Baby 1st Birthday Party Idea

Baby 1st Birthday Party Idea - Eats and Drinks

The success of your party is made or broken by the party food you supply.
Need a baby 1st birthday party idea of eats and drinks to serve.

1st birthday party idea of eats and drinks to serve.

Food for Big People
At a First Birthday you will cater more for the adults then the smaller guests. Don't plan elaborate fair. Provide finger foods which are easy for guests to eat. This way they can help themselves during the party. Also, they won't need to juggle with cutlery and you won't be left with dirty cutlery to wash afterwards.

Therefore, make sure all foods can be easily picked up. This includes the desert. So small cocktail cherry pies will be better then a whole pie. Provide mini muffins or small scones rather then whole cakes.

Drinks for Big People
In addition you will need to provide liquid refreshments. Set out tea and coffee for guests to help themselves. Provide hot water for guests to make their own coffee. It will also be used by those wanting weaker tea. I suggest you make tea in a tea-pot. Its cheaper, also you don't end up with mounds of tea bags (used and unused) on the table.

Don't try serving everyone - you will never get a chance to chat with your guests. Provide enough milk, creamer and sugar on the table to eliminate numerous trips to the kitchen.

In warm weather, serve fruit juices or other cold drinks. Soda's always go down well. Offer your guests fruit juice as a healthier alternative. Also provide a jug of cold water with a few pieces of lemon or a dash of lime. Water is very thirst quenching on a hot day.

Place these cold beverages out on a table with about two glasses per guest. They don't always remember where they put their glass and will take another one.

If you have a good looking table don't bother with a table cloth as spills often occur when serving from jugs.

Party Food for Little People
Get little one's to sit down before serving the party snacks, either at a table or in a circle on the floor. Running around with food in their mouths can be hazardous.

To help get the little ones settled Try sing one or two action songs to help get the little ones settled. If there are older children at the party ask them to come sit down first. The little ones will soon follow suite.

Have a selection of foods laid out at each place or hand each child a party box - not a plastic party bag. Start with the youngest, since they can't wait as long as older children.

Provide a few interesting items of savory finger foods with a few melt-in-the-mouth sweets like marshmallows. Fewer sweets means less sugar high mania. If you have older children attending then you can obviously provide extra goodies in their boxes for them.

Here are some Kid Friendly Finger Food suggestions:

rice cakes
potato or maize crisps
cookies (without sugary toppings)
small breakfast cereal circles
fish fingers
mild cheese (avoid strong hard cheese)
any other finger foods your own child enjoys

Avoid foods that don't dissolve easily in their mouths and that require a lot of chewing like:

peanuts
popcorn
boiled sweets of any kind
i.e. anything you wouldn't give your own child

Drinks for Little People
Most little ones will have their own bottles of juice or milk with them. Otherwise, provide jugs of premixed juice which the moms can use to top-up empty bottles.

If there are older children you will need to provide them with juice or soda's and paper cups. Place these on a low plastic table so the older kids can help themselves.

Birthday Cake
Once most of the children have eaten and had some juice you could bring out the cake. Or you could let them go play for a while and do so at a later stage.

You will need to put in a lot of practice prior to the party if you want your child to blow out their own candle. If they can’t manage, let an older sibling do it (they will feel very proud) or help your little one blow out their candle. Cut the cake into small hand size pieces and pass to the guests - once again starting with the youngest. Take a look at these cute 1st Birthday Cake ideas.

Remember: Do not over cater for the children, so much party food goes to waste. Keep spare packets of crisps handy if needed.

Remember: Your little one will not want to eat lunch or dinner after the party. Try something light like scrambled egg, but don't worry if they are not hungry.

Take these baby 1st birthday party ideas and adapt them to suite your style. Enjoy - you will never have your child’s first birthday party again.