When it comes to raising a baby, there are a lot of big milestones to celebrate. Is anything quite as big and exciting as babyās first birthday? Of course, the party is a celebration for baby, but itās also a major celebration for the parents. The first year of parenthood is full of challenges, worry, and sleepless nights but also excitement, joy, and love. Celebrate how far youāve come in the last year with one of these cute and creative first birthday party themes.
Some of the cutest first birthday themes already trending this year include āBerry First Birthday,ā āMy First Rodeo,ā and āOne Silly Goose.ā But whatever first birthday party theme you choose, remember: Itās about celebrating parenthood and your babyās first birthday, so your party can be as simple or elaborate as you want. And while your baby wonāt actually remember the party, you will make sweet memories during the celebration. From a smashing a cake to playing with balloons to reminiscing over photos from the last 365 days, the first birthday is a big deal. Use these ideas to spark inspiration as you create the right party for your family. Below, check out over 30 adorable first birthday party themes to consider for your little oneās big day.
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How to Choose a First Birthday Theme
For 1-year-olds, it can be hard to know exactly what they want as a birthday party theme. But as a parent, that actually might be the best part. Itās really for the parents to decide. Some say that the first birthday is more for the parents. Your little one may not remember the day, but you surely will. Plus, with pictures to commemorate the celebration, your kiddo will be able to look back and appreciate how much hard work you put into their special day.
So, for their first year, decide what you think is best! Besides picking the theme based on your own interests, consider the season. For a fall birthday, host a āLittle Pumpkin Party.ā For the springtime, go with a āBerry First Birthdayā theme. You really canāt go wrong.
Gender-Neutral First Birthday Party Ideas
1. āOne Silly Gooseā First Birthday
What happens when you remix a classic nursery rhyme with modern-day humor? You get a āOne Silly Gooseā first birthday party.
- Decor: This creative and whimsical theme could include playful pastel decor and props inspired by the various Mother Goose nursery rhymes (i.e., Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, or Little Bo Peep). Not to mention the obvious goose in a party hat mascot.
- Food: Serve springtime or summery finger foods and sweet treats, like an array of colorful macaroons, lemon bars, seasonal fruit, and tea sandwiches.
- Activities: For littles invited to the party, play duck-duck-goose, pin-the-beak-on-the-goose, or have guests decorate their own porch goose.
2. āTo Infinity and BeONE!ā Toy Story-Themed Birthday
Bring together the gang from the Toy Story franchise to give your kiddoās party a no-fail, fun-loving group of company. One thingās for sure, this theme will no doubt take your 1-year-oldās party āto infinity and beyond!ā
- Decor: Whether youāre trying to decorate for a boyās, girlās, or gender-neutral party, Toy Story offers a whole roundup of characters and colors to emphasize. Thereās Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and Bo Beep to Rex, Slinky Dog, Mr. Potato Head, the Aliens, and more.
- Activities: Not only are there plenty of party favors featuring them all, but the birthday guest of honor has lots of dress-up choices, too.
3. Kentucky Derby āOne for the Booksā
If you love the Kentucky Derby or your little oneās first birthday falls in the month of May, itās the perfect reason to throw a Kentucky Derby-themed party. After all, itās been quite a race to get through the first year of life with a baby!
- Decor: For party-goers who love a dress-up theme, have friends and family wear their finest Kentucky Derby attire (think best springtime dresses, pantsuits, blazers, and, we canāt forget, fascinators). Use a plaid pattern throughout the decor, whether that be for linen table settings or on the invitations. And itās a must to have anything horse-related, plaid, and floral patterns. Use shades of blues, greens, and red included in the decor, giving a vibe of āvintage equestrian charm.ā
- Food: Serve the official drink of the Kentucky Derby with kid-friendly mint julep mocktails (or alcoholic for the adults), bourbon-glazed sliders or sandwiches, cheese and crackers, and pecan pie for dessert.
- Activities: It can be fun to have your very own horse race. Hand everyone, especially the older kiddos and toddlers, a toy stick horse to race to the finish line. The winning āhorseā gets a prize, and it can be fun to have guests name their horse, too.
- Party favor ideas: Provide fun fascinators for invitees to wear during the party and take home as a favor. For littles, provide toy or plush horses as a themed gift to give away.
4. āMy First Rodeoā Birthday Party
Whether celebrating a horse girl or a cowboy, this timeless first birthday party idea is a popular one to choose.
- Decor: Host a backyard barbecue party with all the western vibes. Display barrels of hay as decor or for seating. Encourage guests to dress the part and wear cowboy hats and boots.
- Food: Serve Texas-style barbecue and grill burgers and hot dogs. For sides, add corn on the cob, beans, chips, and watermelon.
- Activities: Pony rides could be the perfect backdrop and a fun activity for the kiddos.
- Party favor ideas: Guests can choose a bandana to wear throughout the party.
5. āBig Oneā Surf-Themed First Birthday Party
This first birthday party theme can be perfect for a summertime soireeāor a family who lives near the coast.
- Decor: Have a sandbox or sand table set up for the littlest guests and lean into the retro theme with stand-out decor like surfboards or vintage VW vans.
- Food: Serve fish tacos, Hawaiian macaroni salad, pineapple fruit cups, and beachside drink choices like fruit smoothies and virgin piƱa coladas.
- Activities: If your surf-themed party isnāt actually seaside, set up water activities: a waterslide, a water table, and backyard sprinklers.
6. āBerry First Birthdayā
The perfect first birthday theme for a āberry sweet baby,ā strawberries or blueberries can offer reds and pinks or blues as the color inspiration.
- Decor: Incorporate berries within floral arrangements. Display wicker baskets and use gingham tablecloths as part of the tablescape setup.
- Food: Get all the inspo from berries themselves for food options like tarts, shortcake desserts, muffins, and more! For drinks, provide tea and fruit-infused water.
- Activities: While berry picking may not be an option, get creative with the theme and āpickā berries by having guests build their own berry shortcake cup.
- Party favor ideas: Since the party revolves around berries, provide baskets that guests can fill up with sweet berry treats to take home.
7. āBaby-paloozaā First Birthday Party Theme
Take babyās name (or nickname), add āpalooza,ā and youāve got yourself a party! This first birthday theme has so much flexibility. For the adults, yummy apps, drinks, and music are really all you need!
- Decor: Anything goes for a baby-palooza. Incorporate bright colors, banners, and colorful decor.
- Food: Because itās a big celebration, make confetti cupcakes, cookies with sprinklesāanything with confetti, really. Donāt forget the party hats!
- Activities: For kid attendees, lean into party favorites like face-painting and balloon animals.
8. āLittle Pumpkin Partyā
If fall is in the air, itās the perfect reason to throw a pumpkin-themed first birthday party. Consider taking the celebration outside and enjoying the crisp fall weather on this special occasion.
- Decor: Use gourds to inspire the party decorations with pumpkins galore. For Halloween fans, you can even lean into a costume party theme for your guests.
- Food: Of course, pumpkin pie and pumpkin-flavored goodies are a must. Serving fall staples is a great idea, too. Caramel-covered apples, apple and pumpkin donuts, and a fall-themed party mix are a few treats to consider.
- Activities: Create a small-scale āpumpkin patchā by laying out miniature pumpkins in your own backyard. Then have guests pick their own to decorate, which makes for the perfect party favor. Another fall-inspired idea is riding a hayride!
9. āMs. Rachelā First Birthday Party Theme
Why not find inspiration in your babyās favorite celebrity, Ms. Rachel? Encourage little ones to dress in their favorite overalls, and be sure to have Songs for Littles playing in the background for entertainment that the guest of honor will love.
- Activities: Gather around in a circle to dance and sing songs from Ms. Rachelāa great idea to get all the toddler wiggles out. Better yet, Ms. Rachel party impersonators are even popping up in certain markets for a really special guest. If your kiddo loves the āIcky Sticky Bubblegumā song, youāll want to have a bubble machine present, too.
- Party favor ideas: In your party favor bags, include bubble wands, stickers, and Ms. Rachel coloring sheets with a few crayons.
10. āFirst Trip Around the Sunā Birthday Theme
Let the outer space and āMoon Joyā continue this year, with an out-of-this-world first birthday party.
- Decor: Think of the moon, stars, planets, rocket ships, and more for decor! You can even buy a baby-sized spacesuit for a cute photo-op.
- Food: Present cheese cubes and cheese balls as āmoon rocksā and serve star-shaped sandwiches. Set out treats that give all the space vibes: Mars Bars, Starburst candy, Milky Way chocolates, and Moon Pies.
- Party favor ideas: You may not be able to send real-life moon rocks home, but get creative by packaging a paint-your-own planet craft kit.
11. āYouāre the ONE That I Wantā (Grease theme!)
An excuse to dress your baby in a leather jacket? Say no more. You can get super creative with this 1950s party theme.
- Decor: Display vinyl records, hang disco balls, and use black-and-white checkered print to give you the Grease aesthetic.
- Food: Nothing says ā50s throwback like serving diner food. Make pancakes and waffles, grilled sandwiches and burgers, french fries, and ice cream shakes or sundaes. Serve drinks in old soda glasses for the ā50s aesthetic.
- Activities: Listen to oldies music on a record player or a vintage jukebox, and have a dance competition to show off your Danny and Sandy impersonations. Play a kid-friendly movie in the backyard to make it feel like youāre at a ādrive-inā movie theater.
12. āONE-derful Worldā First Birthday Theme
Travel is a popular party theme for all ages. And whether your little jet setter has traveled the world at a young age or not, this adorable theme is reason enough to pick this cute theme.
- Decor: Find decor inspiration for a 1-year-oldās birthday in vintage hot air balloons, toy planes, and old suitcases for a timeless take on the theme.
- Food: Serve a variety of foods from around the world or pick your favorite cuisine from past travels.
- Activities: Have guests write sweet notes on postcards and save them so that one day your birthday celebrant can read them when theyāre older.
13. āSweet ONEā First Birthday Party Theme
Who doesnāt love a candy or ice cream-themed party? So, maybe the babies attending canāt actually eat all the treats, but the adults will love this sweet celebration.
- Decor: Make the space feel like an ice cream shop by setting up an ice cream bar.
- Food: You canāt have this themed party without serving sweet treats like ice cream, cake, and donuts! You can even invite a local ice cream truck to swing by the party.
- Activities: Make homemade ice cream, have an ice cream bar, or decorate cupcakes.
- Party favor ideas: Color-changing ice cream spoons are a big hit with kids. Theyāll want to reach for this party favor every time they eat ice cream at home.
14. āSome Bunny is Turning Oneā First Birthday Theme
Mom muse Hilary Duff threw her daughter Townes the sweetest first birthday party with this āSome bunny Turned 1ā theme. And even though she has a celebrity budget, her daughterās first birthday party is totally attainable.
- Decor: Hang simple banners, arrange a few wildflowers, and add a few bunny decor touches to the tables.
- Food: Menu items like bunnyās favorite garden vegetables are kid-approvedāas long as thereās ranch dip.
- Party favor ideas: Put together a miniature gardening kit with a small-sized flower pot, vegetable seeds, packaged soil, and gardening gloves.
15. āDONUT Miss the Fun, Baby is ONE!ā
Many people love a breakfast or brunch first birthday partyāespecially for babies who might take an afternoon nap. This donut first birthday party theme is punny and fun, because who doesnāt want to dig into donuts at a first birthday party?
- Decor: Everything donut, of course. From a donut piƱata to using actual donuts to display, have fun with all things donuts.
- Food: This may be the easiest birthday party to cater for. Reach out to your favorite bakery or donut shop for the tastiest donuts to serve at this sweet celebration.
- Party favor ideas: Package up the donut holes for every guest to go home with.
16. āMr./Ms. ONEderfulā First Birthday Theme
This first birthday party theme lends itself well to a baby dressed in a tuxedo or dress, which is going to be pretty adorable no matter what.
- Decor: For this extravagant first birthday, use black and white decor. And while itās not completely necessary for guests to wear cocktail dresses and suits, it can be fun, at least, to dress up your little one in their finest attire.
- Food: Serve hors dāoeuvres, including salad cups, bacon-wrapped dates, caprese stuffed mushrooms, and shrimp cocktail. Make it fun for the adults with a fancy champagne toast to the birthday baby.
17. āBlueyā First Birthday Party
While baby might not truly love Bluey until theyāre a little bit older, any parent who has watched the show quickly falls for the Heeler family. Check out this full Bluey birthday bash for additional inspiration!
- Decor: Decorate the area with the Bluey characters, of course. And as far as colors go, use shades of yellow, blue, and orange, and add a balloon arch to really make the place pop.
- Activities: Make a Bluey duck cake from Season 2, episode 43, and play games like ākeepy uppyā and pass the parcel.
18. āBabyās Oktoberfestā First Birthday
If German roots run in your family or you simply love a cozy fall-themed party, consider an Oktoberfest-themed first birthday.
- Decor: Use checkered blue and white tablecloths and hang Bavarian pennant banners.
- Food: Serve beer/root beer and munch on oversized pretzels with beer cheese, bratwurst, Bavarian sauerkraut, and apple strudel.
- Activities: Hold a stein-holding contest filled with milk rather than beer. Encourage guests to dress up in traditional Bavarian clothing (dirndl dresses and lederhosen) and have a costume contest.
Girl First Birthday Party Themes
19. āFairy First Birthdayā Party Theme
Another whimsical first birthday party idea that is perfect for little girls. Offer fairy wings for the birthday girl and her party guests to play dress-up.
- Decor: Think wildflowers, toadstools, and fairy houses for table centerpieces.
- Food: Serve tea-time treats but fairy-themed. Besides finger-sandwiches, serve snackable bites covered in āfairy dustā by using colored sugar or edible glitter. Make pinwheel sandwiches and call them āsnail pinwheels.ā And put together fruit skewers for āfruit wands.ā
- Activities: Visit your local craft store and gather supplies for your fairy guests to make their very own fairy garden.
20. Magical Unicorns First Birthday Party Theme
The magical beauty of unicorns makes for a super sweet birthday theme. Unicorn-style cakes are too cute to pass up.
- Decor: Play into the unicorn theme by using pastel shades of pink, purple, green, yellow, and blue within the decor. Have unicorn balloons and rainbows and hang cloud displays.
- Food: Make a rainbow plate out of fruit, serve cupcakes topped with bite-sized waffle cones for unicorn horns, pass out cotton candy, and top (mostly) everything with sprinkles.
- Activities: Play pin-the-horn-on-the-unicorn, decorate unicorn-shaped cookies, or hire an artist to do face painting.
21. āFlower Powerā/āGroovy Babyā First Birthday Theme
This one might just be a good excuse to style your baby with a flower crown, which we fully support.
- Decor: For decor, you could lean into a ā70s āGroovy Babyā first birthday theme or simply be inspired by natureās bounty.
- Activity: Have a disco dance party and invite everyone to show off their dance moves.
- Party favor ideas: Encourage family and friends to dress in theme and hand out party favors like ā70s-inspired or flower-shaped sunglasses.
22. Lemon-Themed First Birthday Party
Dreaming of an Italian summer for your summer-born baby? If so, pucker up for a bright and fresh lemon-themed first birthday party that will take you right to the Italian coastline.
- Decor: Be inspired by the Amalfi Coastās blue and yellow color scheme or neighborhood lemonade stands for a more homespun feel.
- Food: Serve limoncello to the grown-ups and lemonade for the kids, accordingly, with Italian-inspired dishes and lemon gelato.
- Activities: Better yet, set up a gelato bar and make homemade lemon gelato as a fun party activity for guests to watch!
23. āSweet as a Peachā First Birthday
Your sweet little one deserves a sweet theme to match, like this peach-inspired party.
- Decor: Hang decorative banners of peaches and use real peaches as decor. Incorporate shades of yellow and orange throughout the room.
- Food: Whether itās peach season or not, it would be remiss to leave peaches out of the party menu. Serve peach cobbler, peach salsa, peach salad, peach smoothies for the kiddos, and peach bellinis for the adults.
- Party favor ideas: Send home peach-scented bubble bath bottles that both kids and adults can use.
24. āONE in a Melonā Watermelon-Themed Birthday
For a different fruit-forward option, celebrate a sweet summer baby with a watermelon first birthday themed party. Serving refreshing watermelon treats might get messy, but a drooly watermelon baby is pretty cute.
- Decor: Use watermelon prints, balloons, gingham picnic tablecloths, and shades of red, pink, and green for decor.
- Food: Make a watermelon salad, grill watermelon, and serve watermelon-infused water. Besides watermelon-favored treats, consider a backyard barbecue and grill burgers and hot dogs for this adorable first birthday.
25. Llama-Themed First Birthday Party
A boho-chic llama first birthday party couldnāt be cuter. Itās a cute theme if youāre going for an Arizona desert aesthetic.
- Decor: Use succulents for centerpieces, pastel or terracotta colored decor, woven rugs, and decor thatās all things llama.
- Food: Consider a taco bar for an easy crowd-pleasing menu. For a dessert, serve churros!
- Activities: A piƱata is a party must-have. Line up party guests to take turns hitting a llama-shaped piƱata.
26. āBaby in ONEderlandā First Birthday
No need to throw a very merry un-birthday because this Alice in Wonderland gathering creates the sweetest little tea party-themed first birthday party.
- Decor: Take inspiration from a traditional high tea, or tap into Alice in Wonderland vibes for endless possibilities.
- Food: Serve finger sandwiches and tiny desserts. Instead of tea, little ones will love sipping water, milk, or juice out of teacups.
Boy First Birthday Party Themes
27. āWild Oneā First Birthday
You can take this first birthday party in a couple of directions, either with a party animal theme or with a boho-style birthday party. You know your little one best. If they never stop moving or adore stuffed animals, go toward the wild animals. If theyāre more of a chill flower child, the boho vibe might fit their personality more.
- Decor: Have your child select their favorite wild animals, and let those set the stage for a roundup of party animal decorations.
- Activity and party favor ideas: Provide animal masks that the kiddos can run around with, and let them look for animals by making their very own DIY binoculars out of toilet paper rolls.
28. āA-ROAR-Able Dinosaursā First Birthday Party
Celebrate with this a-roar-able first birthday theme for your baby dino. If your little one is already obsessed with a long list of dinosaurs, then itās only fitting to throw them a roaring party.
- Decor: Invite a T. rex, Spinosaurus, Brontosaurus, and maybe a Diplodocus in their stuffed animal forms, of course.
- Food: Serve dinosaur nuggets for little eaters to stick to the dinosaur birthday party themeāand grown-up meals for the adults.
- Activities: Let kids be little paleontologists for the day. Set out sensory or sandboxes filled with toy dinosaurs and fossils for them to dig up.
- Party favor ideas: Include dinosaur figurines and mini dino excavation kits in party favors.
29. āFirst Year Downā Football-Themed Birthday Party
Celebrate the big first (year) down with a football-themed extravaganza. Perfect for a fall first birthday or winter Super Bowl vibes.
- Decor: Decorate the space with the familyās favorite football team.
- Food: Think tailgate comfort food by grilling hot dogs, burgers, and dips. All the same snackable bites youād serve at a Super Bowl party are welcome. After all, the first year is the equivalent of a Super Bowl party for a 1-year-oldās first birthday!
- Activities: Your little one may be too little to understand the concept of football, but that doesnāt mean younger kids and adults canāt play a friendly game of touch football. And if the birthday party falls on your teamās game day, cast it on the TV for everyone to watch.
30. āFast Oneā First Birthday Party
A racing theme offers plenty of party inspirationāfrom āFormula ONEā to āFast Oneā to āFirst Race Around the Track.ā Car-shaped cookies, checkered flags, and car toys for the kids will outfit the party perfectly! Even celeb Lindsay Lohan loved this theme for her sonās Luaiās first birthday.
- Decor: The first year is like the first lap around the track! Incorporate checkered flags, DIY race signs, and toy cars around the room.
- Activities: Have plenty of toy cars available for playtime. The kids will have a blast spending the day racing away.
- Party favor ideas: Hot Wheels and any kind of miniature race cars are fitting as party favors for kiddos.
31. āHole in ONEā Golf-Themed Party
Green is a great gender-neutral color for a golf-themed first birthday PAR-ty. While this first birthday might lean more into a spring/summer birthday theme, a family of golf fans could throw this first birthday any time.
- Decor: Celebrate outside and decorate the space as if you were at the golf course. Use yellows and greens within your decor, and invite guests to wear their golfing attire.
- Food: Serve club sandwiches, cake pops and powdered donuts labeled as āgolf balls,ā and a veggie tray labeled āThe Greens.ā
- Activities: It may not be the Masters Tournament, but you can pretend it is by setting up a miniature putting course for some family-friendly competition.
32. āLittle Blue Truckā First Birthday Party
For parents reading this book series on repeat, Little Blue Truck is an adorable first birthday party theme. A 1-year-old toddler can even participate in some party games like Pin the Hat on Blue.
- Decor: Besides making sure that the Little Blue Truck is part of the decor, include its animal friends, too, like toad, horse, and goat!
- Activities: If thereās a handful of kids in attendance, read a few books from the Little Blue Truck series.
- Party favor ideas: Hand out board books of the series or toy animals from the books.
33. Teddy Bear Picnic First Birthday
One of the best first birthday party themes for an outdoor party, a teddy bear picnic will be a party the littlest guests will love.
- Decor: Use gingham-patterned tablecloths, decorate with springtime flowers, and use the outdoors as your backdrop.
- Food: Lean into the picnic food and serve sandwiches, pasta salad, cheese and charcuterie boards, fruit, veggies, tea, and lemonade.
- Activities: Play backyard games, like ring toss, cornhole, ladder toss, or frisbee.
- Party favor ideas: Teddy bears work as adorable decor and party favors.
34. āRookie of the Yearā Sports-Themed First Birthday
For parents who love the game of baseball or grew up watching ā90s classics like Rookie of the Year, The Sandlot, and A League of Their Own, host a baseball-themed party to honor your little rookie.
- Decor: Decorate pennant flags with your toddlerās name, hang baseball-themed birthday banners, and use baseball helmets as vases for floral arrangements.
- Food: Consider kid-friendly takes on stadium food like mini hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, and Cracker Jacks.
- Activities: Play a family-friendly game of tee-ball or catch.
- Party favor ideas: Give custom embroidered baseballs or baseball hats to commemorate your little oneās first birthday.
FAQs
What are the most popular first birthday themes?
The most popular first birthday party themes include a āWild Oneā (or safari) themed party, āOne Silly Gooseā theme, and āMy Very First Rodeoā theme.
How much should you spend on a first birthday party?
While this factor depends on your budget, parents tend to spend anywhere between $100 to $500 on their childās first birthday. Things to consider to lower the cost include DIY decor, hosting the party at home, and making the food yourself.
When should you start planning a first birthday party?
Itās recommended to start planning a birthday party at least six to eight weeks before the planned date, giving you time to nail down logistics and for guests to RSVP.
What food do you serve at a first birthday?
This depends on the theme, but if children will be present, itās encouraged to have snackable bites and to be aware of any allergies.
What are good gender-neutral first birthday themes?
Some gender-neutral first birthday themes are the āBig Oneā surf-themed first birthday party, āONE-derful Worldā first birthday theme, and āSome Bunny is Turning Oneā first birthday theme.
Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor
Kathy Sisson has been a key contributor in the editorial parenting space for nearly a decade, not only as a full-time editor at The Everymom but previously as a freelance writer for top parenting sites, including Scary Mommy, Motherly, Parent Co., and more. As an editor at The Everymom, she has produced hundreds of articles on a range of parenting topics, reviewed dozens of family-focused products, interviewed leading experts in the children and parenting world, and created viral parenting social media content. A mom of two, she is committed to sharing the honest, helpful, and often humorous stories of motherhood.
Patty Schepel, Associate Editor
As the Associate Editor, Patty works with The Everymomās team on pitches, creating original articles, updating existing content, photo sourcing, writing shopping product descriptions, editing freelance articles, and more. With Pattyās passion for writing, experience as a mother of two, and expertise as a pediatric nurse, she brings a thoughtful and informative perspective to The Everymom.
