Fiesta Friday - 1st Birthday Ideas

I thought it would be appropriate for the first Fiesta Friday of the New Year to be about first birthdays. A simple activity, yummy food and a great cake are usually enough to make a birthday enjoyable for young party guests. It's going to be those special little touches that establish the party’s theme and make it stand out.

Set the tone and then seal the deal by sending your guests home with an equally appropriate favor. A little inspiration from Parents.com and my own two cents should make baby's first blowout a blast!

Firefighter
Many a baby loves the big red noisy fire truck and will thrill to see a birthday bash in this theme. A firefighter party is easy to put together. And firefighters appeal to a broad age range, so this is a good pick for a party that will have older siblings in attendance.
Hello! tiny print's fire truck party invite is sure to capture guests' attention with vibrant hues of yellow and rich red.
Goodbye! Red plastic firefighter hats from Oriental Trading or a party supply store is perfect for a young age group.

Superhero
Okay, this theme is twice as much fun for the parents and a good one to pick if your guest list is going to include a lot of dads. Ask your guests to bring their little ones dressed as a favorite superhero, past or present.
Hello! Another fab invite from tiny prints, comic-book inspired.
Activity - Photo op with a Superhero. Using a Polaroid instant camera, capture mini Superman and Wonder Woman on film. Superheroes can pose alone or in groups.
Goodbye! Create magnet picture frames for their photos.

Making the Band
Be sure to invite the neighbors -- this party is a noisy one! Babies love to make music and you can plan a party around that activity that'll be a blast. To make sure everyone has fun, have plenty of instruments on hand.
Hello! A fun music-themed idea from Ten Fingers and Toes.
Goodbye! Musical instruments like these plastic handled jingle stick cymbals. Keep it simple, so long as it can stand up to a good banging from baby.

King/Queen for a Day
This makes a good choice for an event where many of the guests will be too tiny to truly party. The mood will be festive and the party favors fun, but the little ones won't have to do much more than sit around and be cute.
Hello! An invite fit for a king or queen; includes a die-cut crown embellishment with jewels.
Goodbye! Darling crown cookies from Pink CakeBox.

Sesame Street
An easy baby/toddler favorite. Sesame Street provides baby's first celebrities, and a party devoted to Elmo and friends is sure to be a hit.
Hello! These Sesame Street invites let you pick which favorite character to focus on.
Goodbye! Board books like these from your local dollar store are fun and durable.

Bouncy Party
Clear out a room and fill it will balls of all sizes (larger than a golf ball to avoid choking hazards, then let them at them!
Hello! Gather your child's "circle" of friends with an invitation in the round.
Goodbye! A few of these ball-pit balls are perfect to keep little guests active.