter to match your party’s palette. Then, put a few on a stick for the perfect snack.

Toddlers love cheese and crackers, and even your one year old can start experimenting with different textures. You can set up cheese squares and various crackers in a variety of formations to match your theme. For example, Sheila Williams decided to make her platter match a Minnie Mouse inspired party.

Even the birthday girl herself can grab her own snack when you use age-appropriate snack pouches. It’s the go-to for many parents, so most kids will recognize these goodies on the food table. Peanut Butter Fingers set them out next to some kid-friendly cups of puffs. You can get fruits and veggie pouches, yogurts, applesauce, or offer a combination.

Finger sandwiches are a staple at many parties, but when it comes to a first birthday, you need to kick it up a notch. Decide on the theme, and choose some cookie cutters that have a complementary shape. For example, Max and Me cut their sandwiches into airplanes for their party.

Who says you can’t have a bar at your kid’s birthday? A lemonade bar is perfect for everyone on the guest list. Pam ❤ Cook keeps it simple and elegant with yellows and whites. But you can also vary your options and offer strawberry lemonade, peach lemonade, etc. Kids will get a kick out of getting to choose their favorite flavors or experimenting with different combinations.

Juice boxes are an easy, mess-free way to add beverages to a young children’s party. But, if you think they’re boring, think again. Take a hint from How Does She? and decorate your juice boxes to match your birthday theme. Before you know it, your beverages are doubling as decorations.

A colorful, sweet drink can become the centerpiece of your food and beverage table. This easy-to-make ice cream punch from Joyful Homemaking is tasty and refreshing. Plus, you can change up the color to work with your theme. You can also change up the name to fit your theme, like Princess Punch or Moon Juice.

Adults and kids will enjoy a chocolate treat takeaway when it’s time to say goodbye. Big Dot of Happiness makes it simple to create personalized candy bars with your child’s name and age. Choose the color, and you have a coordinating favor for your party. You can also personalize smaller treats like chocolate kisses.

Here’s a fun favor for a summertime birthday or if you’re going with a nautical or beach theme. Fill some buckets with a few sand toys and treats for kids to take home. You can keep a marker handy to personalize it for them before they go.

Kids will love these interactive sensory bins, and parents will appreciate the learning opportunities they provide. Fill a few small containers with various items that offer different textures. Picky Apple geared their bins toward older toddlers and preschool children, but you can cater your bins to your guests’ ages.

You can pick up bubbles at the dollar store and hand them out as-is after the party. Or, you can go the extra mile, like Tikkido, and jazz up your bubbles to match the party theme. You can also print personalized labels with a thank you note and wrap them around the containers.

Parents will love that this favor will give their kids something to do when the party’s over. Noodlehead assembled art kits to match the theme using appropriate coloring pages and stickers, and some crayons. You can put them in a bag or clip them onto mini clipboards.

Introduce little hands to the world of LEGO with a small DUPLO set, just right for one to three year olds. DUPLO features a fun fish set, among other creations. You can choose from a variety of kits to find one that suits your child’s party.

Small books are thoughtful and appreciated party favors, working especially well with storybook themed parties. But you can make this favor work with any theme just by matching the subjects and stories. PIP has mini board book sets that hold up well in little hands. You can break up sets to give everyone their own book.

Everyone loves to get something they can use, and bath toys fit the bill for young kids. You could even give out mini rubber ducks dressed in your party’s theme. If you’re going to have a mix of ages, consider offering some variety in your favors so guests can choose age appropriate options.

If you’re looking for a favor for kids and adults, a delicious sugar cookie is an excellent choice. You can match them to your theme and even add a sticker expressing your thanks. These intricately decorated sweets are like miniature works of edible art.

Kids never want to leave a party, but this favor from Repeat Crafter Me could help them get out the door. Set up a necklace making station near the exit and remind guests to build their favor before they go. Or, if you prefer, create pre-made kits with a thank you sticker for guests to grab and make at home.