This is how to make a children's birthday fun for everyone

I can hardly believe that Otis will be one year old next week. Time really flies with such a little one, and when I look back at photos of my big belly, it feels like just last week. Mr. is starting to walk, babbles your ears off, and points to himself when you ask: ‘Where is Otis?’ Time for a grand rooftop party to celebrate the first year of my favorite little person on earth.

But what on earth do you give a one-year-old as a gift? He is already happy with an empty cardboard box, but I would still like to give something nice that he will hopefully play with for years to come. Now I prefer wooden toys: it is ‘natural’ material, plus it seems to help with your child's motor development due to the weight of the material (sounds like a huge plus). Last week, during my usual grocery round, I saw this beautiful wooden Noah's Ark from eatplaylove.nl at ‘Gekaapt’ and without consulting my husband, I walked home with it. Our gift is already in the pocket!

On my Instagram, when I asked for gift tips, there was a massive response with the Wobbel. I must honestly admit that I had never heard of this phenomenon, but it seems to be the perfect gift. It looks like a simple, curved wooden plank and can be used as a balance board, swing, bridge, or whatever kids can imagine. It really seems to be a hit with young and old, so this seems like a nice gift for Otis's grandparents.

And then there's the rooftop party itself. I have to be careful that it doesn't just become a party for adults, but luckily the number of kids in our circle of friends and family is 12, so plenty of youthful fun. Finally, I can justify to myself why I absolutely must have this tipitent from Numéro74. Together with these mattresses from lidor.nl, that kid's corner will undoubtedly become the center of attention. And who will keep an eye on all the little ones? Long live our ten-year-old niece, who is already looking forward to keeping the bunch of babies and young kids in line.

Now I always know exactly where to order the tastiest cake for my birthday, but I think it's nice if Otis can also enjoy his B-day cake. So I started looking for some healthier variants. I stumbled upon ‘Oh My Pie!’: only gluten-free cake recipes without added sugars that make my mouth water. I have two weeks to try out some recipes and choose a winner, but I think there will be several.

Everything will be served on these awesome plates from Meri Meri (they have all the themes you can think of) and this party can only be a great success. Although, now just praying that it stays dry...