My son had his first birthday party a month ago and I thought I’d share the details for hosting a Wild One First Birthday Party. We actually did everything ourselves, just as we did for his first birthday photoshoot. If you’re a parent, you may feel overwhelmed with all the party ideas, but I can assure you that you can save money, do it yourself and have fun at the same time.

STEPS FOR HOSTING YOUR BABY’S PARTY

1. Have a theme: Coming up with a theme should be fun and it can be anything you’d like. My son’s nursery is woodland theme so we stuck with the animals idea and settled for a Wild One First Birthday theme. Having a theme helps to also narrow down everything else including decor, party favors, cake, outfits, etc. If you don’t know where to start, ask yourself what your baby likes. You can also google or look at Pinterest for inspiration.
2. Secure a venue: You can host your baby’s first party at a venue of your choice. It can be at a hall, a park or even your own house. It is easier to have it at a play center that offers kids parties. However, we wanted something more intimate. As a result, we had my son’s party at an office space where we rented out a floor. We had two separate rooms, one for presents and photo opportunities, and the other room as a play area for the kids and a kitchen. It was perfect and love that it was private.
3. Get the decor: You can certainly hire a company to take care of the decor, but I honestly think you can do it yourself. I am not a balloon arch expert, but I took it upon myself to make my own arch and I am actually proud of the way it came out. All you have to do is purchase a balloon arch kit and follow the instructions. My tip is to be patient and trust the process. I also recommend getting a balloon pump machine, which will save you time and energy. For the wild one theme, we purchased the Wild One Hat, Jungle Safari Party Favors, Animals Plush Toys and Wild One Banner.
4. Have activities: If you are hosting at a private space, I would recommend having some activities for the kids. Some people might just want to do a lunch, which is fine. However, I wanted my son to have fun. We rented out party gear from Babyquip and it was such a hit! The kids loved the ball pit, the slide, and the bouncing animals. You can see more on a video I posted showing the outcome. We also had a section to make your own woodland party hat. This was a great addition because adults can join in as well.
   
5. Get miscellaneous items: This is a follow up to the decor, but you need to also make sure you buy a cake, food, drinks, music, etc. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. It can be as simple as you’d like. I would also recommend delegating these tasks to people you trust. For example, I took care of the decor and set up while my family handled the food and clean up. Remember that this is a team effort so get all the help you can!

Overall, it was stressful especially during the set up. However, once everything came together, I was able to relax and enjoy my day with my son. Everybody who attended was sweet to offer a helping hand and I couldn’t have asked for a better Wild One First Birthday Party.