Is this a really strange time of day to feed children?

[squishysquirmy]

Have my daughter's party coming up, and when we booked the hall (a while ago) the only time they had available was the afternoon, so the party will take place from 2 - 4pm.

Had always planned to do party food, as I can't imagine a party without it, but now I've started to think about it I'm worried that the other parents might not be expecting it....
Especially since out of all the RSVP's we've received, no-one has mentioned dietary requirements.

I'd be feeding the kids sometime around 3 in the afternoon - I know they will have already had lunch, but they would still like something to eat, wouldn't they? Would you be annoyed as a parent if your child stuffed themselves at this time and then didn't eat much dinner?

I was going to include some healthy snacks alongside the less healthy ones, and hot drinks and light snacks for the adults.

Most of the children are around 4 years old.
This is the first party I've organised and I may be overthinking it!

[calamityjam]

I think if you will be feeding them at 3, I would make it easy for yourself and go for a snacky affair. They will have had lunch and presumably will eat dinner later. Just provide a selection of simple sandwiches with ham, cheese and tuna. I would do cherry toms, cucumber and carrot sticks and bread sticks with dips. Crisps, go easy on the sugarry stuff. I did a party at ours for 4/5 year olds once and they ran riot. Luckily we went bowling afterwards.

[squishysquirmy]

Thanks!
I don't want to look mean, or have food run out, or have such limited options that some children don't like any of the stuff offerred.

I'm going to do veg and breadsticks with houmous, and initially I wasn't going to do sandwiches but instead do chicken gougon/mini pizza/sausage rolls or similar, but maybe sandwiches would be better.

[squishysquirmy]

Do you think that if no-one has mentioned dietary requirements when they RSVP'd I should assume there are none?
I don't know a lot of the parents as its dd's nursery friends but I'm pretty sure that at least one of them is muslim, and dd has mentioned a child being fed something else when the nursery gives them baked beans but I am not sure what allergy this would be, nor which child it is.

Maybe they didn't mention it because they didn't want to put me out, but I honestly wouldn't mind checking labels etc and adjusting the menu to ensure that all the kids are included. (I guess Tesco probably sells Halal jelly?) But then I don't know if that's even necessary, or if I am presuming too much!

[BabyOrSanta]

You can get vegetarian jelly - all bases covered then

And I thought this was a usual time for a kids party? It seems to be round here? And usually there is a little buffet of sandwiches etc provided

[Perfectly1mperfect]

Did your invitations mention food and dietary requirements. If not, I wouldn't presume there aren't any. Parents may not have wanted to look like they presumed there was food and so not mentioned it. I think if you didn't ask on the invitations then you need to check. Good luck.

[squishysquirmy]

Thanks baby!

I've not been to many kids parties since I was a kid myself, so I don't know what is usual!
Glad to hear that is a normal time for party food.
Also, quite possible I am overthinking it all!

[Stompythedinosaur]

I always do a 2-4 party. I do a party tea (sandwiches, crisps, fairy cakes etc) at around 3.30 and it is normally eaten.