Priorities for Your Little One

Amidst the planning and party prep, it’s easy to get caught up in the details. Remember, your baby’s comfort and happiness should be your top priority throughout the day. Schedule the party around your baby’s routine. This means planning nap times and feedings into the agenda to avoid meltdowns. Think about their usual wake-up time – morning parties can be a great way to get your guests home and settled early, leaving plenty of time for naps and quiet playtime afterward. Little ones have short attention spans, so a 1-2 hour party is perfectly adequate. Consider hosting the party at home to create a familiar and comfortable environment for your baby. This will help them feel relaxed and happy throughout the celebration, maximizing the smiles and giggles on their special day!

A Theme to End All Themes

Pinterest will surely be your best friend during the party planning process. First Birthdays historically have some of the cutest themes out there. Make sure to really lean into things your birthday kiddo enjoys to celebrate their unique personality. Many themes utilize ONE in a cute, fun way, such as Berry First Birthday, Wild ONE, One-der the Sea, My First Rodeo, First Trip around the Sun, One in a Melon, and more. With a little creativity, you can throw a bash that’s full of happy memories for your little one’s special day!

Agenda of Activities

The key to a successful bash is keeping the entertainment age-appropriate. For a littler crowd, active play is the way to go! A ball pit and a soft play area are timeless favorites that guarantee smiles and tired-out toddlers. A bubble machine and wands will have everyone giggling with delight! If your guest list has a wider age range, consider setting up a designated craft or coloring station for the older kids. The goal is to keep things simple, safe, and fun for everyone involved!

Food & Decor

Food is the highlight of all parties and little ones are no exception! Keep it easy with cut-up fruits, vegetables, cheese cubes, puffs, and Cheerios to keep their tummies full and happy during the party. Depending on your time of day, you can offer up appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas, or a brunch spread for your adults. Try to incorporate foods that parents can also safely share with their little ones, as well!

Embrace your inner DIY spirit and create decor that aligns with your theme. DIY a balloon arch and a painted sign on butcher paper to welcome your guests. You can often repurpose items you already have to make centerpieces or other decor or hit your local discount store for affordable supplies. All that matters is the memories you’ll make after all!

Your local Pump It Up is geared up and ready to host kiddos of all ages and can make your 1-year-old’s big bash the best day ever! Let the pros handle the set-up, clean-up, and everything in between. Get more information at www.pumpitupparty.com and find new ways to plan the best birthday ever at www.pumpitupparty.com/blog.

Memberships for Activities

Looking for a gift beyond the toy box? Consider giving a membership to your favorite kiddo! Zoos, aquariums, play centers, museums, and other public spaces often offer memberships that can be purchased monthly or annually. These memberships are the gifts that keep on giving, offering multiple visits and exciting experiences throughout the year. Most places with memberships will also have an educational component, making it a chance for kids to delve into their interests and learn while they have fun. These memberships create memories that will last long after the birthday has passed.

Subscription Boxes

Subscription boxes have exploded in popularity in recent years, and kids are in on the fun too! These boxes cater to a variety of interests, like STEM boxes that spark curiosity and exploration in science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on activities. Craft boxes provide all the supplies for a new creative project each month and can foster creativity and fine motor skills. And for the little bookworms out there, book boxes deliver a curated selection of high-quality books right to your doorstep, opening the door to a world of new stories and nurturing a lifelong love of reading.

Fostering Hobbies

Looking to nurture your child’s budding hobbies? The perfect birthday gift might be right under your nose – the tools they need to explore their passion further. Whether it’s new cleats to elevate their soccer game, a bat to hit home runs in baseball, or a starter camera to capture practice their photography skills, these gifts provide the perfect opportunity to fulfill their hobby dreams. Some other fun ideas include painting kits to unleash creativity, crochet or knitting supplies, gardening tools to create a dream garden, or even a telescope to explore the night sky. By gifting the tools for their hobbies, you’re not giving a present, you’re investing in their future exploration of hobbies.

A “Yes” Day

Create unforgettable memories with a birthday kiddo’s dream day! This “yes day” is all about celebrating them and making their wishes come true (within reason, of course!). Whether it’s a breakfast of champions followed by a movie marathon and ending with a shopping spree, or a mall adventure, library visit, and ice cream dinner, this special day is all about quality time and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Forget the toys – this gift is all about fun, connection, and celebrating your amazing kiddo!

Your local Pump It Up may have great options like gift certificates, punch cards, or annual passes to gift to the birthday kids in your life.* Or, make Pump It Up a stop on their “yes” day and bring them and a friend to play at an Open Play session. Explore more ideas and find tips to planning the best birthday party ever at www.pumpitupparty.com/blog

*Gift options will vary per Pump It Up location. Please find your local Pump It Up for offerings.

But we know what the kids want, even with the new year and the new trends rolling in. We also know the list of the best birthday gifts of 2017 found below won’t disappoint.

Top 5 Best Birthday Gifts of 2017:

LEGOs

Minecraft, Star Wars, and Disney Princesses, oh my! The LEGO Company has something for everyone these days. Pick your theme, girl or boy, and watch their imagination soar.

They even make movies and have edible candy bricks that bring LEGOs into the forefront of your toy buying possibilities. But for the LEGO lover that seems to have all things LEGO already, try a PLEYGO Subscription.

PLEYGO is a new service that’s kind of like the Netflix of LEGO. One set of LEGOs is mailed to your child. He plays with it until he is done, then mails the set back and a different one is sent to him.

You can even try it for free with their trial offer.

Star Wars

Just like LEGOs, Star Wars has something for everyone, too. From sheet sets, to stuffed “animals,” to origami, you can find anything with Star Wars printed on it these days.

But something that stands out above the rest that your child will be sure to love is the Star Wars Death Star Planetarium. A night light and jaw-dropping wonder machine, this tabletop Death-Star-turned-planetary-projector allows children to choose from Earth’s own constellations or the planets that make up the infamous Star Wars galaxy.

And no, it doesn’t cost a fortune.

Headphones

No, we aren’t talking those expensive Beats by Dre headphones that would cost a fortune and most likely be broken in a matter of days. Although, your kids would love those, too, as long as their heads were big enough to fit the ear phone adjustments.

We are talking about the highly recommended Griffin Technology Crayola MyPhones. For a minimal investment, your child gets to experience a sound that has been described as “one of the better-sounding headphones” in its class.

Kids as young as two years old will feel the superior comfort of the earpads that tilt for a better fit. Kids can even use the heavy supply of included stickers and markers all over the surface of the earphones to customize the look to their preferences. Your kids will likely outgrow the appearance of the headphones before outgrowing the headphones themselves.

And for parent’s peace of mind, these headphones protect young ears from damaging noise levels.

Win-win

Crayons (on Steroids)

So, your kid loves art. They love to color, paint, and draw, but you’ve already invested in all the latest art sets. What more could they want? What more could a crayon provide?

Try the International Arrivals Rainy Dayz Gel Crayons. This birthday gift will turn your windows and mirrors into blank canvases your children can use to let their imaginations run wild. No more confinement to paper and coloring in between the lines, unless they want to.

Your child can draw with these vibrant, bold gel crayons that work great both on glass or paper surfaces. And, as a bonus, a wet paintbrush can create amazing watercolor effects with these crayons, too!

As for easy clean up, well, that’s a given.

Nerf

With Nerf guns, you can never go wrong. Girls or boys, it doesn’t matter, any kid can find the Nerf gun that fits his or her style and allows for hours of fun and sleep like a baby at night.

So what is the right Nerf gun? Overall, the Nerf Demolisher “demolishes” its competition. It’s a semi-automatic assault rifle with a 10-dart clip and a bonus underbarrel grenade launcher.

Four AA batteries are required to drive a pair of flywheels which spit out a dart each time you pull the trigger. This Nerf gun shoots further and more accurately than any other flywheel blaster in its class. It’s also one of the best built flywheel blasters, with smooth triggers and a grip even adults rave about.

You may want to buy one for yourself so you can enjoy it just as much as your kid does.

You Can’t Go Wrong

With these five birthday gift suggestions above you’re bound to find something perfect, something that stands out, something they will want above all other things. Even in 2017.

Now, the hardest part will be choosing between them. Who are we kidding? With those prices, you can afford them all!

You were thinking it, we just said it out loud.

So many choices, so much room to go wrong. Right?

Actually, we have a better idea. To make your gift buying process far less complicated, take a look at the list below. It’s our gift to you.

On the Younger Side…

Oh the days of kindergarten bliss. If you’ve ever met a five year old girl, you know she’s sassy, opinionated, and unique. She’s got a mind of her own and she’s not afraid to use it.

The best part? She is always ready for a good time.

Give her something to keep the good times rolling with the ideas below:

1. Giant Coloring Posters

Everyone loves coloring. Even adults. But who can take the simple act of coloring and turn it into a good time every time? Five year old girls, that’s who. Get your little girl a giant coloring poster that she can eventually turn into wall art or even a set of coloring books that will keep her happy any time she needs or wants an indoor activity to do.

2. Tutus

We’ve all seen just how much little girls love to dress up. If this is your little girl, try getting her a tutu for her birthday. Choose her favorite color, add a wand or a tiara, and even some dancing shoes and she will have everything she needs to be her very own entertainment.

3. Fairy Door

You may have seen this new fad that’s taking over children’s rooms everywhere. If your little girl seems to have trouble keeping the nightmares at bay, or even if she wants a special friend to be her roommate, try purchasing a fairy door online and putting it just above the baseboard in her room. There are tons of accessories, like fairy mailboxes and butterfly decorations, to make your fairy feel more comfortable, but the general idea is that this fairy will keep your little one safe at night and make her imagination soar.

4. Modular DIY Dollhouse

With this gift idea, your little girl will get to build her own dollhouse, decorate it, play with it, take it apart, and do it all over again. She can build the dollhouse of her dreams, even if her dreams change daily.

5. Membership to local kid-friendly venues

Zoos, museums, aquariums, you name it. Whatever your child likes to do around town, buy them a membership to their venue of choice so they can do what they love all year long. Even gift cards to these same places would be a treat for her.

On the Older Side…

6. Jewelry Making Kit with Jewelry Box

Every little diva loves a little bling. And what’s better than being able to put her own spin on her bling? Of course, there will need to be a place to keep all her custom, handmade jewelry so don’t forget the jewelry box!

7. Tickets to Disney On Ice

Every girl should experience this magical day where Disney characters come to life and make the snowy season a little warmer. You could also transform this outing into her birthday party by inviting a few of her closest friends. It’ll be a time she will never forget.

8. Flutterbye Fairy

Bring magic into your home with this gift. If your young lady has a fascination with fairies, as most do, this is the toy for her. The fairy charges on its base when not in use. Then, with the push of a button, your little fairy rises up into the air as if she’s flying. Place your hand beneath her mid-air and she will stay afloat and move wherever your hand moves.

9. Barbie Digital Makeover Mirror

This toy works in combination with an app that can be downloaded to transform any iPad or iPad mini device into a digital makeup mirror. The camera on your device will show your little girl’s face and allow her to apply makeup digitally. The app will also track any of her movements, showing her makeup no matter which way she turns. Then, she can take a picture of herself with the app to remember all the unique looks she created.

10. A Good Book

Every child wants to know more about something. And as adults, we know there’s an eBook or hard copy out there for everyone. Whatever her interests are, find a book to match them. She will love learning more.

Gifts and Girls

One of the secrets to buying gifts for young girls is to let the gift compliment the birthday girl. It should be a reflection of or enhancement to who she already is. If she loves girly things, a fancy tutu or the Barbie Digital Makeover Mirror would be great options. If she loves to be intellectually challenged, the giant coloring posters or the books would be a great option.

Lastly, remember that your gift symbolizes love, too. So let her feel the love on her special day and get one of the fantastic gifts listed above. You won’t go wrong.

Looking for other great gift ideas? Head over to our birthday gifts section for more great ideas. 

• Don’t attend a kid’s party you’re invited to? Don’t give a gift

Just because you were invited to a child’s birthday party doesn’t mean you have to give a gift if you can’t attend. That’d be like a restaurant expecting you to still give a tip if you canceled your dinner reservation.

It may be different if it’s an extremely close family friend’s child. You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or damage a relationship for no good reason. Use your best judgment in that situation and act accordingly.

• Can’t afford a gift? Make something

We’ve all been there. Times get tough for numerous reasons and it’s a difficult position to be put in. Simply let the party host know and see if it is alright for you to make something like the child’s favorite baked good or a homemade treat.

Kids birthday parties shouldn’t simply be all about the materialistic aspects. Doing something nice, even if it’s homemade, could leave a lasting impression on the birthday boy or girl. It also teaches the child giving the birthday gift a great lesson as well!

• Find the right gift by asking your child

If you don’t have a good enough feel for what kind of birthday gift to get a child there are two methods. Ask your own child what they think their friend or classmate would want for their birthday and buy based on that recommendation.

You can always ask the parent as well. Obviously, they can provide some great insight. They may even have a birthday registry set up for their child. Although, as a quick Google search reveals, that’s about as controversial as hiring Pantera to perform at your preschoolers birthday party.

• If the invitation says “no gifts”, don’t bring one

We’re of the belief of taking the parent at face value. If they say no birthday presents then no birthday presents they will get.

• Avoid opening gifts at the party

Unlike most things nowadays, there is pretty much a consensus on this topic. The growing feeling is that opening gifts during a kids birthday party is like saying you like Adam Sandler, while it used to be acceptable, it’s frowned upon now.

Opening gifts during the birthday party can cause jealousy if the guests are younger and can also put you in the awkward position of your child reacting negatively to a gift someone in attendance gave them. The simple way to deal with it is to let the party be all about the fun and cake and let the afterparty be all about opening the birthday presents.