If your baby’s first birthday is during a month where you can have the party outside, a One In The Sun theme is a fun choice. You can set an outdoor birthday party up in your yard or at a local park, and there are plenty of ideas for sun-themed party decor and games to keep your guests busy. It’s a good choice for summer birthday party ideas.
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Colors to use.
The colors for this theme can range from yellows and orange to sky blue, and since the sunny day part of it can translate to a bunch of different activities, you could even make it into a pool party if you have that option available.
If you want to make it tropical, you can do bright green, orange and red colors for foliage and flowers. For a Florida sunny day theme, you could also incorporate flamingoes and pinks to add to the tropical theme.
If you want to stick to the sun and sky type of colors, start with a sky blue or light blue and yellow, white, and orange colors. You can incorporate them in decor items like balloons, streamers, and banners that you can hang to decorate the party space.
Invitations to the party.
For your invitations, check out the templates that are available on Zazzle so that you can choose one that you like and customize it. Many are available in both hard copies and a digital version that you can download and send via phone or email.
Depending on whether there will be a pool involved, you can tell people about that to start so that they’re prepared. If not, tailor the invitation to letting people know what to expect as far as where the party will be so that they can plan on what to bring.
Make sure to remind people to bring sunscreen, sunhats, or any other supplies they’ll need, unless you’re planning on having things there for people to use (which isn’t a bad idea!)
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One In The Sun Party decor ideas.
You can make your own sun decorations and clouds decorations using colored posterboard, or get them on Amazon if you’re not feeling crafty! (Click here to see decorations on Amazon. #ad) Cut out cloud shapes and glue cotton batting from the craft store to them to make them fluffy.
Get yellow, white, and orange balloons to decorate around the party space to set the mood.
Set up signs to direct your guests to the party, and hang colorful streamers to decorate chairs and tables.
You can also get sun-themed paper plates and cups to match the invitations and the party theme to carry the designs throughout the party.
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Food for the party.
Get a sun-themed cake for a summer birthday cake, which can be as simple as a round yellow cake with a sun design piped on top, or an actual sun design piped with buttercream.
Make foods that are lighter and easy to eat on the go, like fruit salad serves in cups with plastic forks or spoons. Add pineapple and mandarin oranges to pull the yellow and orange theme into the food.
You could also have a barbecue if that’s something that you want to take on! This is easier to do if you’re having the party in a backyard where you have easy access to a kitchen for refrigeration, but you could also do this at a park if they have BBQ stations available to reserve.
For little treats, serve cookies in the shape of clouds that are iced with white royal icing, or make lemon bars that keep the yellow theme going.
Party activities.
Play outdoor games like cornhole, three-legged race, and badminton if you have enough space for it.
If most of your guests will be little kids, you might want to consider renting a ball pit. They’re less dangerous than piling a bunch of kids in a bouncy house, and young kids love them.
If you’re having a pool party your activity is obviously going to be that, but you can supply a lot of pool toys like noodles and inflatables to give people things to play with. (links go to Amazon #ad) Make sure to have ample numbers of lifeguards at any party that involves kids and a pool, and you might want to require the parents to stay at the party to supervise if their kids are going to be swimming.
You can also set up craft stations for older kids to make hats or to decorate plastic sunglasses from Amazon (#ad) with stickers.
Set up a kiddie pool with toy fish that have magnets on them and give guests magnetic wands to try to catch them.
Set up a handprint station where kids can make yellow handprints on butcher paper using washable paint. Make sure to have water available for the cleanup!
Parachute games are always fun, so if you have enough space, get one to play with and get the kids involved.
Beach ball kickball (or just playing with them) lets kids get out a lot of energy without having to have a lot of coordination!
Bubble stations where people can blow their own bubbles using small sets or larger bubble wands are fun for everyone, and give you a lot of opportunities for cute photos.
Party favors.
There are lots of options for sun-themed party favors…Put them in bags and seal with a sun-themed sticker that you can customize with your own message.
The sunglasses that people have decorated (if you set that up as a craft station) could be one thing to send your guests home with. Include a jar of bubbles so that they can blow bubbles when they get home.
You can also give your guests can coolers to use during the party, then they can take them home as a favor. Personalize them with your name and message to customize them.
You can get sun-shaped soap on Etsy to package and give out as favors, and some of them include the personalized tags!