Feb 21, 20234 min read

First birthday party theme ideas

A smiling birthday girl sitting on the floor in a pink, frilly party dress. She is surrounded by party decorations and there is a large-lettered number one sign next to her.

You've been scratching your head about what to do for your little one's very first birthday. You know you'd like to throw a party for them as it is such a momentous occasion but you're drawing a blank when it comes to 1st birthday ideas. A great way to plan a party is to base it around a theme - and I've got some great 'ones' for you ;).

Read below for some fantastic pun-related 1st birthday inspiration.

(All links in my article are not affiliate links, they are just created for inspiration.)

Alice in 'one'-derland

Alice in Wonderland-themed party

How fantastic is this! It is such a wonderful theme - I know I remember being brought up watching the movie, and I know many of you know and love the books. So it's great that you could have a theme that you would also get enjoyment out of. Never mind for my kids' birthday, I would love this theme myself! You could really go to town with this one (and all of them really) - for any older kids attending you could have games such as 'pin the grin on the Cheshire cat', or instead of Simon says, you could play 'The Queen of Hearts says'. The decoration could be so cute, you could incorporate tea cups, teapots, hearts, roses, rabbits, keys etc. The food could be tiny nibbles with eat me and drink me labels. You could even dress your little one up as Alice, or a really cute idea would be as a white rabbit. There is so much fun to be had with this theme!

Take a look at the Amazon inspiration list I have put together here.

Red and white-topped cupcakes with Alice in Wonderland cupcake characters on.

'One' in a melon

Watermelon-themed party

It's summery, it's bold, it's colourful! The bright, bold colours really pop on this one. This theme really packs a fresh vibrant punch, and if you are looking for a summer-time celebration theme 'one' in melon is a great choice. Also, if your little one happens to be hooked on the kids' programme 'Cocomelon', it's a no-brainer. There are so many Cocomelon products on the market, and generic watermelon and fruit-related items too as they have been very popular with us grown-ups, you'll be completely spoilt for choice. It is also a good option for any parents wanting to try and avoid some of the more sugary treats that invariably come with a birthday party - with this theme, it is super easy to incorporate plenty of fresh fruit for all your younger guests.

Shop my 'One in a Melon' birthday invitation here

Sweet little 'one'

Candy-themed party

Okay, so this one is a totally unabashed all-out sugar fest theme! You may have already noticed that your little one has already formed a bit of a sweet tooth. I know my daughter has, and she's a girl that takes after her mummy ;). That being said, this really is a theme more for the adults' benefit, but why not, eh! You will have other guests to cater for and some of them might be able to handle a bit more sugar than the babies of the party. This is another brilliantly bright theme, but you could also create it with softer pastel colours. I know I would have a field day decorating for this one.

Here's my Amazon inspiration for you.

A 3-teir stack of cupcakes decorated with light pink buttercream and bright confetti sprinkles.

Wild 'one'

Wild animals/Jungle-themed party

Here's another theme you can go completely 'wild' on! (sorry, not sorry). Think lions, tigers and bears! But baby ones! The adorable-o-meter just shot through the roof! Who doesn't need an excuse to dress their little one up in a totally cute animal outfit *raises hand*. It is a wonderfully gender-neutral theme, all kids love animals, right, and it is not overtly pink for a girl or blue for a boy. It would work really well if you were having a joint birthday party for a girl and a boy. You could play animal-themed games, I know one of my favourites as a parent is sleeping lions (you're welcome;)), or something along the lines of the old classics like 'duck, duck, goose', but change it up to 'monkey, monkey, tiger'.

Click here for my Amazon ideas.

An image of decoration at a jungle-themed party. There is a cuddly lion toy, wild animal biscuit lollies and plant-topped cupcakes.

One happy camper

Camping/glamping-themed party

This is a great outdoor party idea, for when the sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky! I'm picturing a summer BBQ (but keep it safe folks) with great acoustic vibes, and the little ones getting the chance to run around all over the place burning off tons of energy (ready for a great sleep later). The pro for the parents is that the after-the-party clean-up should be minimal. Kids are amazing at managing to spread their food far and wide, but at least when they do it outside, it's not all over your house! Winner! Cute little kiddie tents make for adorable decor too and also give them a practical way to stay cool in the shade.

Amazon inspo here.

There are two small children, a girl and a boy. They are sitting outside of a teepee with balloon decoration. The girl has a cake in front of her on the ground with a number one candle on it.

There are so many first-birthday ideas out there, I have only just touched the surface but I'm hoping this post has inspired you and shown you a few of the incredibly cute possibilities.

Here are a couple of extras thrown in for good measure :):

Some bunny is one
'One' cool dude
'One'-der the sea
'One'-der woman
First 'Bee'-day
First launch
First trip around the sun
Miss 'One'-derful
Mr 'One'-derful

I love to see and hear what you come up with or if you go for one of my suggestions. Always, always feel free to drop me a message or comment below!