A first birthday card, written to the baby and kept by the family
Type the baby's name, choose one of three pictures and send the link to the family. Free, no accounts for you or the parents, and about a minute start to finish. Inside is a short letter the grown-ups will want to read out loud.
What the card says inside
The message is the same for every first birthday card. Only the name changes, so there is nothing to sign up for and nothing to store.
Dear their name,
You can't read this yet. That's all right. Someone will read it to you today, and maybe one day you'll find it again and read it for yourself.
A year ago you were brand new, and none of us knew what you'd be like. Now we do, a little. You have favorite people, strong opinions about bedtime, and a laugh that everyone around you keeps trying to get out of you.
Here's what I'd like you to know when you're older. On your first birthday, there were people who were already completely on your side. You hadn't done anything to earn it. You didn't need to.
I hope you stay curious, and I hope you keep laughing the way you do now, with your whole body.
Happy first birthday, little one.
Who a first birthday card is really for
A one-year-old will chew a paper card and ignore a link. The card is really for the parents, who have just spent a year with very little sleep, and for the child later on, if the family keeps it.
The usual advice is to write to the baby but for the grown-ups, and that's how this letter works. It talks to the baby directly, but the line about people being on their side before they'd done anything is aimed squarely at whoever is reading it aloud.
It also avoids milestones. Some babies are walking at one and some aren't, some have words and some have none yet, and a card shouldn't make anyone compare.
Sending it as a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend
The letter doesn't say who wrote it. It never says mom, dad, grandma or auntie, so it works from any adult who loves the baby. The only thing it assumes is that you're happy they exist, which is a safe bet.
If you're a relative or friend, send the link to one of the parents, ideally in the morning before the day gets busy. If you're the parent, send it to yourself, your partner and the family group chat. It's a nice thing to read out at the party, right before the cake gets destroyed.
Keeping it for later
The whole card, name and picture included, is carried in the link. There's nothing on our side that expires, so the link keeps working for as long as the site is running. Here are a few ways families hold on to it:
- Paste the link into a note titled with the date, or into a baby journal app.
- Email it to an address you've set up for the child to have when they're older.
- Screenshot the picture and the letter, then print them for the baby book.
- Copy the letter by hand into a card for a time capsule or memory box.
Getting the baby's name right
Type the name the family actually uses. If everyone calls the baby by a nickname, use that, because it's what the parents will expect to see after Dear. Check the spelling against the birth announcement or the party invite if you're not sure. Parents notice, and they've usually had to correct a lot of people this year.
The three pictures
All three use soft pastels and none of them is pink-for-a-girl or blue-for-a-boy, so they suit any baby.
The first is a bright, photo-style nursery scene with a giant gold number one balloon, a pastel balloon arch, a teddy bear, tiny shoes and a small cake with a single candle. The second is a 3D cartoon of a laughing baby in a party hat sitting on clouds with a bunny, a bear and a duckling, holding a yellow number one balloon. The third is a gentle watercolor of a bear, a bunny and an elephant in party hats around a cake on a picnic blanket, with bunting and balloons. That one looks the most like a classic printed card.
Questions people ask
What do you write in a first birthday card?
Write to the baby, but for the parents. Something about who the baby has become this year, and a hope for what comes next, is plenty. Keep it short. The parents will be reading it with a toddler on their lap.
Should a first birthday card be addressed to the baby or the parents?
Address it to the baby. It's their birthday, and parents love seeing their child's name at the top. A line to the parents can go in your own message, and after the year they've had, they'll appreciate it.
Does it work for a baby boy and a baby girl?
Yes. There's no he or she anywhere in the letter, and none of the three pictures is coded pink or blue. You only need the baby's name.
Can grandparents, aunts or family friends send it?
Yes. The letter is written by an adult who loves the baby, without saying which one. It reads just as naturally from a grandparent or a godparent as it does from a parent.
How can the family keep the card?
Save the link somewhere safe, like a dated note or an email to the child's own address. The card lives in the link, so it keeps working as long as the site runs. For something physical, screenshot the picture and letter and print them.
Should I send it on the birthday or on the day of the party?
The birthday itself is the usual choice, since the party is often a weekend before or after. The card can't be scheduled, so send it yourself when you want it to arrive. Morning works well, before naps take over the day.
Can I add a note from me inside the card?
Not inside it. Every first birthday card has the same letter, and you only choose the baby's name and the picture. That's what lets us run it free with nothing stored. Your own note to the parents can go in the message that carries the link.
Is it really free with no sign-up?
Yes. You don't make an account, the family doesn't either, and there's no paid version. The card opens in any phone or computer browser.