Hi M.,
The problem with a bowling alley is -- what in the WORLD does a place like that offer a ONE YEAR OLD for HER birthday? She'll eat cake, open a few presents, then have to be strapped into a stroller or held on someone's lap the entire rest of the evening while all the adults bowl, because you can't let a one year old "loose" in a bowling alley. People (who very often have been drinking) are swinging those big heavy balls BACKWARDS behind themselves where they can't see that a toddler has walked or crawled up behind them, then there are those VERY slippery floors where you actually bowl, the racks of bowling balls that are NATURALLY going to attract little, inquisitive fingers that will get pinched between them, or heaven forbid, she maneuvers a ball JUST enough that it falls onto the floor and lands on her foot, etc. It's actually a pretty dangerous place to be for someone so little and young UNLESS she IS strapped into a stroller or held the whole time. --Doesn't sound like much fun for HER, and it's HER birthday. The whole idea of a ONE year old's B-day party being held in a bowling alley with a bunch of adults sounds like it's just an excuse for the adults to party, and from your post, it doesn't sound like thats what you really wanted or were planning to do.
Your concerns about the weather for a party at a park are valid of course, but we've done that several times and have been blessed that weather was never problem. A park in a great place for a one year old's party --lots of space to roam around, play and explore within mom and dad's eye shot, without having to be held or strapped down the whole time.
I understand that you feel your home isn't big enough-- we have the same problem. Is there a reason why so MANY adults and teens are coming? Are these all relatives? Unless we're talking about Grandmas, grandpas, maybe aunts and uncles, or a best friend who really loves your daughter, adults aren't too interested in attending 1 year old birthday parties. So it's possible that you could scale down the number of people you were planning on inviting and have it in your home.
Some community centers will let you reserve a hall at no charge. We're doing that up north, more towards the airport for a friends baby shower. So that's something you can check into as well.
One year olds don't have the cognitive ability to understand that it's their birthday. They usually don't know how to open a gift, or that they're even SUPPOSED to. So having elaborate birthdays that cost alot, Chuck E. Cheese, and places like that are really sort of a waste. And generally speaking, the games and stuff at places like that aren't geared to such young children anyway. (Unless those kind of places have changed in the past few years)
Even though a one year old doesn't "get" what the actual party is all about, you can still create a fun experience for the CHILD that can still involve the adults in her life. Really, all you need for a one year old's party is the cake, and ice cream-- because we all know they love THAT, and a few exploratory games, music, etc. You could take a large piece of cardboard and draw a clown face, a Sun, a flower-- anything really, and cut a hole in the center of it for a bean bag or small ball toss. She won't know what to do with it, but once you do it, then grandma and daddy do it too, she'll copy you and do it herself. And you KNOW, as soon as everyone claps for her, she's going to keep doing it over and over again!
You can have a few different rattles, a covered tupperware bowl and wooden spoon, a metal pot and spoon, two sauce pan lids, etc, stand or sit in a circle and have a little band -- again, she'll copy you, play one of the "instruments", you could even take turns going to the center of the circle and dance-- she'd LOVE it!
You can do the same thing just playing music on from a CD. There are all sorts of things you can do that will interest her and involve others that are more "toddler friendly".
One thing I did that was a hit, was I made a "Look How Much I've Grown" poster. I decorated a posterboard with markers, ribbon, a balloon or two, and favorite pictures of my child at birth, then at 2 or 3 months, 5 or 6 months, etc and had that as a focal point at the party.
Adults and teens don't usually bang on pots or toss bean bags-- but it IS her party-- its celebrating her life and her first year and all the growth and development she's made in that time. If these are adults who really love her, they won't mind 'playing along' for her special day.
Blessings to your growing family!
T.
