Dinosaur First Birthday Party Ideas

RAWR for Entry

Set the scene as soon as guests arrive by giving a set of lawn letters a RAWR-some makeover! Guests will have no doubt where the party is with these oversized letters! Little party guests are sure to RAWR with delight.

Get the list of supplies and step-by-step instructions for these DIY Dinosaur Lawn Letters HERE.

Once guests arrive, it's time to party like its 190,000,099 BC! I used a colorful palette of blues and greens with pops of red, orange and yellow for this modern party. Young children will love this fun and happy palette that works for boys and girls.

Dig-Up a Dino Table

At my own kids' first birthday parties there was always an abundance of family, siblings and friends of the family. Parents tend to mingle and wrangle the kids during birthday parties, so I like to make sure the older kids have a table set up just for them; a simple setting with everything they need and a little lunchtime entertainment.

Down the center of the table I placed two Short Round Pedestal Jars. I filled each with Colorful Craft Sand and buried dinosaur teeth and Dino-mite Dinosaur Skeletons amongst the colorful layers.

I then placed paintbrushes so the kids could "dig" and uncover the dinosaurs. This is such a simple party activity that doubles as a fun and colorful table centerpiece!

Catch the crumbs with Palm Leaf Placemats at each setting. These are the perfect size to make the Party Dinosaur-Shaped Paper Dinner Plates pop. These plates have to be some of my all time favorites! Add the matching Party Dinosaur-Shaped Napkins and a set of red cutlery to each place setting to complete the look.

Mason Jar Cups With Lids & Straws are a great option to prevent spills with younger kids. I changed out the straw for a Polka Dot Paper Straw to match the dinosaur plates and added a set of dino prints to the mason jar using my cutting machine and Blue Vinyl. Dino footprints are a standard cut file in the library. If you don't have a vinyl cutting machine, you could add Cool Dinosaur Tattoos to the cups instead!

The final addition to the place setting is a sweet take-home favor for the kids' nursery, bedroom or playroom. Paint a DIY Mini Ceramic Dinosaur Planter in a bright color, like red, and add a happy accent like yellow. Fill with small pebbles and add a succulent pick. Finish by personalizing with the child's name using yellow vinyl or a chalk pen.

Dinosaur Themed Balloon Decor

Celebrate your little one-a-saurus with a dino-themed balloon column. Use a Column Shaped Balloon Frame to create the base. Tie pairs of blue, light blue, green and light green balloons together and twist around the column, pushing down each pair between the pair below.

At the top of the column add a 1 Blue Number 34" Mylar Balloon. I added yellow vinyl dinosaur prints to the balloon to further tie into the theme. These are super easy to peel and stick to the surface of the balloon. You could also use dinosaur stickers on your balloon as an alternative. Finally, add in some White Monstera Leaves, palm leaves and smaller dinosaur balloons to finish off your balloon column.

I then used a 25-ft. Balloon Decorating Strip to create a balloon garland across the back of the dessert table. I used the same color palette with pops of yellow & green polka dot balloons layered in.

I then layered in White Monstera Leaves and red palm leaves I cut out of card stock paper. Alternatively spray green palm leaves red to achieve the same bright pop of color. Under the balloon arch hang the Party Dinosaur Happy Birthday Garland!

Jurassic Period Treat Table

Under cover of the balloon "treetops" I set up the birthday treat table. I used Palm Leaf Placemats on the dessert table to showcase the treats.

On one side of the table I displayed some of the dinosaurs that were "up for adoption"! I filled Cobalt Blue Patterned Tin Tie Treat Bags with Windows with Large Dino-mite Dinosaurs and red paper shred so that the dinosaurs could peek out on the ride home after the party! I then sealed each bag shut with a piece of Tropical Hanging Vine.

On the other side of the table I placed smaller cupcakes on a cake stand and topped each one with a Party Dinosaur Shaped-Candle.

In the center of the table was the cake! I had a tropical leaf design cake on a bright red cake stand and added my child's favorite dinosaur as a topper. The T-Rex came ready to party! I attached a small red balloon to a cupcake pick and attached it to the Dino using glue dots for an adorable touch.

Smaller Dinosaurs were the perfect size to add around the bottom of the cake and use as styling accents on the treat table.

For adults not eating at the kids' table I always like to add additional plates and napkins to the treat table for cake cutting. The Party Dinosaur Paper Dinner Plates are perfect for a giant dino sized slice of cake!

SMASH & Chomp!

A first birthday wouldn't be complete without a SMASH cake! Your little one will RAWR with delight getting to tackle a mini version of the birthday cake. I decorated the high chair with palm leaves and Tropical Hanging Vines for the perfect prehistoric vibe!

Next to the high chair, set a super friendly dinosaur pal to keep your one-a-saurus company. The Party Dinosaur T-Rex is such a cutie!

Dino-mite Take Home Favors

I love to use grid walls in my party decor for a modern look & feel. It doubles as a great display for these Dinosaur Collapsible Water Bottles. They make such a fun & unique favor and can be used at the party as well as at home. Clip them onto their backpacks, and they can even enjoy them at school.

My favorite favor for a dinosaur themed celebration is a dino adoption center! What could be more fun than taking home a new dino pal? Create a dinosaur habitat by decorating the area with Tropical Hanging Vines and covering the table with a Tropical Leaf Plastic Tablecloth.

I sprayed some Palm Leaf Placemats red to really pop on the table and give it some fun color. Next, I sprayed a White Table Frame red to create a fun Dino Adoption sign. I cut the words & silhouettes out in blue vinyl using standard library images. To elevate the sign I used an acrylic riser.

Then comes the adoption selection. I used wire baskets and filled one of them with large & small dinosaurs.

I filled the other basket with DIY Dinosaur Squishes. These are perfect for younger kids but are also lots of fun for kids that like to color and paint.

I left out plenty of Cobalt Treat Bags so kids could take dino friends and Cool Dinosaur Tattoos home.

I hope you have a dino-mite time celebrating your little One-a-saurus and don't forget to check out the full tutorial for the DIY Dinosaur Yard Signs! RAWR!