Some good ones could be possibly a Egyptian, glow party, dance, futuristic, medieval, costume party, or superhero/villain. Just be creative.
pumpkins and leaves!
one word STRIPPER AND BEER
There are many good 1st birthday themes to choose from. Animated movies or cartoons are always a good choice when it comes to themes for 1st birthday parties.
Some good birthday party themes for preteen children are: Webkinz Party, Sports Party, Luau Party, Olympics, American Idol Party, Fashion Party, Pool Party, Camping Party, Sock Hop Party, or a Skateboard Party. If the child has a particular hobby or activity that he enjoys, he usually would love to have that incorporated into a party.
Sweet and Sour
A geek party
If your little girl is into Iron man and you are comfortable with her having this party theme then I say go for it! Some of the things that are classified as "boy themes" I think a girl can pull off, especially if they put their own girlie spin on it.
You could try princess themed, snow white, cinderealla, or anything pink. Also just try asking the girl you will be throwing the party for what she likes. Like princess movies, colors, candy, and so on. You can search for websites that offer candy in certain colors or themes.
For girls, good themes for a first birthday party are Disney princesses. For boys, some ideas are cowboys and superheroes. Other ideas are sealife, zoos, and farms.
Some advantages of hiring party planners are: Leaving all the work for the party planner, will give one less stress to deal with. Party planners are very good with coming up with creative ideas and themes for the party and party planners will find it easier to stick to the budget.
Party themes really depend on where you are. In the country a western style, in the City do a night in Paris sort of thing. Also if you are having trouble you can theme a party after a favorite color!!
Partycity.com has some great ideas for 1st Birthday party themes. They offer Elmo, Winnie the Pooh and more. Another great place to look is firstbirthdayparty.com. They have over 40 different themes to choose from.