I have my DS party next Saturday (turning 2) and of course I've only just starting to plan it! I am wanting some menu ideas which are easy. There will be 25 adults and about 12 kids (aged between 2 and 3).

The party is between 2pm - 4pm so I'm assuming people will already have had lunch?

I am thinking sausage rolls and party pies (although this can be quite costly but don't want to make them myself), crustless mini quiches which i could make and freeze (would love some recipe ideas), little frankfurts, mini pizza's (which I'm hoping I could just make in the morning and put in oven as people arrive?) and also some fruit.

Then for sweets am thinking of fairy bread, mini chocolate crackles and the birthday cake (which I need to think about as was going to do cake pops although thinking that might be a little tricky for me given I'm a non cooker!)

Is too much/too little food? I'm heading back to work full time next week so need to organise today :-)

Oh also, do you give party favours (is that what there're called?) for 2 year olds?

Vegetarian mini quiches.
Mini picklets spread with Nutella or jam.
Homemade mini pizzas on english muffins.
Honey joys/ chocolate crackles
Watermelon and strawberries and bananas
Plain flavoured chips
Fairy bread
Birthday cake.

I can't stand mini franks and mini party pies, but that's just me (we're vegetarian here). I think that's tons of food for the kids. Cake pops are so much of a hassle to make unless you're a confident baker. Maybe for the grownups you could get some mini spring rolls from Coles ($5 for 50 in the box of Coles brand) and serve them from the oven with some sweet soy sauce. And maybe a simple cheese platter?

ETA: we've never done party favours here and I've not been to a kid's party with party favours. I'd prefer to leave a party without additional food/ toys for my kids to fight about when we get home.

Yeah, cheese platter, and dips with crudites. Kids might get into those as well.

My party winner is mini quiches -

line muffin or mini muffin tins with puff pastry

scatter in each crumbled blue cheese and caramelised onion/cooked leek OR
finely diced ham, a few snips of chives and a pinch of grated cheddar cheese

Then pour over egg mix until 2/3 full. Egg mix is 8 eggs & around 150ml of thickened cream lightly beaten. Bake in a hot oven for 10-15 mins (depending on your oven) until pastry is puffed. Cool on a rack.

Makes about 36 cupcake sized ones. You can serve them cold, or give them a 2 minute blast in a hot oven again to heat them back up to nice.

What you have sounds good I would add a fruit platter or fruit kebabs some plain frankfurts and some in bake in oven rolls
cupcakes chips/cheezels dips/crusdites and maybe a slice enjoy!!

Fruit platter is easy and healthy.
Little plastic cups with dip in the bottom and celery/carrot/capsicum sticks sticking out.
Meatballs
puff pastry pin wheels
zucchini slice cut into bite sized pieces

jelly cups/frog in a pond
fairy bread with chocolate sprinkles or nutella/100s&1000s
honey joys
teddy bear cars

Awesome, thanks for the suggestions. I love the idea of vege sticks and dip in little cups.

Sorry for my vagueness although what are pin wheels? Will definitely do some chips/dip/cheese platter, don't know what I didn't think of that! Thanks :-)

Just a heads up,those little red sausages are really bad for your kids,apart from that they hype them up,they take ages to fully digest.Try and avoid really sweet things to eat and drink also,remember,our most precious gifts have tiny kidneys and livers,treat them wisely.The little ones are just 2,dont over think it.

Pin wheels are basically a sheet of puff pastry, then spread what ever fillings that suit i.e., vegemite & cheese, ham & cheese, ham, cheese & pineapple, pesto & cheese etc all over the puff pastry & then simply roll up. Once rolled up into a log, slice approx 1.5cm rounds off & bake on their side until puffed & golden brown. Serve warm or cold.

go the pinwheels, they taste nice even when cold! you can make pizza ones too.

DD's bday party is next Sat too, we are doing a picnic in the park at 1pm, 7 adults, 8 kids! We are just having bbq chook (cold) with homemade greek salad, rolls, cesar salad, cake and maybe a couple of other things (for the 7 kids that are able to eat solids!)

Pinwheels are super easy, and if you want, you can even roll up some cocktail franks in puff pastry too.

For mini quiches, just beat some eggs in a jug, add a little milk (we add water instead sometimes) add your flavourings eg bacon, cheese, garlic, herbs, frozen veg and pour into muffin tins that are well oiled.

cook, generally takes about 15 minutes at 180.

Sushi sandwiches? go to a bakery, get them to slice a loaf long ways thinly for you. (Be prepared for the weird looks) then take it home and get each slice and flatten with rolling pin. Spread fillings on 7/8 of it and roll up. It is better if the fillings are mushy or spreads, like egg mash, vegemite, chicken and mayo, tuna/salmon sliced ham and mustard. If you want to put cucumber or carrots in, make sure they are in sticks.
Then, roll, secure with toothpicks and cut into small bite size pieces.

I think finger food is best, and you would be surprised what people will eat.