You made it through the first year of parenting! If you are looking for first birthday ideas to make your little one’s BIG milestone special… this post is for you!

If you are looking for first birthday ideas for your baby, you probably have one question you want to ask before anything else: how is this even possible, where has the time gone?

From the moment you brought your brand new baby into the world, your life has very likely been a whirlwind of long nights, probably some scary moments and… definitely others of unbelievable joy.

You have fed, bathed, cared for, cuddled, cared for and sang to this tiny human who has turned your life upside down.

And now they are turning one. 

An incredible year of “firsts” is almost over, and you are looking for first birthday ideas to make this special milestone… extra special.

I have got you covered! This post is a collection of the best 5 first birthday ideas for your little one.

FIRST BIRTHDAY IDEAS – #1 PLANT A TREE

If you’re lucky enough to have a big enough space, and can plant a proper tree, it will be amazing for the family to watch it grow alongside your baby.

You could even make it a tradition every year to photograph your little one near the tree and see how they are both growing!

If a tree isn’t on the cards just yet… don’t worry, you can start with something smaller like flowers and let your little one have fun digging in the dirt. 

Alternatively, you can use websites like One Tree Planted [https://onetreeplanted.org/] to plant trees for you for as little as 82p ($1) and they even issue a certificate for you.

FIRST BIRTHDAY IDEAS – #2 ADOPT AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL

Continuing with first birthday ideas that will create new family traditions and help a good cause, you could choose to adopt an endangered wild animal. We have adopted an Elephant for my daughter (her favourite animal) with WWF.

In this sense, you will find plenty of options starting from The Wildlife Trusts [https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/adopt-animal] and WWF [https://support.wwf.org.uk/adopt-an-animal] – starting at £3 a month.

WWF’s adoptions come with a certificate and Welcome Pack that can be personalised for children under 12, and also include regular updates 3 times a year.

FIRST BIRTHDAY IDEAS – #3 CREATE A MEMORY BOOK OR BOX

By the end of your baby’s first year, your phone will be overflowing with cute snaps and there is a chance that this will also be the case for your extended family.

Choose a beautiful wooden memory box (Etsy [https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/memory_box] offers some beautiful ones) or an album and ask your family members to send you a photo of their favourite memory with your birthday boy or girl.

You’ll soon be able to get all of these printed out and collect them in a nice album or a box, for your little one to have when they grow up.

… AND (#4) GET SOME PHOTOS DONE RIGHT!

Sure, phone snaps are great to capture some family moments at home, but these memories are way too precious for you to only rely on your camera phone.

Imagine, years from now, opening your family album and only finding a collection of faded, a little blurry, phone photographs.

This is exactly why professional baby photography is so popular these days, and there are plenty of options you might want to consider:

1 – A Cake Smash & Splash Session [https://www.sarahwaltonphotography.co.uk/cake-smash/]

These are very special sessions… and not only because there is cake involved!

Cake Smash & Splash sessions are almost like a 3 in 1 photoshoot, as they include:

1. Simple portraits to capture your birthday boy or girl before the… cake event!
2. The smash! When we bring the cake in and let your baby dive into it
3. … and bubbles while relaxing in a miniature tub

2 – A Family Session

[https://www.sarahwaltonphotography.co.uk/family-childrens-studio-photoshoots/]

If you love the idea of some stunning classic family portraits, then a Family Photoshoot might be the best choice for you.

These photoshoots include siblings and parents in the poses, and use non-themed, timeless setups.

Many parents choose to book both sessions (Family and Cake Smash & Splash) to capture different stages of the first two years of baby’s life.

If you like the idea of beautiful professional portraits for your almost one year old baby and for your family, please get in touch so I can tell you more and help you choose the best photoshoot to create images you’ll love forever.

Want to know more?

Sarah Walton Photography is a specialist Maternity, Baby and Newborn photography studio based in Steeton, Keighley – within easy reach of Skipton, Ilkley, Leeds and Bradford.

Read about my first birthday Cake Smash & Splash sessions: [https://www.sarahwaltonphotography.co.uk/cake-smash/]

or explore other baby first year photoshoots:

• Little Smiler (3-6 months): https://www.sarahwaltonphotography.co.uk/little-smiler-baby-photoshoots/
• Little Sitter (6-9 months): https://www.sarahwaltonphotography.co.uk/little-sitter-baby-photoshoots/