[Serenity Now]

My DD isn't a fan of large groups either (she takes after her mother!) so we just had an afternoon tea party with our immediate families (about 12 people) on the weekend before her birthday.

On her actual birthday DH and I took her to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (a small zoo where you can feed kangaroos). She loved it so much we ended up buying annual passes and have been back 4 times in the past 2 months

Some of her favourite presents were an easel, some dress up outfits, and a box of pretend wooden food that she 'cuts' with a wooden knife.

[katie675]

I'm lucky to have met a great bunch of Mums via Mothers Group. We celebrate our little ones birthdays by getting together at the park so the kids can play/share cake etc. It has always worked really well. There are about five mums and (obviously) five kids, so numbers are quite small. My little one is really into pretend play - I'd recommend dress ups or a work bench or similar. Nanny Annie has a great work bench on special as part of their Daily Deal today for only $39.95 and it looks like a cracker! Check it out http://www.nanny-annie-baby-furniture.com/dealoftheday.php I buy a lot of stuff from them - I'm sure you'll find something for your little one

[Tobias'smum]

Next year we will be doing ita bit smaller as for his first there were 35 people but for his 2nd the weekend before will be full on with his great grandadads 80th where there will be about 100 people i like the idea of the zoo i might steal that

[laridae]

We had a party (yesterday in fact!, even though her birthday isn't actually until next weekend).

Just family though, so only her cousins (all 9 of them, age ranging from 3 months to 11 years), aunts (x3), uncles (x3), grandparents (x4) and great grandmother, (and her father and I of course!)
She was fine with is as it was only people she knew fairly well.
We just had a morning tea, so muffins, mini quiches, sandwiches, fairy bread, cocktail sausages, followed by present opening, birthday cake and a game of pass the parcel.

[Earth-Angel]

For DS's 2nd bday we had a party at a playgroup hall we hired with all his friends from playgroup and swimming classes in a Hungry Caterpillar theme. There were 7-8 of his friends and their parent(s) and the odd sibling. He got a Little People motorized train, an outdoor climbing frame with slide and rock wall and a bunch of ELC happyland sets (rocket, robots and aliens lol)