Cake or presents first?

CapeFall2006

Six hours to go ... which is better to do first? Thanks girls!

Addicted2thenot

I do not do presents at birthday parties

WE open them the next day or after guests leave.. unless it is a family only party then he opens before cake. 

smileychic10986

We always have done presents first, then cake.

NavyPilotWife

We did cake then gifts.  Then people can eat cake during gift opening.

lil_rhody

NavyPilotWife:

We did cake then gifts.  Then people can eat cake during gift opening.

This is what I've seen at showers. It's been a long time since I was at a kid's birthday party though.

futureevans

NavyPilotWife:

We did cake then gifts.  Then people can eat cake during gift opening.

This is what happened at a 1st bday party I was just at!

jmac22

We always pass out cake to the guests and then open presents so they can eat while they watch the presents...keeps them kind of quiet and more into the present watching too!

nicobean1

Cake first. Not everyone wants to stick around for presents, but no one wants to leave before cake. So if you do cake first and there are folks who need to move on....

PurpleK26

I haven't decided yet. On the one hand, it's nice for guests to have cake to eat, be able to leave early etc.

But, every 1st birthday I've been to where the baby gets a smash cake, well, they tend to kind of have a breakdown after the cake. They have to get cleaned up and then they sugar crash etc.

I think we may cut and pass out cake to everyone to eat during present opening, and then let DD have her smash cake after presents.

PurpleK26

Addicted2Thenot:

I do not do presents at birthday parties

WE open them the next day or after guests leave.. unless it is a family only party then he opens before cake. 

Can I ask why you  do this? When I was little and went to a party, I was always so excited to watch my friend open the gift from me. I think I'd be crushed if my friend didn't do it at the party! 

kimmie321

With the smash cake involved I thought it was best to do presents then cake. BC I knew I would have to strip him down and give him a bath.

eas15905

We passed out cake to the guests, then opened presents and the smash cake was last.  That way people could eat while watching the presents and I wanted to do presents while she was still happy and had lots of energy.  After the smash cake and cleaning her up she was pretty tired so I was happy we did it in that order.  Also, my guests would have been really offended if we didn't open their presents at the party.  They enjoy seeing LO's reaction to the gift and they liked seeing what other people got her too (not in a competitive way though).  

ENev

PurpleK26:

Addicted2Thenot:

I do not do presents at birthday parties

WE open them the next day or after guests leave.. unless it is a family only party then he opens before cake. 

Can I ask why you  do this? When I was little and went to a party, I was always so excited to watch my friend open the gift from me. I think I'd be crushed if my friend didn't do it at the party! 

Agreed. I actually think it's quite rude to not open gifts at the party. People want to see the guest of honor open the gift they got him/her.