Tyler’s Dinomite 1st birthday celebration
First birthdays are always special. With 365 days of life down, it’s time to celebrate in a big way and that’s why baby Tyler’s 1st birthday party was such a roooaaar-ing success!
In this edition of Show Us Your Party, we snuck a peek at baby Tyler’s dinosaur-themed birthday bash which fashionista mum, Tjin Lee, carefully and thoughtfully planned down to the last detail.
Make way for some stomping good fun!
Tell us about your party?
We had a dinosaur-themed party for Tyler’s 1st birthday at Wheelers Yard, a former factory space that had plenty of space for kids to play and scoot around. We had a dinosaur ball pit, dinosaur scooters, a large 6-feet-tall T-Rex, customised dinosaur tees for all the kids, as well as mini dinosaurs for adoption.
Sounds dino-mite! Why did you choose this particular theme?
Tyler always bursts into smiles and laughter when we make roaring noises during playtime. He’s too young to tell us what he likes, so we thought a dinosaur theme would make him happy!
How many guests did you have?
I wanted an intimate party with kids around Tyler’s age, as my priority was about the babies having age-appropriate fun. I capped the RSVP list to 20 kids (we ended up with 24), and about 40 grown-ups came along for the fun.
And did everyone have a good time?
Many people came up to me later and told me it was the best kids party they had ever attended! I believe it was because the fun was focused on the kids. Once they were occupied and enjoying themselves, the adults were able to relax and have a good time too.
And what did you occupy the kids with – any party games?
As the children were mostly under 3 years old we went for interactive activities rather than games. We had a suitcase filled with toy dinosaurs that the littlies could adopt. We had lots of fun choosing names for their new pets such as Milo, Quentin, Humphrey, Garret etc! We created customised dinosaur t-shirts with names for all the kids to take home as a souvenir. They also went away with a candy jar full of Hershey Kisses, mints, fruit candy and other sweets from the candy bar.
For party entertainment, we had a magician and balloon sculptor making dinosaur balloons for the kids. Finally we had a “Guess Tyler’s Weight” competition, and the grand prize was a huge, fat T-Rex plush toy!
Where was Tyler’s dinosaur cake from? It looks too good to eat!
The dinosaur fondant cake was ordered from a lady named Jacquii T (instagram username: @Jacquilah). It was fantastic as it didn’t just look good – it was rich and tasty on the inside too!
Did you have any issues finding a suitable party venue? What were your top 3 considerations?
My top three considerations were space for play, good lighting for nice photos (these are important as Tyler won’t remember the event but I will show him the photos when he is older), and location. I discovered Wheelers Yard when my event company (Mercury Marketing & Communications) booked the space for a Burberry party. I loved the open space, high ceilings, natural sunlight and the location – it ticked all 3 of my considerations.
We’ve gotta ask: any tips on how to pull off such a cool birthday bash?
Don’t overcrowd the party, and don’t try to fill it with kids that are much older than your child. Remember it isn’t your birthday! Although I wanted to invite my friends and their kids along, this was really about Tyler and the babies he sees regularly, especially those that grew with him in his first year. This also made it easier to plan age-appropriate activities. We skipped the bouncy castle in favour of a crawling tunnel, and included an inflatable ball pit with a mini slide. We provided dino scooters for some of the older kids, but it was really about the little babies!
What exciting themes are you considering for Tyler’s 2nd birthday?
Probably a pirate theme. But who knows – by the time he is 2 years old, Tyler might be able to tell me what he wants!