When choosing an animal theme for a first birthday party, the options are almost endless, but the Wild One Birthday theme is a fun and easy theme for this birthday. At a Wild One party, you can match the decorations, activities, food, and favors to reflect the theme.
With so many options to choose from, it’s important to start with the most important details like the guest list, and work your way through each part until the favors are chosen and the food is prepared. Following the planning step by step will ensure that nothing is missed and your Wild One party will be beautiful, fun, and memorable.
How to Plan a Wild One Birthday Theme Party
To begin planning a Wild One Birthday Theme Party the first step is to determine if there will be a specific color theme or animal type to focus on. For a first birthday theme, sometimes baby wild animals are the focus. Once this is determined, it’s time to consider what items will match the theme.
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Plan plates and silverware, napkins, and tablecloths, then decorations like balloons and banners, and then activities that all guests can enjoy. Food can be made to fit the theme and laid out in a way that matches as well. Create a playlist if you want to play music, and it can be done by theme. Many children’s songs are related to animals including Bear Hunt, songs from movies, and fairytales set to music.
Who to invite to a Wild One party?
Make a guest list based on the most important people first, starting with families. The first birthday is an exciting moment for the whole family. After family, all the grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins, consider your closest friends. Everyone you love wants to celebrate with you at this moment.
Once you have determined the guest list you can choose and mail invitations, which should also match the theme and can even be chosen to match the plates and dishes. The more cohesive the theme, the more guests will enjoy it, and it will reflect what they should expect when they arrive. A few sets of decorations will bring everything together for an easy-to-do theme.
Wild One Birthday Party Decorations
Wild One party decorations have a wide variety of options and many types of decorations that work well together. Plates and tableware are some of the more important decorative features because they will be used by everyone, and they help to set the whole theme. Choosing a set labeled “Wild One” can reflect the theme, while choosing animal prints instead can increase the assortment and offer a way to add different patterns from zebras to in monkeys or even giraffes.
A large Wild One backdrop is a great decoration for a party and can also function as a photography area where all the guests can pose for pictures. Photos can be shared with other guests or posted on social media, even in online albums, so that everyone can enjoy them.
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More Wild One Party Decor Ideas
Adding balloons is a great way to bring out the decorations from the height of the table and create variety and different textures in the space. You can also make a balloon arch or balloon garland. Any “Wild One”, animal print, jungle print, or other bold balloons will add to the theme. Also adding balloons that match the colors of any of the other decorations, the plates or tablecloths, or even the backdrop, fits the theme.
Live or fake plants can be placed around the space, or large leaves can be used to create an arch over a door or dining table. They will create focal points around the room and both add to the feeling of space but also offer hiding places for a scavenger hunt, a place to take pictures, or just to add color to the area.
A first birthday banner is another great idea, along with stuffed wild animals like toy lions or zebras.
Activities for a Wild One Party
When planning a first birthday party, the key to success is keeping it simple. Babies and toddlers have short attention spans and are easily overwhelmed so some simple activities are best.
If you have a Wild One backdrop, include some props including stuffed animals and animal masks, and ask them to dress up for photos. When playing games with music the music can also be matched to the theme or the sounds of wild animals can be played as a cue to stop, sit, or start moving again.
Younger kids will need help with some of the games, but older kids and adults will definitely enjoy them, and everyone will love the pictures with the one-year-old dressed up or using the fun props.
Toys or pictures of wild forest animals can be hidden around the space to create a scavenger hunt or bingo cards, and guests can mingle as they try to find them all.
Smash Cake is always fun for a first birthday party. Go for a Safari animals or jungle theme birthday cake.
During the summer months, a sprinkler or toddler pool can offer a fun way to cool off, and adults are sure to enjoy it too. Older kids might like the water gun battle, and their parents might get in on the fun too.
If your budget allows, an animal-themed bounce house is always fun, or create a mini ball pit in the backyard for the babies to play on.
Wild One Party Food Ideas
A baby’s first birthday party calls for lots of baby-friendly food so think fresh and healthy and manageable for little hands and mouths! Small sandwiches, fruit, and yogurt are first birthday favorites. For more creative food ideas, check out our healthy party food for Kids article here.
Create a snack bar with vegetable dishes and dip themed bowls and plates. They can be served on animal print tablecloths or decorated plates, with fun names that fit the party theme.
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Kabobs are also suitable for this theme, easy to eat while mixing and save on silverware. They are also easy for older children to eat, and for adults to consume while feeding their children as well. Steamed vegetables are great for toddlers and are easy to put on any table. Small sandwiches along with snack foods and a small dessert bar will work well for almost any age.
Wild One Birthday Party Favors
The last part of planning a birthday party is the favors. These small gifts thank guests for attending and show appreciation for their presence. It also helps them remember the party and the fun they had. For the Wild One Birthday Party Theme, there are several options for party favors that will be well received.
These baby jungle animal is a cute Wild One favor that your baby guests will love!
Or super cute ones Top 100 Animals books would also make a great first birthday favor.
Wild One Party Ideas Final Note
Planning a Wild One Birthday Party Theme can have many small pieces that add up to create an immersive and enjoyable experience. By using the same theme and colors through the food, decorations, favors, and backgrounds, people will be completely focused on the theme and able to relate to everything. Adding activities is a great way to keep people involved and talking to each other, and fun competitions can bring friends closer together during the event. Make sure there is something for everyone and your party will be talked about for weeks.
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About the Author
Jane Sheriff is the founder, creative director, party planner and mother of three. She started Darling Celebrations in 2012 to share easy and beautiful ideas for celebrating life’s special events.
