1 Year Old First Birthday Ideas: Our Little Pumpkin is One

Your baby’s first birthday is a HUGE and important milestone worth celebrating, and if you have a fall baby like me, there are so many adorable 1 year old first birthday party ideas! The “Our Little Pumpkin is Turning One” theme is an adorable first birthday theme that incorporates pumpkins, leaves, and autumn colors throughout and embraces the fall season to celebrate your sweet fall baby. This adorably festive theme is perfect for fall babies and captures the warmth and beauty of the fall season, blending it with the sweet milestone of your baby’s first birthday. This post will teach you step by step how to create a magical punpkin themed party for your baby’s first birthday.

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Table of Contents

We chose “Our Little Pumpkin is Turning One” for our baby’s 1 year old first birthday party because, he was born in October, and we wanted to create a cozy, festive atmosphere reflecting our little one’s personality. From pumpkin-themed decor, and a kid-friendly menu, to party games,activities, and delicious fall treats, use this guide to help you plan everything you need to create a magical day! Here’s a complete guide on how to create a 1 year old first birthday with an “Our LittlePumpkin is Turning One” fall themed birthday party for your little one. Whether you’re planning a small family gathering or a big birthday bash, this post will help you create an unforgettable fall, first birthday celebration filled with pumpkin-themed decorations, delicious treats, and fun activities. 

Our Little Pumpkin is Turning One: The Ultimate Guide to Your Baby’s 1 Year Old First Birthday Party

Section 1: Invitations, Guest List, and Venue

Design Ideas:

The first step to your baby’s pumpkin-themed party is sending out invitations that reflect the theme. Think cute pumpkin illustrations, fall leaves, or even a photo of your little one dressed in a pumpkin outfit, or in an actual pumpkin! You can find ready-made designs online like these here or create your own with digital templates. 

Where to Get Them:

Decide if you will be mailing out paper invitations or sending digital ones. We opted for a digital invitation I created a digital invitation and texted them to our guests. They saved us so much money, were faster and everyone loved them! Etsy and Amazon both offer a wide range of customizable invitations, allowing you to add your party details.Choose cute wording for your invite like, “Our Little Pumpkin is Turning One! Come celebrate BABY’S NAME fall birthday celebration and join the fun!

Guest List:

My advice is to invite close friends and family that you want around to celebrate your baby and your first year of parenting. You can go as big or as small as you want (or can afford) with you guest list. 

Venue Location and Setting the Scene:

 If weather permits I highly recommend throwing your pumpkin first birthday party outdoors. An outdoor party really contributes to the fall and pumpkin patch theme! We knew we wanted the party outdoors so we rented a tent with lights and heaters (and thank goodness because it rained). Dont forget to rent tables and chairs or ask family and friends to borrow some if you dont have enough. You can do this theme inside though too so no worries! Set up a pumpkin patch indoors and have the same fall vibe inside. You also have all of your walls inside to add more decorations and little details all around. 

Another option is to have your party at an actual pumpkin patch! This idea Is so cute and many pumpkin patches and local farms can accommodate this, just do your research and make a few phone calls to find the perfect spot for you.

To set the scene, we adorned the party space with a mix of DIY and store-bought decorations.

Section 2: Decorations

Color Scheme: 

A pumpkin-themed party should feature a warm fall color palette or bright fall color. Think shades of orange, red, gold, white, and hints of green. These colors complement the fall season and create a cozy atmosphere for your pumpkin party. 

Pumpkin and Fall-Themed Decor

1. Centerpieces: Fill the tables with mini pumpkins, vases full of fall leaves, and mini gourds.For our party we used faux fall flowers in small vases and mason jars full of candy corn. There were Also mini pumpkins scattered on the tables.

2.  Banners and Signs: Welcome your guests with an “Our Little Pumpkin is Turning One” banner. First birthday photo banners are also super cute. We created a big birthday poster with one picture of our baby for each month of their first year. 

3. Birthday Milestone Chalkboard: We also included this adorable first-birthday milestone chalkboard! It’s fully customizable and you can print it easily. We chose to have ours printed on heavy cardboard with an easel backing to easily display it our party. Check out the template here to create your own birthday milestone chalkboard! 

4. Don’t forget a banner for your baby’s high chair! Decorating your baby’s chair is super cute and adds to the festive theme. We used this high chair decor. 

5.  Balloons: Orange and gold balloons are a must. Think fall colors and pumpkin patch tones. We had plans for an elaborate balloon arch but the weather didn’t cooperate. We instead hung our balloons around the tent and it was adorable. We also had a big gold number one balloon by the baby’s high chair. 

More Fall Themed Birthday Party Decor

6.  Fall Backdrops for photos: We used this backdrop and it was perfect! Having a backdrop really adds to the theme and people love taking photos in front of them!

7. Hay or straw bales, basket, and galvanized tubs:  We picked up a bunch of straw bales from Michael’s Craft store but, you can also get straw bales on Amazon here, and got some cute, cozy fall plaid blankets to put on top. They really went with the theme and were so cute! We also picked up a galvanized tub and filled it with real gourds and mini pumpkins. It looked festive and the kids loved playing with it. We also took amazing 1st Birthday photos in it! Bushel baskets would also be adorable filled with leaves, pumpkins, or apples. 

8. Real and Fake Pumpkins: Ok this is the most important piece of the party decor- pumpkins! You can’t have a pumpkin themed party without pumpkins! We opted for mini fake pumpkins on the tables, and real larger pumpkins to create a pumpkin patch in our backyard. We got an AMAZING deal on real pumpkins at Target believe it or not! The pumpkin patch was a huge hit! Kids got to go to our backyard pumpkin patch and pick their own pumpkin. This also led us to a fun party activity we’ll get into below. Here’s what you’ll need to make a pumpkin patch:

9. Number 1 Decor: We had ONE block balloon boxes and they were so cute! We also had this adorable number one wooden sign.

10. Party Decor Pack for Fall 1st Birthday: Check out this awesome party decorations pack that comes with so much stuff! Balloons, balloon boxes, backdrop, tablecloth, signs, and more!

Creating the Pumpkin Patch!

• To recreate this adorable pumpkin patch make sure to have 1 pumpkin for every child at the party, and a few extras just in case. Get a cute pumpkin patch sign, this is the exact pumpkin patch sign we used, and surround them with an adorable white picket fence. Ta da! You’re very own pumpkin patch!

Section 3: First Birthday Outfits

1 Year Old First Birthday Outfit for the Baby:

Dress your little one in an outfit that matches the theme. We went with a white onesie that had and orange number 1 under a pair of denim overalls. Because we were outside and did not have great weather, we layered a fall plaid flannel on top, a fall  hoodie, and this adorable pumpkin hat beanie. My baby also adorned these socks that look like sneakers because his little foot was too chubby for shoes at this time. On my baby’s actual birthday we had another birthday onesie with a pumpkin and this birthday outfit set equipped with adorable diaper cover. 

Another option is a onesie or sweater that says “Little Pumpkin” with a tulle tutu or jeans. These are both adorable and on-theme. Don’t forget a cute pumpkin hat to complete the look!

Matching Family Outfits:

Consider coordinating your family’s outfits to complement the theme. I wanted to create custom shirts but ran out of time. We instead wore jeans, fall plaid flannel shirts, and boots. You could also look for matching “Mommy’s Little Pumpkin” and “Daddy’s Little Pumpkin” shirts to be extra adorable. Where to Buy:Carter’s, Amazon, Old Navy, and Etsy are great places to find fall and pumpkin-themed clothing for your baby and matching outfits for mommy and daddy. Whatever you choose, make sure it fits your baby comfortably.  

Section 4: 1 Year Old First Birthday Party Games and Activities

 Baby-Friendly Activities:

For the babies and littles, we set up a baby fun corner. We used a jigsaw foam mat for the floor, a giant ring stacker, farm inflatable beach balls, balloons, and a giant busy book. Other great activity options are a fall-themed sensory bin (we like to use a large, shallow bin like this) or sensory table filled with items like soft fabric leaves, and soft pumpkins or mini real pumpkins. I actually had planned this mess free fall sensory bin that my baby loved but completely forgot to put it out the day of the party (mom brain!) 

A soft play area is also a fun choice for the littles. You can rent a company to set one up but when I looked into it they were pretty pricey! You can make one yourself with a few pieces like this climbing wedge 4 piece set and this soft ball pit. Don’t forget to get extra balls because they never come with enough! We like these ball pit balls because they are a much larger size making them safer for babies.

 Activities For Babies and Older Children:

As mentioned above we created a backyard pumpkin patch! The kids loved it! (So did the adults.) Kids had fun going to the pumpkin patch to pick their pumpkins. Then, we set up a pumpkin painting station with washable paint, paint sticks, and make-a-face stickers for pumpkins. We also set out paper craft bags and foam stickers for kids to decorate and take their pumpkins home. (They only fit the mini ones.) Don’t be afraid of a little mess, it’s all part of the fun! Just choose all washable materials and you’re good to go! 

Mess Free canvas fall finger painting is another great craft you can do at the party! It’s perfect for babies and no mess to clean up! Check out step by step directions here.

Fun Games:

We set up a fall themed bean bag toss game and DIY pumpkin tic tac toe. To create this simply make a tic tac toe board on a large piece of poster board or cardboard and use real mini pumpkins and gourds in place of the X’s and O’s. You can also check out this already done pumpkin tic tac board!

Other great ideas for fall party games are witch’s hat ring toss, candy corn ring toss, play freeze dance to Halloween music or kid-friendly music which is a lot of fun for older kids, and hot pumpkin which is hot potato with a pumpkin. A good idea is to play these games with a rule that no one is “out”. Instead, when the music stops on someone, ask them their favorite color or to show everyone their favorite dance move. 

Additional Entertainment:

We also had bubbles at the party (because what child doesn’t love bubbles?), and a section with adorable Halloween-themed rubber duckies to play with.  I got these last minute just because I thought they were cute and the kids loved them! They kept calling them birthday chickens. Whatever works right? 

Having a bubble machine is also a really fun touch! It saves you and your little guests the frustration of blowing constant bubbles.

Section 5: Food and Drinks

Kid-friendly and fall-inspired Menu:

When it came to food, we wanted to offer a variety of options that were both delicious and baby and kid-friendly. We set up a buffet with simple kid-friendly foods and my baby’s favorites.  Of course, no birthday party is complete without a decadent dessert table. We filled the table with pumpkin muffins, fall-themed cupcakes, and other sweet treats.

Kid-Friendly Food and Family Friendly Food Options:

Ensure there are plenty of options for your baby and toddler guests. We served Mac and cheese, chicken fingers, fries, a burger station, and baked ziti. We also had pigs in a blanket, a hero, and a charcuterie board for adults. (And because my husband comes from a big Portuguese family, my mother-in-law also brought carne asada, rice, and carne alentejana for the adults.) 

We had coolers full of mini water bottles, honest juice boxes for the kids, and mini sodas and adult beverages for the adults. 

Desserts:

Carry the fall theme into your menu with pumpkin treats like pumpkin mini muffins, apple cider donuts, and pumpkin-shaped cookies or fall-themed cupcakes. This tiered tray is adorable for displaying desserts!

Birthday Cake, Desserts and treats:

• Pumpkin muffins: We served mini pumpkin muffins that were baby-friendly and made from scratch
• Apple Cider Donuts: Store bought and displayed on this cute donut wall stand (We used 2 of them.)
• Fall-themed cupcakes: in leui of traditional birthday cake, we served fall cupcakes and we added these adorable fall-themed toothpicks. 
• Mini apple pies: homemade and were huge hits with the adults and our little guests!
• Chocolate chip cookies: homemade from scratch
•  Fruit platter: My Baby LOVES fruit! We had watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes.
• Smash Cake for the guest of honor
•  (You don’t need all of these dessert and food options. I just went overboard because I was so excited and we had a lot of people attending.)

1 Year Old First Birthday Smash Cake (just for your baby)

We of course has a smash cake for my little one which I highly recommend! If you’re iffy on all of a sudden giving your baby a whole bunch of sugar like I was, then make a mini cake from scratch. More on that below. 

Optional Parent Pleasers:

Also for the adults, we offered a fall-themed cocktail station. We, (and by we I mean our cousins set this up for us with their traveling bar company, Go Bar Verde.) set up everything on an adorable bevarage cart like this one. A pitcher of fall sangria and various items were set out to make cocktails with. You can easily recreate this at home with a cute bar cart, sangria pitcher, drink dispensers, and adorable jars for garnishes! All the adults loved this and it made a great addition to our fall themed party!

Sugarless Smash Cake 

We decided to make a nontraditional cake from scratch for my baby. I made a mini cake using pure maple syrup and applesauce for sweeteners instead of sugar and the frosting was actually made from Greek yogurt that was whipped and sweetened with pure maple syrup. The top of the cake was decorated with fresh strawberries and blueberries because my baby is a fruit monster! Then, I dusted the fruit with a teeny tiny sprinkling of powdered sugar but you can leave that out if you prefer. I made 2 different versions; 1 for my baby’s actual birthday and a much smaller one for his party.

Cake Toppers:

Top off your cake with a custom topper that reads “Our Little Pumpkin is One!” or a cute pumpkin cake topper design. Etsy and Amazon both have so many options, from glittery pumpkins to wooden cutouts. Don’t forget the adorable toothpicks for the cupcakes you serve to guests like these!

Section 6: Birthday Party Favors:

Send your guests home with pumpkin-themed party favors. Our party favor was actually the pumpkin the children picked from the pumpkin patch (because real pumpkins are expensive!) and a Halloween mini rubber duck. I didn’t feel the need to do additional goodie bags filled with cheap stuff or candy. The other parents appreciated this and everyone loved taking home a real pumpkin!

Other Favor Ideas:

• Homemade pumpkin spice-scented playdough in cute little containers
• Bubbles because every kid loves Bubbles! These no spill Fubbles are the best!
• Fall-themed or Halloween-themed stickers. These woodland animal sticker sheets are adorable!
• Pumpkin-themed water bottles, cups, or sippy cups. 

Section 7: Photo Ops for 1 Year Old First Birthday Party

DIY Photo Booth Ideas:

For an added touch, create a dedicated photo booth area with a pumpkin patch backdrop. Props like hay bales, pumpkins, baskets, and scarecrows add to the fall theme, making it a perfect spot for capturing amazing photos. 

Milestone Photo Ideas:

Capture special moments with milestone photos.  Having your baby in front of a big “1” balloon like this, always makes a cute picture. Also, have your baby stand or sit next to their milestone birthday chalkboard like this one! Sitting with big pumpkins is also an adorable idea. A pre-birthday party fall photoshoot is also something we did and the pictures were so cute! We did an outdoor baby- in-a-pumpkin photo and set up a whole fall scene In the backyard complete with galvanized bucket, plaid blankets, leaves, and pumpkins. 

1 Year Old First Birthday Ideas DIY Backdrops:

If you’re feeling crafty, create a simple DIY backdrop. A large canvas painted with pumpkins, fall leaves, or a chalkboard stand with the party theme written on it can serve as a beautiful background for photos and adds to the decor.  Or you can save time and do what I did and grab a backdrop from Amazon like this one. 

Section 8: 1 Year Old First Birthday Additional Tips

Timing the Party:

Ideally plan your party around your baby’s schedule to ensure they’re in the best mood. Mid-morning or early afternoon after nap time is usually ideal for a first birthday celebration but also be prepared for this not to work out! My baby decided to change his whole schedule that day and slept for the first hour of his party. Have a plan B for the weather:We had out-of-state guests coming to the party so we rented a tent with lights and heaters in case of rain. Thank goodness we did because yup it rained! I was super bummed at first thinking the party was ruined but everyone still showed up and had a great time. It was warm and cozy in the tent and the kids still ran all around the yard in the rain laughing and playing. 

Stay on Budget:

 It’s easy to go overboard when planning a first birthday, (ahem like me!) but you can keep costs down by prioritizing what’s most important to you.  DIY decorations, digital invitations, and homemade food can help you save without sacrificing the things you really want and need. We did homemade food, and digital invites, and used dollar tree items for centerpieces and decor to help keep our costs down.

 Create Memories:

Take a ton of pictures and videos or ask a friend or family member to help with this. A guest book where friends and family can leave messages for your baby is also a sweet idea. Creating a birthday time capsule is also a sweet birthday tradition you can start. Fill your capsule with photos, your baby’s favorite newborn toys or small things that remind you of your first year of par. enting. This is something I wish I would’ve done but I’m going to do it this year! Don’t forget to create your first birthday milestone chalkboard with this template! It truly is a keepsake you will treasure forever.

Final Thoughts:

Planning an “Our Little Pumpkin is Turning One” first birthday party is a fun and festive way to celebrate your baby’s first birthday. As the party ends, look around at all of your loved ones who came together to celebrate your little one.  We couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude. Don’t forget to make the theme your own by adding personal touches and little details that reflect your family’s style. And most importantly, enjoy every moment of this special milestone with your little one. 

Happy Mommying!