How to Celebrate a First Birthday Without a Party
Have you noticed that first party parties have become a big, blown-out-of-proportion, major event? Everything needs to be Instagrammable and a big dang-dong deal to validate that you’re a good parent.
If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re over it. And now considering how to celebrate a first birthday without a party.
Here we are talking about totally valid reasons to not throw a big bash and 25 alternative ways to celebrate your baby’s big day.
5 Reasons to Celebrate a First Birthday Without a Party
There are many reasons to not celebrate a first birthday without a party. Here are five completely valid reasons:
1. A party would stress out your baby
Some kids are slow-to-warm or have a very sensitive temperament, making a birthday party a stressful event.
If loud noises or too much stimulation is a trigger for your baby (and cues a total meltdown), then celebrating her first birthday without a party would be doing her a huge favor.
2. A party would stress you out
There are plenty of decisions that go into planning a birthday party. Who should be invited? How many people should be invited? What food do we need to serve? Adult beverages?
All of these decisions can make planning a birthday party very stressful for you.
Plus, planning a first birthday party takes time and effort. Time and effort that you could be spending with your baby, instead.
3. Your baby doesn’t need more stuff
If your family is anything like mine, they get the biggest, loudest, most obnoxious toys on the planet. I mean, seriously, who needs a singing hippo?! Presents are nice, but what happened to just getting the one-year-old a book?
The idea of more stuff can feel chaotic and overwhelming. And definitely deter you from wanting to celebrate with a party.
4. You want to save money for your child’s future
Let’s face it: Birthday parties are expensive. And now, there is even more pressure to throw a huge bash.
Thanks to everything needing to be Instagrammable, balloon arches, huge light-up letters, massive smash cakes are all part of the equation.
What less people calculate is all that money could be put towards their baby’s future. How about saving that $500 instead?
It might be hard to imagine now, but one day your soon-to-be one-year-old is going to want to go to college or buy a house or get married. And all of those things require savings.
5. Your baby won’t remember it
This is less of a reason and more of a justification, but true nonetheless. Have you ever looked at pictures of your first birthday party and thought, “Wow, that was an incredible day”?
I already know the answer is no. Because kids don’t remember their first birthday. Why put together a huge bash if it’s stressful, expensive, and not memorable?
25 Ways to Celebrate a First Birthday Without a Party
Of course you want to make your baby feel special on his day. But there are plenty of ways to celebrate a first birthday without a party. Read these 25 awesome ideas:
1. Plan a Staycation
The idea of having a fun staycation with your immediate family might sound way more appealing than planning a party for a bunch of people.
Find a toddler-friendly (yes, your baby is now a toddler – cue the tears) hotel and celebrate your baby turning one with a mini get-away.
Our favorite staycation is to Mall of America, where there is an attached hotel and waterpark. By day, the kids can go to the LEGO store and Crayola Experience. At night, we spend quality family time at the pool.
2. Pick Out a Toy at a Toy Store
Buying gifts for your kids is great. But have you ever seen your baby’s face light up when they walk through a toy store? Imagine that reaction on steroids when you tell your baby he can pick out any toy he wants!
I love this idea because it gives your child some autonomy and you can easily make this a birthday tradition.
If you have too many toys, but love this idea, you can go to the bookstore and let him choose any book he wants. It’s educational and fun!
3. Have Special One-on-One Time
Especially if you have older kids, this is a great way to celebrate your 1-year-old. It’s not often that either of my kids gets special one-on-one time with both parents.
If you need to, hire a babysitter or leave the older kids with a trusted relative.
Make your baby’s birthday extra special by spending one-on-one time with just the birthday girl. She’ll love all the extra attention and feel extra special on her day.
4. Go to the Zoo
The zoo is a classic birthday idea. Every kid loves watching the monkeys swing through trees and dolphins glide through the water in real life.
What better way to celebrate a first birthday than to exchange a stressful party for some tried and true fun at the zoo?!
5. Have Dinner Out
We do this for adults all the time, but rarely think of it as a fun activity for kids. Except that it’s a great way to celebrate you kiddo.
What’s your one-year-old’s favorite meal? Take him to a restaurant that serves it up! You can also choose a place that offers a free dessert and birthday song for added festivities.
6. Schedule a Photo Shoot
Photos are not only a memorable way to celebrate a first birthday without a party, but they are a beautiful keepsake that you can look at and admire for years to come.
Find a photographer that specializes in cake smash photos. Or one that goes above and beyond, complete with a balloon arch and everything (hint: see pic below).
I love looking at Kinlsey’s 1-year pictures. Scheduling one-year photos was one of the best parenting decisions I’ve ever made.
7. Go to an Ice Cream Shop
I’ve never been one for cake. But give me ice cream, and you’ll have my heart forever. My daughter is the same way. Give the girl some vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips, and she’s never happier.
This is such a great option for celebrating a first birthday. Walk or bike to the local creamery and have an ice cream cone together. Your baby will love the time spent together.
And love the ice cream even more!
8. Visit Relatives
If your child loves seeing his grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins, but they live far away, visiting relatives might be the best way to celebrate your almost-toddler.
After all, birthdays a more about who you’re with than what you do. Plan a day trip or an overnight to grandmas house for a fun birthday surprise!
9. Explore a Local Park
This should say “explore a local park at a toddlers pace” because how often do we give toddlers the time they really desire to examine every rock or gawk at all the ants.
Celebrate the birthday baby by going to a local playground and let your kid be a kid for as long as they like. Be intentional about not hurrying her or rushing to the next thing.
Bonus points for actually going down the slide with her!
10. Story Time at the Library
I don’t know about you, but when my toddler is listening to story time at the library, she is completely entranced by the books and songs alike.
If your baby loves story time, head to the library to celebrate their birthday.
You can even put some birthday books on hold before you get there. Then, after story time, have special mama-baby time and read birthday books together.
11. Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Going for an outdoor scavenger hunt can be an exciting way to celebrate you baby’s birthday without a party!
It’s unlikely your one-year-old is able to read yet, so make sure your there are pictures of what to look for.
I’ve created a completely free printable ABCs Outdoor Scavenger Hunt to make your toddlers birthday extra fun!
12. Paint a Canvas
Kinds love art projects, and painting a canvas is an artistic way to celebrate your baby’s first birthday.
After Kinsley painted her first canvas, we hung it in our playroom.
Pro Tip: Put the canvas on the floor. Add blobs of paint. Then lay a piece of plastic wrap over the paint blobs. It’ll contain the mess!
13. Go to a Local Farm’s Petting Zoo
Imagine your one-year old chasing the free-range chickens. Feeding the little lambs. There are several local farms that will allow you pet and feed the animals.
We even have an alpaca farm nearby where you can do yoga with the alpacas. Many places will have something similar. A unique experience for your unique child.
14. Play in a Splash Pad
Splash pads are my one-year-olds all time favorite activity. They’re also something I love for three reasons:
- I get to listen to her non-stop giggling.
- She plays hard while splashing, and takes a really good nap after.
- Water play is just plain fun.
Playing to a splash pad is an excellent way to celebrate a first birthday without a party!
15. Go to Build-A-Bear
Making a bear together at Build-a-Bear is the perfect indoor birthday-without-a-party activity. Your now toddler will love it!
And, as an added bonus, Build-a-Bear has a Count Your Candles program. You build a special birthday bear on any day of your birthday month and only pay your age.
Not only will your baby have a good time, the bear is inexpensive. Win-win!
16. Take a Day Trip
Taking a day trip to a new and exciting place is a new alternative to celebrating your baby’s first birthday without a party.
Maybe there is a really cool town a couple hours away that your child would love. Is the amusement park an easy day-trip? Or could you explore a quaint downtown or go to a cool waterfall and swim in the creek.
The options are endless!
17. Go to an Equipment or Car Dealer
A worked with a young boy who loved nothing more than to go to the local farm equipment dealer. He could sit on trackers and combines for hours.
The sales people are generally very accommodating and get a kick out of how much fun the kid has.
At first, it sounds kind of lame, but when you think about it, it totally makes sense that a kid would love this. If your baby loves construction vehicles or farm equipment, this is the celebration for them.
18. Find Local Live Music
There are few things I love more than watching my daughter dance to live music. She gets so in to it. And the performer loves it, too.
Listening to live music is a fun way to dance, play, and celebrate with your 1-year-old. And it’s a fun alternative to throwing a birthday party.
19. Plan a Picnic
How often do you find yourself sitting at the table from start-to-finish while your baby eats? If you’re anything like me, the answer is never.
Planning a picnic will make your baby feel really good because she will have your undivided attention during the meal. There’s no option to buzz around the kitchen while your baby eats.
Planning a picnic is a great outdoor activity for any birthday baby!
20. Play in an Indoor Swimming Pool
Get your suit and go to the water! Playing in an indoor swimming pool is a great way to celebrate a first birthday without a party at any time of the year.
Many local community centers will have a zero entry pools, which are great for one-year-olds. You can also look into local waterparks that have a toddler pool with water activities.
Any time your baby can get in the water, he’ll have a blast. But especially on his birthday!
21. Go to a Botanical Garden
Botanical gardens are full of life and wonder. They often have seasonal decor, making a first birthday celebration even more special.
If your baby loves exploring, a botanical garden is a great way to celebrate your baby’s first birthday without a party.
22. Camp at a State Park
If you’re the outdoorsy type, then going for a family camping trip is the best way to celebrate a first birthday without a party.
Whether you have a tent, camper, or are more into glamping, it’s a good time for all.
Pro Tip: If you’ve been wanting to go camping with your baby, but aren’t sure about it, start local. Find a nearby campsite and try it out for a night. That way, if it’s a complete disaster, you can pack up and be home in a jiffy.
23. Discover at the Children’s Museum
Children’s museums are designed for children to play, explore, and discover. They’re also a place you might not get to very often, making it a uniquely special birthday activity.
Many will have an IMAX theater or even an exploratorium made just for little kiddos. So you could spend the whole day at the museum without running out of things for the birthday girl to explore.
24. Visit an Amusement Park or Specialty Shop
Okay, so you’re one-year-old probably isn’t ready for Space Mountain. But that doesn’t mean he can’t ride kiddie rides at a nearby amusement park.
We happened to be in Anahiem when Kinsley was 11-month-old, so we went to Disneyland for a day. I kept her in our ErgoBaby Child Carrier and went on the slower rides with her.
Let me tell you, it was so much fun and one of the most special days we’ve had together. Her giggles while riding the Mad Tea Party Tea Cups will forever be in my heart.
If your child isn’t a daredevil (or there isn’t an amusement park nearby), you could try a specialty shop. This could be like an American Girl Doll store or LEGOLAND.
Any of these are the perfect way to celebrate a first birthday without a party.
25. Have a ‘Favorite Things’ Day
Having a ‘Favorite Things’ birthday is amazing because it’s so individualized and unique to your baby!
Your son can’t get enough cars, coloring, and cake? Sweet! Go to the local racetrack, art store, and bakery. You daughter loves LEGO, dancing, and ice cream? Awesome! Head to the toy store, live music, and creamery.
Whatever you do together, your child will love it!
How to Celebrate a First Birthday Without a Party: Q&A
There are many commonly asked questions about how to celebrate a first birthday without a party. Here are the answers to all your questions:
Should I celebrate my baby’s first birthday?
Yes, you should celebrate your baby’s first birthday. You just don’t have to celebrate with a party. It’s important to celebrate your child and make them feel special.
What’s the average cost of a first birthday party?
According to a survey, the average cost of first birthday party ranges from $50 to over $10,000. That’s a whole lotta money on one party.
How much should I spend on a child’s birthday gift?
I usually like to have a definitive answer, but this one is it depends. If you’re taking a full-blown vacation that might just be the gift in and of itself. If your celebration is much smaller, you might spend more on a physical gift.
You have to decide what your personal budget allows, and go with that.
How did you celebrate your baby’s first birthday?
My daughter was born in October 2020, right in the middle of a pandemic, so we chose to go to a local park. And, because it was a crisp autumn day, we brought a coffee maker and donuts.
We invited close family members and friends, but guests were not expected to bring a present. We simply wanted our daughter to have a playdate with her cousins.
There was no balloon garland. We didn’t have the fanciest food. And we didn’t spend a small fortune. But we had so much fun watching our girl play with a smile from ear-to-ear.
The Wrap Up: How to Celebrate a First Birthday Without a Party
Throwing a party can be stressful for you and your baby. Celebrating a first birthday without a party is a great alternative to making your almost-toddler feel special and loved on their day without the hassle.
Choose one of the 25 options above and remember parties are about the time you have together, not the amount of stuff a kid will get!