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Thursday, August 20, 2015

Planning Baby's First Birthday Party

One more month and my precious first child would be officially 1 years old! Oh how time flies~ 
 
I have never had a problem planning birthday parties. I enjoy planning my own parties as well as my friends'. However, when planning for my child's first birthday party, it was not as easy as I thought it'll be. I have a month to get everything settled so I decided to speak to friends who have done it before to help me with it. After planning it once, and possibly failing at some areas, one would know better how to plan the next. However let's just skip that and make sure the first time is perfect!

Most parents i have talked to said they spent between $1k-2k planning for their child's first birthday. It isn't a small sum considering that's probably half of an average Singaporean's monthly pay check but well, the oldies said celebrating "big birthdays" in one's life will bring lots of luck so most parents will plan a big one (even though our little one wouldn't remember much at 1 years old, sadly).

Here is a check list of the things you will need to look for when planning your child's birthday party. I have also gathered recommendations from mummies who have successfully planned a good birthday party for their little one.

1. The Venue

This is the most important but toughest to find! Here we have a few suitable places to hold your child's birthday party and hopefully it's within your budget. 

It'll be great if you can afford to book a whole restaurant, a hotel function room, maybe even a hotel suite because that way, you need not do all the cleaning on your own! However for the budget conscious...

Condo Clubhouse
At just $50/day, this is definitely one of the cheapest option in our list. If you do not live in a condo, maybe use a relative or a friend's place!

East Coast Park/The Beach
With lots of space for kids to run around and at under $100! You do need to get a permit to "rent" the area though! 
 
 

Chalets
 




2. Balloons/Party Decorators

Decoration makes all the difference in how the place looks and sets the mood. Nobody wants to walk into a  party in a bare room with plain walls.

You can DIY by buying balloons and decor items from Party Shops or engage a decorator to do up the place if you have the budget to! 

You can buy party supplies online from...
 
 
 

Or engage balloon specialists like...
 
Little Red Balloon
 



 


3. Birthday Cake
 
Since this is a big party, we will need a big cake! In recent years, there has been a spike in home bakers in Singapore has many great home bakers on Instagram. When it comes to the look for it, most bakers do not have a problem achieving that however...I have tasted some of the prettiest but worst tasting cakes too many times.

I hate fondant of cakes so much because I once accidentally ate fondant and it tasted so much like play doh so since then, I cannot get over how bad it tastes. A fondant cake definitely looks prettier though, as there can be a lot more details and colors on the cake design. ONE THING I MUST REMIND ALL, NEVER EAT THE FONDANT OF A CAKE. Or even have it together with your cake. It never tastes good. I will ALWAYS remove the fondant of the cake before serving it to guests. It's the inside of the cake which matters! If you have a phobia of fondant, the list below has a few which do not use fondant however, as I said above, fondant cakes look a lot nicer and more detailed so to each its own!

I have narrowed the list down to a few whom have great reviews online (looks and taste!) to help you find the perfect baker to bake the perfect cake for your party!

mysisterbakes



Abite 

4. Food
 
For the older folks attending a kid's birthday party, the food is probably one of things to look forward to. With that said, a good caterer is needed! You don't want to end up with too much leftovers because the food doesn't taste good! And one more thing, if you are inviting 40 people to the party, you should only order food for 30. Don't worry too much about it not being enough! All 40 people who attend the party will be able to walk out with their tummies filled AND you still might have a little bit to tapao back home to eat the following day. Been there, done that!

So which caterers are good?



Neo Garden
 
Mum's Kitchen

5. Activities/Entertainment

This also depends on where the party is held it so not every activity in this list is suitable for you.

Here are some ideas on what to engage to keep the kids (and the kid in you) entertained!

Clown

Poof! the Magical Clown is famous for his entertaining shows that combine magic tricks with lots of clowning around. A real firecracker at any kids' party!
Phone: 98421882 
 

Sweetheart the Clown is Singapore's only female professional clown. Not only that, she's also an accomplished ventriloquist and is sure to entertain any kid with her trusty sidekick, baby Pinky.
Phone: 94503910 
Website: http://www.sweethearttheclown.com/

Mascot/Costume Rental



Balloon Sculpturing
 

Bouncy Castle/Ball Pit/Play Pen
 


 
 

Turn your backyard/void deck into a fun playground

I do hope this post has helped you and your child will have a great party!
 
This are all the stuff i have gathered while trying to plan for my son's first birthday and thought it'll be great to share it with all you other mummies. :)
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