It’s always hard to guess how your baby will react to their cake smash experience. Will they dive right in? What if they hate the cake? What if they are a whirlwind who never sits still?! 

In the 7 or so years that I’ve been doing smashes for baby’s first birthday, I’ve come to realise that although babies might all be different they still usually fit into a few distinct character types!  Here’s a light-hearted look at the different ways babies approach their cake smashes – which one do you think your baby was? Or will be?

Cake Smash Baby #1: The Explorer

Explorer babies are normally the ones who have found their feet, but often a speedy crawler will be an Explorer Baby too! These little ones just don’t sit still.  Their main goal is to explore every nook and cranny of the studio.  The doors, the blinds, the light, the furniture… not to mention the set!  This baby isn’t content until they’ve investigated every corner and usually protest strongly at being placed back onto the backdrop for pictures.   Usually with a super short attention span, you have to work quick with these babies – even the most interesting of props won’t contain them for long!

Cake Smash Baby #2: The Scientist

Scientists are those super curious babes who wants to figure out how everything works.  They have to thoroughly examine every single prop, often so single minded that they refuse to look up at you until they’ve satisfied their curiosity.  They want to look at things from every angle – even the cake!  If something comes apart (even if it’s not supposed to!) you can guarantee they’ll figure out how to do it!

Smash Baby #3: The Muncher

This babe just wants to eat cake! Happy to sit in one position, usually delicately picking at the cake a mouthful at a time.  Don’t try to smash their cake for them – they want this left in one piece for maximum eatability!  These content little souls are happy as long as you leave the sweet stuff in front of them, and it’s astonishing how much cake some of them will get through!

Smash Baby #4: The Smasher

The smasher is really not interested in eating the cake – they usually take a mouthful and decide the sugary sweetness isn’t for them – but boy can they smash it! They’re determined to spread the cake across as much of the studio as humanely possible! They want to squish, to scrape, to sit in it, pick it up, slide it across the floor… these babies really got the memo as to what a cake smash was all about!

Smash Baby #5: The Destroyer

Similar to the smasher, but this baby’s joy in destruction extends to the prop and the sets too.  Forget trying to arrange props in and around this baby – they’ll get knocked over, dropped, swung around.  The joy of seeing things fall and hearing the loud noises is what this baby is all about!  But don’t worry if your babe turns out to be a Destroyer, all my props are pretty bomb-proof and it’s all part of the fun!

Smash Baby #6: The Cuddler

I have a soft spot for these babies.  Usually reluctant to leave mum’s side for quite a while, these are the ones who need lots of reassurance.  Lots of cuddles in between shots.  And if I’m lucky, I get a cuddle too!  Don’t panic if you turn up and your baby is on the shy side.  I take as much time as nervous babies need and I’ll never get stressed or impatient.  We’ll be the best of friends by the end of the session!

Smash Baby #7: The Smiler

These babies make my heart sing.  They are so full of joy and enjoy every moment of their smash, from the entertainment provided by us grown-ups, to the toys and props, and especially the bath! And they make me smile so much too!

Cake Smash Baby #8: The Face Planter

And a final shout out to my all time favourite baby – the baby who decides that hands and spoons just aren’t an efficient enough way of eating their cake! We LOVE the face planter!

So which of these types fits your baby best? How did your baby react to their cake smash? Can you think of any types I’ve missed?! Let me know in the comments!