1st Birthday Games For Baby's First Birthday

These games are great for toddlers and are perfect for playing at a 1st birthday party. They are geared toward young learners and some allow for parent-child interaction. So, if you're throwing a first birthday party, here are some great games to consider:

1ST BIRTHDAY GAMES & ACTIVITIES

BALL ROLLS - Have all the babies sit opposite an adult or an older child and roll a large ball back and forth to one another. Be sure you have enough balls so everyone may do the activity simultaneously.

SMILE, SMILE, TICKLE - This game is played like Duck, Duck, Goose. Put 4-5 babies in a circle and have an adult crawl around the babies touching his or her shoulder to the top of their heads, while saying "Smile" to each one. Then pick out one of the babies and say, "Tickle" and start tickling the baby. The game continues with another parent repeating the process, except a different baby should be selected to be tickled.

ORGANIZED FREE PLAY Have adults or older children available to assist and keep things flowing nicely. Set-up an area on a blanket with building blocks, pull toys, stuffed animals, stacking toys, etc. and let the babies have opportunities to play.

WAGON RIDES - Decorate a wagon to coincide with your party theme. Put a blanket or pillow inside the wagon for added comfort. Give each baby a ride around the yard.

MUSCIAL BIRTHDAY BEAR - Seat everyone in a circle and pass around a stuffed teddy bear as the music plays. When the music stops, the player holding the bear wins a prize. Play continues until everyone wins a prize. You can give out small stuffed bears as your prizes.

SING-A-LONGS TO SUBDUE - Have all the parents sit in a circle with their little ones and sing some songs.

SING-A-LONGS FOR ACTION - Little ones are naturally curious and they truly enjoy watching and participating in simple sing-a-longs. Songs like Ring Around The Rosy or Hokey Pokey are both great options, as everyone can act out what is being sung.

PULL-STRING PINATA - Get a theme-related pull-string pinata and let each of your little ones have a turn pulling on one of the strings. Only one string will open the floodgate of goodies, all the other strings will just break off when one of the little tots pulls on it. Just be sure to take the strings away from the babies as they pull them off, so they don't make their way into their mouths.

BUBBLES - Put on a bubble show using bubble wands to make big bubbles the babies can watch float and change color and shape. They can also try to catch them or pop them before they hit the floor.

EDIBLE PLAYDOUGH - Edible Playdough is a fun and fabulous activity, that is perfect for 1-year olds. As they are developing their hand-eye coordination, enjoying exploration, and learning how to perform new things, using cookie cutters to create fun shapes is a perfect activity to occupy little ones.

Before beginning, be sure to protect the work surface. I find that a sheet of heavy, thick plastic works great. When all is said and done, just peel off the bits of playdough and wipe clean. Give each baby a little lump of playdough and a cookie cutter to start. Periodically, exchange out the cookie cutters so they have an opportunity to make various shapes. Parents and older children can help the babies as needed.

HAND PRINTS #1 - Either purchase hand print kits or make your own clay or plaster to create a memorable handprint.

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1ST BIRTHDAY GAMES & ACTIVITIES FOR PARENTS

If you want to incorporate a few games for the parents to play that are baby-related, here's some options to consider:

GUESS BABY'S WEIGHT - Gently pass your baby from guest to guest and have them each guess how much your baby weighs. If you have several people participating, you can write it all down. After everyone takes a guess, weigh your baby. Whoever is the closest, is the winner and receives a prize.

BABY TRIVIA - The object of the game is to answer as many questions correctly about the birthday baby. Give everyone paper and pens. Then ask them a series of questions about your baby. Here's a few to get you started:

• What day was (Name) born?
• What time was (Name) born?
• How much did (Name) weigh when he was born?
• What was (Name's) first word?
• What is (Name's) favorite toy?
• What is (Name's) middle name?
• Who was (Name) named after?
• What hospital was (Name) born in?
• What city was (Name) born in?
• When did (Name) take their first step?
• When did (Name) leave the hospital?
• When did (Name) have his first shot?
• When did (Name) sleep through the night for the first time?
• When did (Name) have his first baby-sitter?
• When did (Name) eat solid food for the first time?

If the people answering the questions don't know you and your baby that well, you might want to provide three or four options for answers with each of the questions, so they have a fighting chance to answer something correctly. Whoever answers the most questions correctly, receives a prize.

TIME CAPSULE - Use a large shoebox, plastic container, or popcorn tin to house the items. After everything has been inserted tape, it closed and covers it with decorative paper. Add a large label that reads:

"DO NOT OPEN UNTIL (INSERT DATE)
"(NAME's) TIME CAPSULE CREATED ON (DATE)

Determine at what age the time capsule will be opened and instruct your guests to write a letter to him or her for that age. Provide various kinds of stationary, scrapbook papers, pens, markers, and stickers for your guests to use. Your guests may write anything that they would like. For example, a grandparent's sage advice. A parents' hopes and dreams for their child. Sharing something the baby did a person that was memorable, etc. These letters could become quite a keepsake if any of these people should die before the opening of the capsule.

Add any pertinent newspaper clippings from the 1-year birth date, photos from the party, the bib your baby wears at the party, photo of favorite toy, etc.

WHO'S WHO? - Have all your guests bring one of their baby pictures and have everyone try to guess who it is. Whoever gets the most right will win the prize.