Baby's First Birthday and Cake Smash Tips!
The “cake smash” tradition is a fun and cherished tradition for many families across the country. Not only is it fun to watch the smiley reactions of tasting sugar for the first time, but it is also a great way to celebrate both the accomplishments of you and your baby with family and friends. Below we have listed a few suggestions to consider when planning for your family’s special day!
Your baby’s first birthday marks a year of overcoming the challenges that come with parenting a newborn. Whether it is your first baby or your sixth, each baby comes with their own unique personality and set of needs. For this reason, parenting can often feel like a game of trial-and-error. No matter how prepared you are, there will always be surprises thrown your way that you must adjust to “on the fly”. Your baby’s first birthday is a time to take a break from the day-to-day, and celebrate overcoming all of these surprises together. The “cake smash” itself is a great example of how it is hard to ever predict a baby’s reaction. For instance, some babies enjoy the attention and sweet treat, while others scream and throw the cake at their party guests! No matter the reaction, everyone is there to cheer on you and your little one.
Things to consider:
- Mess!
- One thing to prepare for with this tradition is mess! Frosting is sticky and hard to wipe up. Even if your baby is a clean-eater, it is possible that others kids attending the party are not. We suggest prepping the cake area by placing a tarp or old bed sheet under the high chair. Having an easy backup outfit, like a twirl bodysuit or one-piece, to change them in to after is another way to mitigate lingering mess.
- Photos
- Although they may not remember their 1st birthday celebration, your little ones will look back on pictures of that day forever. You will also cherish these moments through photos yourself; so we suggest choosing a fun and memorable first birthday outfit. Ruffle bum and tutu bloomers with a matching baby headband are perfect for this occasion because they are adorable and easy to clean!
- Goody-bags
- Having a goody to promise kids can give them an incentive to be on their best behavior during the party, and entertained during the car ride home. While candy can seem like a cheap and easy option, we suggest choosing something else because more than likely the little ones have already had ample sweets at the party. It is also important to keep the age group in mind when choosing goody-bag stuffers, because you don’t want to give something that they could choke on in the back of the car. Some of our favorite suggestions are
- Games
- Keeping young kids entertained and engaged can be hard, especially when they are a variety of ages which often happens at 1st bday parties. Finding activities for a wide range of ages can be difficult, so we have some suggestions of what has worked best for us!
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Guessing jar game: Put a large amount of one item into a jar and have kids guess the number. Whoever gets closest to the actual number gets to keep the whole lot! Most people do candy, however we suggest choosing something different like crayons, legos, or scrunchies.
- Craft without small or sharp pieces: A craft often engages kids, especially if it involves food. Whether you choose a paper craft, or a “build your own food” craft, it is an engaging activity for most kids, and allows adults to help and chat at the same time.
Most importantly, remember to have fun and enjoy the celebration! It is for you too! Although it can be easy to get caught up in the rush of hosting, take time to sit back and take in this special moment for your family.
For any questions, comments, or tips contact us today!
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