Planning your child's first birthday party is an exciting milestone, and making it memorable is a priority for lots of parents. Not to mention how exciting it is to have lasted a full year of parenting with your child. At BubbleWrapFun, we’ve seen countless 1st birthday parties, also known as wild 1's, and know exactly what makes them a hit not just for the kids but also how to help take the pressure off the parents. Here’s a guide to creating the perfect celebration, featuring some of our most popular attractions and services, along with some other winning ideas.
1. Bouncy Castles with Slides:
We know which castles with slides suit the 1-year-olds to have the perfect 1st birthday, but also, once they have had their moment, which castles will keep the older kids entertained. Our bouncy castles with slides are always a favorite. They provide endless fun and are safe for young children. The combination of bouncing and sliding keeps little ones entertained for hours. Our top customer picks for first birthdays are always popular choices, ensuring a great time for all ages.
2. Bubbles, Bubbles, Bubbles:
Bubbles are magical for kids. Our bubble machines use non-toxic bubble fluid and create a whimsical atmosphere. Watching bubbles float and pop adds a touch of enchantment to the perfect 1st birthday. The little ones just love to try and eat them, and the older ones will run around frantically trying to pop every bubble that the machine makes. Not to mention those photo opportunities.
3. Ball Pit Fun:
A ball pit is a fantastic addition to any first birthday party. It’s a safe and enjoyable activity where toddlers can dive into a sea of colourful balls, enhancing their sensory experiences. We even have a bouncy castle with a ball pit—our marshmallow castle. We also offer soft play packages with a ball pit, including one package with a bouncy castle with a ball pit and soft play, and bubble machine!
4. Balloons:
Nothing says “celebration” quite like a beautiful balloon arch. Thanks to our amazing friends at Box of Wonders, this is very possible, and they are amazing at creating fun setups to suit. Check out the one from our July 2024 FunDay. A 2m garland costs around $200, but once again, for the photos, these are amazing. And once the party is all done... well, that's when the kids really get to enjoy the balloons. Check out Box of wonders here.
5. Soft Play:
What even is soft play? Basically, it's like a mini set of obstacles, usually with ball pits and some ride-on toys for kids 4 and under. Why is it a hit? For some kids, all the noise and bouncing are just a bit much. Soft play offers a much calmer approach to play for the little ones. They can crawl under tunnels, climb into the ball pit, wrangle an animal hopper, or just play with the giant soft play blocks. The only downside is that you need a good-sized covered area to make the most of it.
We have a rainbow soft play set (here). This set is great for bright parties and is a bit smaller to fit into a space. The ultimate soft play (here) is fresh and clean and would look amazing paired with our classy castle for those photo moments and maybe an updated family photo. We also offer an all-inclusive package for under-4s (here). It includes a small castle, bubble machine, and the rainbow soft play. This has been a huge hit since its release, and if you have the space, it's definitely bang for your buck.
6. Timing:
Another important thing to consider is timing. What time does your little one have a nap? Maybe they don't ever nap (which makes this easy in one way). Plan to have the party around the time your little one gets up from their morning nap or a couple of hours before. 10-12 is a great time, or 1-3 pm also seems to work when they are freshly awake from a great nap and you have had time to put the finishing touches on the party.
7. Themes:
What do you think about themes? Well... we absolutely love them. It is so fun to see parents get excited and pick a theme. Here are some fun ones we have stumbled across:
Wild One First Birthday Party - As the name suggests, it features jungles with wild animals. (our Jungle castle can help with this)
Winnie the Pooh First Birthday - This is just an all-time classic. (our toddler tamer works with this theme)
Berry First Birthday Party - This is a berry cute idea and can work for boys or girls. (Marshmellow Bouncy Castle)
Unicorn First Birthday Party - Full permission to get all the unicorns and rainbows you see for the 6 months leading up to the party (our rainbow unicorn castle suits this).
Dino First Birthday Party - We have some great castles for this theme. It also works for a great 5th birthday theme (Dino and Rawrsome castles fit this theme).
First Trip Around the Sun Birthday Party - This theme is a lovely one to get your soft, calming party vibes going. Think "our sunshine is ONE" with lots of yellow, whites, and orange balloons (cocomelon is a bright fun castle for this).
Woodland-Themed First Birthday Party - This is also a fun one to plan, with lots of cute animals. Basically, anything cute from the forest can be used for this one, along with soft greens and browns. (sand soft play would pair nicely with this)
One-der the Sea First Birthday Party - Think under-the-sea theme, with mermaids for a girl and sea creatures for a boy.
One in a Melon Birthday Party - Greens, reds, and whites make up this theme, along with watermelons. The first birthday outfit will be very cute for this. (cocomelon or Fuchsia fiesta)
While hosting a party at home might seem convenient, hiring an indoor venue offers several advantages:
Space:
Indoor venues provide ample space for all the fun activities. You won’t have to worry about cramming everything into your living room or backyard. Kids can run around freely, and there’s enough room for all the entertainment setups.
Weather-Proof:
One of the biggest advantages of an indoor venue is not having to worry about the weather. Rain or shine, your party will go off without a hitch. A scary situation to be left with is a rainy day and 30 kids about to come storming in your doors. Indoor venues ensure that your little guests will have space to play without it coming at a cost to your mental health!
Extras:
Some venues not only offer a great indoor space for weather reason but also have great outdoor areas. Take Ormond school hall for example, they have a bike track and play ground just out the doors so if the weather is nice you have have a huge backyard for the kids to play in.
Party time:
After a full on few hours of having kids jumping and playing it is nice to have a good reason to leave and go home. Parties that are at home last a lot longer than parties at a venue so it does depend on what you would prefer but most 1 year olds can't party for hours on end and need to go home to a quiet space for a nap.
To make your planning even easier, we’ve compiled a list of popular indoor venues that are perfect for a first birthday party view the blog post here plus another blog post full of other party hire businesses in Gisborne check them out here.
Thank you for taking the time to read our blog, we hope you enjoyed it and got some good tips. If you have any questions, suggestions on found a spelling error haha, please let us know. We are always happy to help and want to make sure your child's first birthday is stress free and fun!
Thank you,
Katie your Fun Specialist!
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