“Berry first birthday” is a popular theme for 1st birthday parties because it can be gender-neutral or themed for boys or girls. It’s easy to decorate for if you have it during the summer, and everyone likes berries, so it’s easy to find good recipes for cakes and party snacks.
These are some berry-themed ideas for a strawberry-themed “Berry First” party.
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Invitations and party decor ideas.
There are tons of options for strawberry-themed party invitations and decor. Here are some options, but you can find customizable paper and party supplies on Zazzle
or Etsy, and sets of party supplies on Amazon.
- Send berry-themed invitations with cute strawberry illustrations.
- Use wording like “My Berry First Birthday!” or “A Berry Sweet Celebration”
- Decorate with decor featuring pastel pinks, reds, and greens.
- Hang berry garlands using artificial silk plants, or get custom berry banners like these from Mama Doc Celebrations.
You can get matching high chair decorations, too.
- Make a balloon arch using berry shade balloons or balloons that are shaped like strawberries. Shop for balloons or premade sets to make an arch on Amazon #ad
- Use gingham tablecloths and berry baskets for a summer picnic/ berry patch feel.
- Set up a photo booth with a “Berry First” backdrop and strawberry themed accessories to take pictures at the party.
- Place floral arrangements with berry accents on tables as centerpieces.
- Put a customized strawberry-themed welcome sign at the entrance to the party to welcome your guests.
Check out these Berry First birthday ideas in my Amazon shop #ad.
Party games and activities.
For a first birthday party, you’ll need to have a range of games, because most guests will be there with their parents and possibly older siblings.
If the party is in the summer, you can have it at a local park so that older kids can play independently, but it’s always good to have some structured options to offer.
- Set up a berry picking station with small baskets and faux berries attached to a wall with sticky velcro. When the kids are done picking them, an adult can put them back up and the kids can pick them again. You’ll be surprised at how long kids will do this activity!
- Make a “berry sweet” sensory bin with pom-poms and scoops.
- Do a strawberry spoon relay where guests have to race to carry a strawberry across a finish line and transfer it to a team member without dropping it.
- Have a coloring station with berry-themed coloring pages. You can find a lot of options for downloadable coloring activities on Etsy.
- Set up a berry treasure hunt by hiding artificial berries around a specific area in a room.
- Create a DIY fruit kabob station.
- Have a berry toss game with buckets and bean bags, or get a customized strawberry-themed cornhole set that you can use at the party and afterward.
- If it’s the summertime and you have “pick your own strawberries” farms nearby, find out if you can have the party there and have an actual strawberry picking activity for part of the time.
- Play Strawberry Bingo with these printable cards from Greengate Images. This is a good activity for adults or older kids, but parents can help younger kids with their cards, too.
Party food ideas.
Strawberry-themed food is really easy to make, and you can do cakes, cupcake, pies, or simple fruit plates and keep with the theme.
One thing to watch out for, though, is that food allergies to strawberries are relatively common, so you should definitely have some alternatives for guests who have to monitor that. Check with your guests ahead of time to see if anyone will need to have alternative food options so that you can plan accordingly!
Some easy strawberry options would be:
- Chocolate covered strawberries (read this article on our sister site for instructions on how to make them yourself.)
- Fruit skewers with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
- Mini berry pies.
- Berry-flavored cupcakes, or serve grocery store vanilla cupcakes with white or pink icing, put a fresh strawberry on top.
- Add a printable cupcake wrapper to dress up plain cupcakes.
- Strawberry shortcake.
- Strawberry muffins. These are a little less sweet than cupcakes, but they still count as a treat!
- Yogurt parfaits with granola and mixed berries.
- Strawberry lemonade.
- A strawberry-shaped birthday cake with fresh strawberries inside. Read this article for instructions on how to DIY a strawberry-filled cake without ruining it (real strawberries are juicy and will wet the cake down if you’re not careful!)
Party favors and return gifts.
You’ll want to send your guests home with some kind of party favors, and strawberries are an easy option.
If you have your party at a strawberry patch, the favor could be the strawberries that the guests pick themselves! Other than that, here are some ideas:
- Party favors like mini jam jars with custom labels.
- Berry-scented candles, lip balm, or soaps.
- Berry-shaped cookies in clear bags with ribbons.
- Strawberry-shaped sippy cups. (link goes to Amazon #ad)
- Fruit-themed stickers or coloring books. (link goes to Amazon #ad)
- Themed candy with a custom name on them. You can customize your own on Zazzle.
- Strawberry-themed stationery with the party motifs on them, like these themed sticky notes on Zazzle.
- Strawberry grow kits, with a packet of seeds, plant pot, and a bag of soil. Get these custom garden markers to all say “strawberries” and give each guest one as a favor to go with the grow kits!
For an article with over 45 ideas for first birthday themes, click here.
Berry First birthday collections.
Shop the Artisan Shopper Designs Berry First Birthday collections on Zazzle to get customized party supplies that are themed to match each other.
