Inside: 1st Birthday Party Games for Everyone to Enjoy.
Your little one has turned one. It is time to celebrate this important milestone by throwing a birthday party. The party needs to be memorable to you and interesting for the guests. By guests we mean those of all ages toddlers, older children, and grown-ups.
So, how do you make the party a real fun for everyone? Make your guests play some games!
These 1st birthday party games will help you make your baby’s birthday a total success. Let’s begin with the games for toddlers and babies.
Table of Contents
What Games Can You Play at a 1st Birthday Party?
Catching Bubbles: Does anyone really ever outgrow the fun of bubbles? Hand out plastic cups to kids, turn on a bubble-pumping machine and challenge them to catch as many bubbles as they can. The birthday girl may need some help, but even if she doesn’t completely grasp the concept, she’ll be just as happy to simply play with the bubbles.
Don’t have a bubble machine? Just have some of the older kids blow bubbles for the younger kids to catch!
Building Blocks: Many babies enjoy playing with building blocks, and while not all one-year-olds can build a large tower, they certainly all love to knock them down. Have bigger kids help the birthday boy construct a building and then let him knock it down. Build several towers at once and watch him squeal with delight as he paves his path of destruction.
Obstacle Course: Create a race track using ropes. Place soft obstacles such as soft toys, balls, and soft blocks, along the path at various places. Make the babies sit at the starting line and let the parents stand at the finish line. At the blow of the whistle, ask the parents to encourage their babies to come to them.
Games to Play at a 1st Birthday Party for Guests
These 1st birthday party games are fun for adults, parents, and older kids to play.
Baby Photo Guessing Game: Prior to the date of the party, ask guests to send photos of themselves as babies. On the day of the party, hang them around the room. Hang a piece of paper below each photo and ask guests to write their name and their guess as to the identity of the baby in each photo. Award a prize to the person with the most correct guesses.
Create a Time Capsule: Creating a time capsule tops the list of 1st birthday activities. Your baby may be oblivious to this now, but they’ll get a kick out of it when they’re older: Create a time capsule full of notes from everyone who helped celebrate their 1st birthday. Then keep it sealed until the child graduates from high school. Set out small pieces of paper and pens and ask guests to jot down what they love most about your baby now, a memory from the party or other time spent together, their hopes and dreams for your child, or advice for later in life. Decorate a small plastic box or storage container (anything that has a sealable top) for guests to drop their notes into.
Photobooth: For lots of laughs at the party and memories that’ll last, create a photo booth in a well-lit room. Find a colorful patterned tablecloth or jumbo piece of fabric with a wild print and hang it on a wall for a backdrop. Then gather up a slew of fun props— hats, wigs, funny glasses, fake mustaches, boas — and put them in a big basket nearby. Any bigger kids at the party will love playing dress-up, and the parents will love getting goofy with their babies — and each other.
Other Fun 1st Birthday Party Games
Build a (Mini) Ball Pit: Babies and toddlers, both boys and girls, love the sensory experience of playing in plastic balls, thus this makes a great 1st birthday party game, just don’t go overboard with it. Order this 200-pack balls, inflate a kiddie pool in your rec room or living room, and fill ’er up. Besides keeping your baby and other under-2s entertained, it’ll serve up awesome photo ops for your guests.
Treasure Box Game: Simply get together some shallow boxes or any container you may have handy, like an ice-cream container. Collect a variety of objects, usually no more than 5-10, and place them in the treasure boxes. Present them to your guests and their bub and keep one for yourself.
Then sit down with your little one and present them with their box. Start with taking out an object from the discovery box. It is up to bub whether they play with it or not. They lead the play and you are there to support them.
More Game Ideas for a Fun Time
- Fun Board Games for 6-Year-Olds – The game aisle can pretty intimidating. Is it fun? Will we all enjoy playing? Is it worth the money? There are plenty of great family board games for 6-year-olds that can be fun for adults and older kids while still including the younger child in family game night. With some searching, we have found and collected a lot of great games that the whole family loves. Below is a list of our favorites that will be the perfect addition to any board game collection.
- Our Favorite Giant Board Games – Board games are one of my favorite ways to celebrate a family game night or a long weekend. Something about all of us gathering around for some healthy competition! Now the weather is getting warmer it is a great time to take that fun outside! That is why I LOVE these fun Giant Board Games.
- Minute to Win It Classroom Game – When it comes to learning and school, sometimes our little ones can lose track quickly. I mean who can blame them, right? I know for me, I always learn something so much easier when I can make it fun. Setting the tone of the school day can be so important, which is why I love the idea of incorporating these super quick, and wildly fun Minute to Win It Classroom Games.