While guests arrive, have a game or activity planned that is easy for newcomers to join into. This keeps the party guests occupied and entertained before you begin the main party activities.
One fun idea is to get a roll of banner paper – just a long, narrow roll of plain paper. Unroll a section of it and let the kids draw and color on it as they arrive. You can provide stencils, too, related to your party theme if you can find them. You will need a flat surface (wood or linoleum floors work fine) to do this on. After the activity is over, hang the banner as a party decoration.
For a first birthday party, adult guests can write messages to the birthday child, and you can keep the banner as a special memento of your child’s first birthday party.