Your baby's first birthday party

Whether you throw a party when your child's one, or wait until they're two or three, the first party you throw is a real milestone, and an occasion you'll always remember.

We've put together a one-stop guide so you can make sure your party hits all the right notes.

Of course the venue you choose will largely depend on how many people you're inviting.

If it's just a few friends and family members, you might decide to have a party at home (maybe in the garden if the weather's nice).

If you plan to invite more guests, then you might think about hiring a hall or other venue, such as a local cafe.

Find local halls to hire here.

Find other ideas for party venues here.

With the date decided and the venue sorted, it's time to send out the invites.

You can make some lovely cards using photos of your baby, on sites such as Photobox and Moo.

Or here are some lovely invitations, place names and thank you cards to print out.

The easiest party food to organise is a buffet of finger food. Choose a variety of dishes that will suit all guests (big or small).

Mini sandwiches or wraps, cocktail sausages, fruit platters, rainbow salads and mini pizzas all work well. We have tons of ideas in our party food pages and picnic pages.

Don't forget plenty of sweet treats, too - use our baking pages and fairy cake gallery for inspiration.

If you want to take all the hassle out of food prep, you can even hire in a caterer.

Find lists of local suppliers here.

Of course little babies don't need any entertainment - the other guests and balloons are enough to keep them happily occupied!

If you're inviting families with older siblings, or you have older children yourself, you might want to plan something special for them - such as a magician, balloon modelling, arty activities or even invite an animal man along with some furry friends?

There are so many fab party entertainers to choose from these days.

Find local entertainers here.

A birthday party isn't complete without a cake - right?

Have a look through our cake gallery for ideas and inspiration. However - keep in mind that the cake doesn't need to be a masterpiece - a good old Victoria sponge covered in chocolate and Smarties will do the trick, and be equally delicious.

Top tip: a simple chocolate eclair makes a great first birthday cake for baby, without too many leftovers. It even looks like a number 1!

And if you're no Delia, or just don't have the time, then find local cake makers here, who can make one for you.

If you have a few mums and their young babies over, then food and a cake and a get-together might be all you need to make a lovely party.

If you have older children, too, then you might want to organise a few party games.

The old favourites, such as Pass the Parcel and musical bumps, are always fun, or we have plenty of ideas for party games on Netmums.

For adults, a nice game is to ask everyone to bring in a baby photo and then pin them on a board and ask guests to guess who's who.

Find some fantastic party game ideas here.

And there are more ideas here.

Whether you go with a few balloons and some bunting or go all out with a theme - decorations can transform your party room from drab to fab.

We love bunting to add instant cheer - it's now so easy to buy at a reasonable price - like these at the fabulous DotCom Gift Shop. Or you can make your own by cutting triangles of pretty paper or fabric with pinking shears and gluing onto a length of ribbon.

Find local sellers, who may supply lovely party decor here.

Some parents deliberately don't go over the top with first birthday gifts - there are years to come when your child will ask for and appreciate the latest toys and gadgets. As babies, they may well be more interested in the wrapping paper and the boxes.

Perhaps come up with a wish list of easy ideas of things you want or need, or even state 'no presents' on the invites if you don't want gifts.

As for party bags - these are often a 'must' for older children, so it's a good idea to make little bags of treats for them to take home. You don't have to spend a fortune. We've got some good ideas and suggestions for party bag fillers here.

Venue, invites, decor, food, cake ... sometimes there seems to be so much to organise and you can start to panic that you've forgot something.

Don't stress - we've put together some handy checklists so you can make sure you have everything planned and under control.

Print out the handy Netmums party planning checklists here.

And then relax!

Birthday parties sorted

Party planning checklists

Venues

Entertainers

Party games

Party food

Cake gallery

Local sellers

Local suppliers