First birthday party theme ideas for a 'one-derful' celebration (2024)

Any parent who has planned a first birthday party knows what an emotional experience it can be.

On one hand it's so exciting to know your little bubba is growing up and you've survived your first year of parenting – but it's also heartbreaking that your little one isn't so little anymore.

If you're thinking about planning for your baby's first birthday party and not sure if you want to go all out, we're here to help. 

It's the perfect age to go with a pun on 'One' and we've rounded up some of the most popular themes for little boys and girls.

Scroll through for some first birthday party inspiration. 

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If you've got yourself a little wild child, this is the perfect theme.

This idea lends itself to either going all out with safari animals like elephants, lions and giraffes, or jungle animals like monkeys, snakes and tigers. 

Go big with your décor. Think: lots of animals, lots of greens and neutral colours and of course, plenty of fun!

Rabbits are one of the most popular soft toy and comforter for little boys and girls, so why not theme your birthday around that?

For girls you can keep things pastel, lots of pinks, yellows and blues with of course plenty of soft snuggly bunnies in your décor and potentially even as party gifts too!

For boys, why not take some inspiration from Beatrix Potter and go for Peter Rabbit? Think classic storybook, plenty of pops of blues and, of course, that cheeky bunny wherever it works.

For the boho families, this little theme might be just perfect for you.

You can either go with 'One Groovy Babe' or 'Groovy One', taking it back to the '60s and '70s. Think: big flowers, peace signs and plenty of neutral colours.

Décor could include big picnic rugs thrown around on the grass, hey, even a disco ball if you feel like it, and plenty of fun vibes!

If you want to amp this up a bit, you could go down the Austin Powers route and go more 'swinging '60s' with big bold colour, big prints and plenty of funky décor. 

Turning one is a big deal for not only your kid, but you as well as a parent.

So if you're the kind of person who looks at life in trips around the sun, this could be perfect for you too.

Think: outer space. Planets, starts, rocket ships and astronauts. Plenty of silver, blue and gold will make this theme come to life. 

There's another way to do this as well, and it's very gender-neutral too. First trip around the sun, but focusing all of your décor around the sun.

A bright, big sun is the main feature in this theme, with plenty of warm colours. Think lots of radiating sunshine and some earthy elements to nail this one.

Perfect for the early risers who are often up with the sun too. 

There's nothing like a theme to really get all the kids excited, especially older ones.

Minions have been a hot trend for years after the success of Despicable Me so why not go all out with the fun little yellow guys?

Your colour palette is sorted with blue and yellow and it won't take long for this party to come together.

Got a kid who is utterly obsessed with berries? It doesn't have to become their whole personality, but it's an easy way to turn their birthday into one of their favourite things.

Berry balloons and bright colours in rich red pink and purple will help you nail this theme. If you want to go all out, take some inspo from this gorgeous display which features plenty of strawberries and cute berry colours.

Just quietly, think of the fun you could have with the cake too! 

If none of those themes are really right for you, here are a few more ideas which could help you on your way to party planning:

• My First Rodeo
• My Bear-y First Birthday
• Winter One-derland
• My First Bee-day
• Alice in One-derland
• One in a Melon