1st birthday party ideas

Many of the games below are ideal for birthdays and Christmas simply by swapping around props on a seasonal theme.
The first thing to help is for you to relax and aim to enjoy your 1st birthday party.
Your new born doesn't really have any ideas about the childrens party and what's going to happen.
So aim for a short party of about 1 and a half hours.

Best to start after he or she has had their mid-day sleep.
It's best to hold the 1st birthday party at your own home because baby will feel more comfortable in his/her own surroundings.

Pick a theme or idea you are interested in.
You can pick so many, the list is enormous.
(You can visit the link on the right for a range to see for yourself)

Lets choose firemen.
Get parents and kids alike to wear a fire helmet.
Just get cheap ones at the local toystore.
Parents can bring along bells or litte horns to imitate the sound of a fire engine.

Next up , Music.
Invite over noisy neighbours.
We're going to make a lot of noise.
Babies really like making music, even though it may not sound like it to you and me!

So bring in drums. tambourines etc.
Best to bring along some duplicates to avoid arguments.
You can play this game for as long as you can bear the noise.

The Bird-Catcher

Start of with a 1st birhtday party idea with this game. You must first decide which one of you is to be the Bird-catcher; the other players then each choose the name of a bird, but no one must choose the owl, as it is forbidden. All the players then sit in a circle with their hands on their knees, except the Bird-catcher, who stands in the center, and tells a tale about birds, taking care to specially mention the ones he knows to have been chosen by the company. As each bird's name is called, the owner must imitate its note as well as he can, but when the owl is named, all hands must be put behind the chairs, and remain there until the next bird's name is mentioned. When the Bird-catcher cries "All the birds," the players must together give their various imitations of birds. Should any player fail to give the cry when his bird is named, or forget to put his hands behind his chair, he has to change places with Bird-catcher.

French Roll

A good many children may play at this game. One player is called the buyer, the rest form a line in front of him and take hold of each other. The first in this line is called the baker, the last the French roll. Those between are supposed to be the oven. When they are all in place the buyer says to the baker, "Give me my French roll." The baker replies, "It is at the back of the oven." The buyer goes to fetch it, when the French roll begins running from the back of the oven, and comes up to the baker, calling all the while, "Who runs? Who runs?" The buyer may run after him, but if the French roll gets first to the top of the line, he becomes baker, and the last in the line is French roll. If, however, the buyer catches the French roll, the French roll becomes buyer, and the buyer takes the place of the baker.

The Garden Gate

The Garden Gate is a very pretty game. A ring is formed of all the players except one, who stands in the middle. The others dance round her three times, and when they stop she begins to sing:

"Open wide the garden gate, the garden gate, the garden gate,

Open wide the garden gate and let me through."

"Get the key of the garden gate, the garden gate, the garden gate,

Get the key of the garden gate and open and let yourself through."

"I've lost the key of the garden gate, the garden gate, the garden gate,

I've lost the key of the garden gate, and cannot let myself through."

"Then you may stop all night within the gate, within the gate, within the gate,

You may stop all night within the gate, unless you have strength to break through."

The captive then rushes to the weakest part of the ring, and tries to break through by throwing her whole weight upon the clasped hands of the children, and generally contrives to break through, the one whose hand gives way being made captive in her stead.