starter ideas for children

[mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats]

am doing a smoked salmon/prawn type thing for the adults, but we have dc attending that won't eat this.

Does anyone have any ideas of a simple starter idea that can preferably be made in advance?

Thank you

[WhoKn0wsWhereTheMistletoes]

My two love dough balls as a starter, 5 minutes in the oven, very easy.

[YesterdayOnceMore]

Do you know they won't eat it or are you assuming? It's not uncommon for children, even small children, to really like prawns and smoked salmon.

[mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats]

No i know they won't, i checked.

My dd will eat it, ds won't, if it was just us i wouldn't bother doing anything else and let him just eat the bread. But as we have guests i would like to have something else to offer. My ds suggested cheese strings, which wasn't quite what i was after!

Dough balls could be a good idea - they are quite inoffensive! Will do a dip seperately.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Melon with a bit of sauce made from frozen berries.

[laundryeverywhere]

I think a very small starter like a tiny amount of crudites with a couple of tortilla chips/breadstick and a small amount of dip. So they will still be hungry for the main course.

[CasualJersey]

Agree with crudities.
My two love a bit of bread sticks cucumber and grape action before a meal.
Something fun to dip into and you are winning.

[notapizzaeater]

My DS has corn on the cob as a starter at Xmas.

[Lindy2]

Cucumber and hummus goes down well here.

[Chewbecca]

Soup

[ElasticPants]

Honeydew melon here.

[Janeymoo50]

Melon boats with a cherry/orange slice sail always went down well with the youngest in our family.

[florentina1]

I keep bags of frozen winter berries in the freezer. Arrange in a circle on a plate with plain yogurt in the middle. It looks very Christmassy.

[LittleReindeerwithcloggson]

Mine always have melon or vegetable sticks.
Dough balls is a great idea though, might copy it!

[LizzieMacQueen]

Philadelphia on melba toast, that's pretty inoffensive. Add chilli sauce if you like it spicier.

[cantgonofurther]

My dc love a really nice flavoured bread with butter. We can serve it to the adults with their prawns too. They also eat bread sticks.

[mouldycheesefan]

DoUgh balls are very filling! Eating dough for a starter isn't conducive to them eating any main course. I either wouldn't give them a starter or just a small piece of melon.

[Sallyhasleftthebuilding]

Pate toast and cucumber

[BlueBananas]

When we have prawn cocktail I do the kids fish goujons with lettuce and mayo/ketchup and make it look the same
Or if we have pate I do them the same but with Dairylea
I like it all to look the same, but I'm a bit weird like that
Otherwise I agree with cucumber/carrot/pepper sticks & dips

[mrsmugoo]

My toddler is absolutely nuts for both prawns and smoked salmon but assuming you're don't like either then another vote for patê with Angel toast and cranberry jelly or something.

[WhoKn0wsWhereTheMistletoes]

You don't have big plates full of doughballs, 2 or 3 each is plenty. We don't do starters at all mind you because I don't want to take the edge off the main course, have you considered just not doing starters OP?

[BonesyBones]

I'm making mini "pitta pizzas" as a starter for the kids and one stupidly fussy adult.
Star shaped cookie cutter into a pitta bread (will probably get two from each) with a teaspoon of pizza sauce, a few bits of pepper and some sweetcorn and a wee sprinkle of cheese. Under the grill for 2minutes til cheese melts. Sat on a small bed of salad leaves.

[MTWTFSS]

Mini pizzas?

[EvansOvalPiesYumYum]

Little blinis with creamed cheese (Philadelphia) and a bit of ham and thin cucumber slice artfully arranged, bit of salad on the side. Looks pretty and not too filling.

You could possibly add a blini with the creamed cheese and smoked salmon, just to see if they might actually like it. My kids loved smoked salmon from a very young age.

[IamFatherChristmasNOTsanta]

great thread, i had never thought about child friendly starters before but am going to attempt something this time. I think toddler likes SS but only with scrambled eggs. Older is not that keen.

I loved it as a child and still do.

[eastmidswarwicknightnanny]

We have prawn cocktail and my 5yr old n 13mth old will have plain prawns with cucumber sticks ds1 has already chosen some huge king prawns!