1st birthday party without games or program

[pinkpotato]

tama ang usually kung kids party, name ng bata nasa invitation

post pics after the party, rose. curious ako.

[marose17]

^ I will update you.  I'm sure masisiyahan naman kami ni hubby sa party kasi good friend namin yung mother at tita ng bata.

Mai,  I let my kids watch their first birthday video recently at tuwang-tuwa sila.  So I guess kahit maliit pa lang sila at di nila matandaan yung nangyari sa first birthday, pag pinakita ang pics at video, masisiyahan pa rin sila. 

[pinkpotato]

^ agree agree rose. last night 2x namin inulit ang 2dvds video of her birthday. she laughs when everybody laughs, claps her hands, shouts happy birthday, sing, and pionts to the tv and say, "Teteeee!" (meaning Hershey) everytime she sees her face. haha. tuwang tuwa!

[Mai]

^^really? that;s nice!
Update us how the party turned out ha =)

[marose17]

^ The party was okay; my hubs and I enjoyed chatting with our friends.  Masarap ang food (La Milagrosa Catering, I took note hehe) and may choco cupcakes doon na sa Valenzuela pa raw inorder, nasarapan ako. Some friends of mine who brought their kids asked me why I didn't bring my kids!  Duh?!  I told them the invite said it was an adult affair so I left my kids at home.  And then they said, "adult affair ba???"  Tsk, tsk... Mga abogadong naturingan pero di nagbabasa ng invitation.  LOL!

Anyway, for me, it was definitely a unique experience - instead of a host doing magic tricks or facilitating games, what we got was an acoustic ensemble - a flutist and acoustic guitarist; I felt as if I was in a wedding LOL.

There was a kid in our table who kept asking his dad when would the games start because he wanted to join.  The dad had to explain it's not the kind of birthday party the kid is used to.  So sad.  Buti na lang nag-enjoy yung kid eating the cupcakes - he had 3 hehe.

Conclusion: pag birthday ng bata, dapat may games, balloons and activities (magic, face painting, bubble show or what not) para masaya.

[emeenem]

count me in! ayoko rin ng may games/program sa party ng anak ko hanggat hindi pa sha nakakaintindi (hindi fair!) hahhaa!

what i did was booked main barn at fun ranch (since madami akong guests and madali nang bihisan) and then got gymboree's GOTG (on the go). meaning dinala ko si gymboree (complete with the energetic teachers daw, their mats and their props) sa fun ranch. so that my baby and other babies will enjoy and at the same time, yung older kids (4 years old and above) can play at the play area since exclusive naman yung area sa amin.

ang problem ko na lang is the food. since nega ang feedback dito, haha good luck na lang. iniisip ko na lang a spaghetti/chicken can't be that bad naman diba? damihan ko na lang food carts :p

sis hapi, baka may mai susuggest po kayong food na okay naman (kung naalala mo pa). basta sabi ko nga wag lang ako ma food posion. :p

[pinkpotato]

^ marcia, ang ganda naman ng idea mo. i just knew na may GOTG pala! galing! mag research nga ako. thanks!

dear, re BRB food, wala akong maisusuggest kasi wala kaming natikman ni hubs nun. so sorry

[emeenem]

^ naku eh di ginutom ka pala nun hapi! :p

[bluekaren780]

ha-ha... no other way but to have a taste of it...

[cristina_diche]

Would it be fun kung walang program or games?

[rons_little_bb]

mga sis, my son's first birthday is on january na, wala pa akong venue etc. anyway, hubby & i doesnt want a "games" party. meron na ba nakatry ng show lang for kids? ok din ba, pa share naman ng ideas niyo, parang good idea din yun gymbo, since my son is attending gymbo class. ano ginagawa ng gotg?

[marose17]

^ Gymboree on the go - basically, similar sa ginagawa in Gymboree mismo, without the play area.  May songs, parachute activity (the "highlight" of any Gymboree activity), and simple activities for kids.  There will be one or two Gymboree teachers din to facilitate the activities.  I was planning to have this  for the birthday party of my kids last year but namahalan ako.  For one hour of the GOTG activity, they will charge me Php11,000, if I am not mistaken.  Konti na lang, parang nag-pa-party na ko mismo sa Gymboree - Php16,000 at that time for a 3-hour party, plus free use of the play area, exclusive of food and drinks.  Kaso, limited lang ang capacity ng Gymboree Eastwood and may age limit sa kids who will participate- until 6 or 7 years old lang yata.

Instead of the GOTG, I hired a professional storyteller na lang for our house party (Php9,000).  She did interactive storytelling, simple arts and crafts for kids (before the party officially started), facilitated some games for the kids and generally, acted as host of the party.  Nag-enjoy naman ang mga kids.

[rons_little_bb]

thanks sis for the inputs, ask ko uli gymbo next week kung how much na rate nila. if pasok pa din sa budget, plan ko, baka gymbo, then hahanap nalang me ng mag shows.

sis any suggestion ng show na enjoy ang bata? will consider story telling din, ok ba ang magics? me mga sayaw etc? bubbles? (parang meron din ata si gymbo  na) baloons?

how many hours ba need sa program? if me gymbo ako so its 1 hr na, how many hours pa need ko?

[purplelime]

^ sis, a professional storyteller sounds interesting. My baby's first birthday ended recently, but i'm on the lookout for activities for his next birthdays. May I know the details of the storyteller you got? thanks!

@sis cristina_diche: IMO, i think if you have a lot of kids attending the party, then games and other side entertainment would really liven up the party. but if it is a mostly adult affair, okay lang na wala. 

[marose17]

^^ Usually 3 hours to 4 hours maximum ang kiddie party, kasama na ang eating time.  Allot an hour for the show mismo.  The program will take up 1 1/2-2 hours maximum. 

Okay ang magic show, especially if maraming older kids (4 years old and above) na pupunta sa party.  Hindi pa gaano ma-appreciate ng 1-year old ang magic show.  But, ang mga kids ko ngayon nae-enjoy at 3 years old ang video ng magic show ng first birthday party nila.

If karamihan ng kids na pupunta sa party are young, sulit ang Gymboree party because of the free use of the play area.

^ Ms. Melody Remorca was the storyteller we got for our party.  She's really good!  Google mo siya, she has awards.  She was part of the Alitaptap Storytellers Group.  Recently, I recommended her for a storytelling session during a fellowship activity at the preschool of my sons.  The teachers told me afterwards that she was great with the kids.  My sons nga keep asking me about Tita Melody.  I will PM you her contact details.

[ichelie]

^ marose, good ang food ni La Milagrosa (sa may Proj 4) sila. Official caterer yan ng Ninang ko.

for Parties w/out games, I just had it last Sunday for my Maia's 1st birthday!  Successful and so different fun!  Why I opted na walang games?  1.  Bigger na yung kids 2.  All parties have games, thus the kids I invited are so used to it! 3.  Adults just sit down on parties 4.  I want something that has an objective!

And so, we had a Spring Fair!  Its like a school fair na may booths!  we were able to DIY almost everything!  Cake and caterer lang ang supplier ko, but the result is so great!

So what I did for my baby: I set up a Toddler Booth for her, along with Toddler guests that my friends who are former preschool teachers moderated and handled.  I set up mats and toys for little kids, while the other kids go around the venue doing their own activities.  I had cupcake decorating, arts and crafts, nail art, photo booth, photography lessons for big kids.

Program?  Short prayer, opening namin ni hubby, Cake ceremony and a dance number by nieces. 

[guilleanne]

My baby's 1st birthday is on Jan 1. ayaw ni hubby at ng dad ko na icelebrate ang birthday ng hindi exact date. lalo na daw at first birthday dapat ang party exact date.

Kasi if we hold the party on Jan 1st im sure maraming hindi makakapunta.

Kaya ayun natatamad na ako mag prepare, bawi na lang pag nag pre school si baby ang my mga classmates na syang pwedeng iinvite bibigyan ko na sya ng bongang bday party.

So on her first plan ko, syempre daming handa ng new years eve (dami pang tira for the adults hahaha) I'll cook kiddie foods na lang like pasta chicken and hotdogs, tapos desserts. I'll prepare I few loot bags na rin, depende sa turn out ng kids malamang mga kapitbahay lang na bata ang makarating, maybe pag sinipag mag pa games ng konti, stop dance? trip to jerusalem?

Yung budget ko na lang na supposedly for venue and entertainers I'll buy na lang toys for my baby siguro.

[shopgal]

Instead of the GOTG, I hired a professional storyteller na lang for our house party (Php9,000).  She did interactive storytelling, simple arts and crafts for kids (before the party officially started), facilitated some games for the kids and generally, acted as host of the party.  Nag-enjoy naman ang mga kids.

Hi marose17! I'm also planning for my baby's 1st birthday party.  Got in touch with Melody and super excited ako sa storytelling and arts and crafts.  Just wondering, anong ages nung mga guests mo?  I just want to know kasi kung anong age yung makaka-appreciate ng ganung activities.  Although looking at kids now, parang 2-7 naman will like it. Just want to make sure.

Thanks!

[marose17]

^ Mostly toddlers and preschoolers (2-6 years old) ang kiddie guests that time.  But even my twelve year-old goddaughter enjoyed the storytelling part.

[shopgal]

^ Mostly toddlers and preschoolers (2-6 years old) ang kiddie guests that time.  But even my twelve year-old goddaughter enjoyed the storytelling part.

yey! good to hear that. thanks!