First birthday party games

You will need time to look after your baby during the party, and other parents will also have to pay attention to their young ones.

Babies and toddlers love being with other children, but won't tend to play with them. Playing some fun first birthday party games together will add a more sociable aspect to the party, but don't expect every child to want to join in every time.

Think of your guests.
Once you have decided who to invite, consult with your guests about timings.

Avoid nap times if possible - although each child will have their own routine. Mid-morning or an afternoon slot would be appropriate, and then you can serve morning or afternoon tea, without having to prepare and serve a meal...

...which gives you the opportunity of bringing out the cake, blowing out the candle and singing Happy Birthday!

Expect your party to last between one and two hours.
Let's face it, an hour is probably a realistic estimate. Any more and little guests, and your baby, will begin to flag.

Provide a selection of baby-safe toys for them to play with such as:

• chunky playsets
• musical toys
• push and pull toys
• wooden blocks...

...and then add some baby books and nursery songs to the mix.

Blend this free play with the first birthday party games suggested below!

First birthday party games

Baby professions
Assemble items that represent different professions.

• A first aid box for a doctor
• a notepad for a journalist
• a dictionary for a teacher
• a paintbrush for a decorator...

...or how about...

• a wooden brick for a builder
• a photo for a photographer
• a cuddly animal for a vet

...and so on!

If you already have a fireman's hat, nurse's uniform or other kid toys representing jobs, so much the better.

Lay these out together on the floor and cover with a blanket. Now you can let your baby crawl or waddle towards the blanket.

Uncover the items, and let your child choose one of them. The first item picked up predicts the future profession of your child! You may want to take a photo at this point for posterity!

Singing and action games
Singing together is one way of entertaining all of the little guests at your party, and is one of the most popular first birthday party games.

You can play a recording of a few favorite nursery rhyme songs, and do the actions together.

Alternatively, if you have a book of nursery rhymes, you can sit the little ones around you and read or sing some together.

A large book with pictures of animals provides an opportunity for everyone to make some great animal noises! Get the adults to join in too, of course - they'll enjoy it more than the kids!

Filling and emptying games
I hope you're not looking for neat and tidy first birthday party games - because very small children find filling and emptying buckets or bags hilarious!

And the messier - the better!

A bucket of soft balls, or socks, a sturdy bag with a selection of kid safe items collected from around the house - or your own selection of toys collected into a basket - will do fine.

Tip everything out and gather it all together again. Let your baby help you tip it out again - and again. All the children can join in with this one. If you laugh, the little ones will think it's great fun too!

You can finish by emptying out a bag of small party gifts for each your little guests - something to squeeze in the bath, a small cloth book or something nice to shake.

If your child guests are all about the same age, it's best to get the same thing for everybody to avoid tantrums.