What did you all do for dc's 2nd birthdays?

[Justonecheese]

Is dd's 2nd birthday soon. Really can't decide how to celebrate. My ideal would be to invite family and close friends with their dc's to our house for a little party but the thing is it is v small and not set up for entertaining large groups so not brilliant.

Last year I ended up having multiple celebrations, 1 for family, 1 for friends, another party with friends with dcs of same age in a hall and quite frankly it was exhausting and I'd rather not repeat! Think it was a bit mad having three parties for a 1st bday!

Wwyd or what have you done?

Thanks :)

hired a church hall and invited all family and friends and did the sandwiches myself.
Was great.

Saw close family the weekend before, not really a party but DD opened presents and we did a buffet lunch. On her actual birthday we went to Manor House Wildlife Park (just me, DH and DD).

Our house is pretty small too, hence just sticking to close family. We didn't invite friends because there wouldn't be room and we see them anyway, so we just stuck to our usual social calendar.

Sounds obvious, but either cut the numbers of people or hire a bigger venue!!

We had 3 other little children and their mums, DH was off work and we had friends staying. It seemed very crowded! But was exactly what DD wanted (cake, balloons, 'my fwends') and she still talks about it a lot, two months later.

I have booked tickets for a children's concert (we go every few months and she loves it - this one will be a Christmas theme). Have invited her grandma, my sister and her three cousins. After the concert it's back to our for tea and a chocolate fountain will figure. I think that will be enough - we also live in a small house, so no room for a big 'do' anyway.

I wanted to go to Longleat zoo. Was going to rent a 7 seater and get MIL to drive us up there and back with SIL and her son too. DH and I were skint an had to cancel.

SIL let us use her house for a small family lunch going into evening. Nothing much. She was too young and really wasn't bothered.

For DD's second we just had afternoon tea with my immediate family and a few family friends including her (then only) cousin - pretty sure we invited DH's family but stressed to them not to come unless they really really wanted to as they are a couple of hundred miles away. At that stage she hadn't started pre-school so didn't really have many friends of her own iyswim so we just invited all the important adults in her life. Had to have it at my parents' as we didn't have the space but would have rented a village hall or found a family-friendly pub otherwise.

She was 3 about a month ago and we hired our local village hall and invited all the kids she's at preschool with and they ran around for 2 hrs/briefly ate some birthday tea. We did have a game of pass the parcel but it was fairly pointless tbh.

On the day before DD's birthday, DH & I took her to London zoo. She probably had the best day of her life as, not only did she go to the zoo for the first time but we got the train & bus there, again, both of them were firsts for her. She literally grinned all day. On her actual birthday, both sets of grandparents came over. We went out for lunch, for a walk around the park & to feed the ducks & then back for cake.

About a week before her birthday, I had a panic that we weren't doing anything more party like but in retrospect I'm glad we didn't as the whole weekend was really relaxed. Its not as if DD is going to have realised that she didn't have a party and we're going to end up having one next year (or, if I can get away with it, the following year).

The thing which I loved about DD's second birthday was how much she "got" it. She kept singing happy birthday to herself, was excited by her presents, desperate to blow out her candles etc.

Thank you everyone for your ideas :)

Good grief. DD had a cake with candles for breakfast and that was it. IMO the time for parties is when she'll remember them!

We just went to safari park, the three of us. Nice and quiet and fairly cheap. Had birthday cake after dinner. Opened presents in the morning. Once they are both at school they'll get a proper birthday party. Don't see the point in inviting lots of people over. Agree with Octaviapink. I think those who hold large parties for 1-4 year olds are nuts. Why put yourself through the expense and stress of it all when the children haven't got a clue what on earth is going on with all the madness and hype of loads of people around them.

Earlier this month, we had a party in the garden for an hour and a half with two similarly aged friends. Nursery rymes on the ipod, playdoh, sand and water activities, and chalking on the patio. Followed by picnic lunch and cake with candles. It was brilliant, she loved it, and will always think she remembers it as I videoed most of it!!

we will have a little party at my mums as has bigger living room - family and a couple of friends i think
for DS1 had a joint party with friends - they enjoyed it but don't remember it all

Thankyou everyone. Everything is booked/decided. So I can relax a bit now!

Tea party with close family near to bday and on actual bday a day out just the three of us :)

My ds's 2nd birthday has just passed. We spent an hour or 2 in the morning opening presents and playing with the new toys. Dressed and breakfast then we went out for the day to Wonderland. Nanny and grandad came along with us too.

By the time we got home it was tea time and I had planned to do a buffet type tea but we were quite tired so ordered pizza instead and then did the whole cake/candles thing.

Then another hour for playing with the new toys and ready for bed.

It was actually a really nice day :)