25 Smash Cake Alternatives for Kids with Feeding Tubes

Yay! Your little one is about to hit a HUGE milestone for their first birthday, and now the stress of being a special needs medical mama hits big.  For the last decade or so, it has become tradition to do a smash cake at a birthday party or photoshoot to celebrate their 1st birthday.  Unfortunately, not all kids can have cake, whether it is due to being NPO (no foods by mouth), limited eating (not ready for cake), or even food allergies (egg, flour,etc).

I have complied a huge list of 10 food alternatives to a smash cake and 15 non-food alternatives.  These suggestions can be used during a birthday party or for a photoshoot!

10 Food Alternatives to a Smash Cake

If your child has been cleared for tasting or even being able to consume food by mouth, but is not ready to eat cake, here are some great ways to still have fun!  

1. Pudding (get messy!)
2. Whipped Cream (store bought or homemade – use food coloring to make it bright and cheerful!)
3. Favorite Baby Food (let them dip fingers and get messy with their “regular” food.
4. Cake made from Mashed Potatoes (Use instant mash potatoes and mold into a cupcake or small cake form! Can use food coloring too.)
5. Jello (squishy and fun to make a mess)
6. Pancakes made from infant cereal
7. Cotton Candy (ohhhh so sticky and messy!)
8. Ice Cream (lots of gooey and sticky messes to be made)
9. Lollipop (get an oversized one and get lots of cute pics of licking it!)
10. Sherbet Cup (still messy!)

15 Non Food Alternatives to a Smash Cake

If your child is 100% tube fed (NPO) or has sensory issues, you may want to go a little bit more unique for your party or photoshoot.  All of the following ideas will work great!

The following list may contain affiliate links.  I get a small commission for any purchase you make, at no extra charge to you.

1. Birthday Cake Toy that sings (check amazon)
2. Infant Rice Cereal that is dyed with food coloring to play with (not eat)
3. Finger paints on canvas (can do a large canvas they can crawl on or just put a small canvas in a ziploc bag for less mess or sensory issues)
4. Bubble Machine (who doesn’t love bubbles!)
5. Balloons (this would be so cute for a photo shoot or just to play with a ton of them during the party!)
6. Melissa & Doug Wooden Play Cake (check amazon)
7. “Fake Food” cake (let you creative side show with a cardboard cake that guests can help create!)
8. Playdough Cake (make a cake shape out of playdough and let your little one smash it to bits!)
9. Felt Cupcake or birthday cake (tons available on Etsy) 
10. Pinata (fill with small toys, stickers, etc)
11. Kinetic Sand Smash (So cool to smash the sand and clean up is pretty quick!) (this one even smells like vanilla cakes)
12. Throw Confetti (how fun would it be for the parents or guests to throw confetti)
13. Sidewalk Chalk (make a mess and some art at the same time!)
14. Ball Pit (the fun and the pictures of this would be awesome- small ball pits available on amazon)
15. Bubble Bath (use a child’s plastic play pool and just have a super cute bubble bath, the pics could be amazing!)

As a mom that struggled very hard with the first birthday milestone, I totally get the anxiety and stress that comes with this day.  I eventually realized that my daughter had no idea that smash cakes were even a thing.  The disappointment that I felt on her missing this big moment, was literally all in my head.  We ended up doing banana puree on a plate, that she touched once and refused to touch a again.  

At first I was disappointed with her lack of enthusiasm to get dirty and make a mess, and then I got over it!  I got lots of cute pictures of her in a few t-shirts I had made with a cute tutu.  I look back at her first birthday and no longer see what she missed out on, and now just see how far she came in that first year.

Happy Birthday Little ONE!  I hope your next year is a great one!