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Original poster

Food for three year old's party - have I forgotten anything?

90 replies

owlll · 21/01/2025 12:32

Sandwiches
Breadsticks
Party rings
Pom bear
Veggie straws
Home made cupcakes plain

Apple juice
Orange juice
Water

Melon
Watermelon
Blueberries
Cucumber
Red pepper
Carrot sticks

Birthday cake to take home.

Guessing this is ok? Have I missed anything glaringly obvious?

OP posts:
WindIsSwirlling · 21/01/2025 15:49

For a 3 year olds party (assuming attendees are mainly 2-4 age) this sounds great. At that age they do still enjoy lots of fruit veg and healthy nibbles even at parties and many many parents (myself included esp for PFB) are still at the “horrified if they have too much sugary cakes or biscuits” stage. It’s pretty normal for 3 year olds parties to included the food OP’s listed including pombears. All ours did at that age.

Then they get older and even if they wolf down fruit and veggies at home at parties it’s sausages, sausage rolls, pizza, sandwiches, crisps and way way way too many sweeties, biscuits and cakes. It’s almsot a right of passage as they shift from toddler/preschooler ages to primary age 😂 (although I stood firm on no fizz drinks at our parties and did always include cucumber carrots and one fruit which surprisingly use to get eaten too).

GetDressedYouMerryGentlemen · 21/01/2025 15:45

owlll · 21/01/2025 12:57

This thread is very interesting!

I'm confident in my choices, I was worried I'd missed something obvious but seem like I haven't.

Thanks for the help

You have - wine at home for the adults when it is all over. 🍾🍷

LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood · 21/01/2025 15:38

The only thing missing is cocktail sausages. Brilliant warm. Still nice cold. I have done loads of children’s parties over the years and never had any left however many I cook.

BarnacleBeasley · 21/01/2025 15:37

I would do squash instead of fruit juice because they're both bad for kids' teeth but squash is cheaper.

I think some posters are forgetting that these are 3 year olds (and some of them may be still 2), so mostly they won't be helping themselves, their parents will be putting the food on the plates for them. For DS's third birthday, I allowed for three quarters of a full sandwich per child, in a ratio of 2 cheese to 1 ham and 1 jam. There were not many left at the end, but the ones left over were the jam. Most of the kids ate melon (which we had because it was DS's favourite), the strawberries were decimated, and all the pom bears, mini cheddars etc. got eaten. We had party rings and chocolate fingers, but no cakes as we served the birthday cake at the party.

I wouldn't buy strawberries in January, they'll be horrible and I suspect this is why my DS doesn't like them now (fed out of season yucky fruit at nursery).

Original poster
owlll · 21/01/2025 15:34

Dartmoorcheffy · 21/01/2025 15:31

Sausage rolls
Chicken goujons

Cold goujons? Good grief

OP posts:
Original poster
owlll · 21/01/2025 15:34

PointsSouth · 21/01/2025 15:30

Slight aside, and barely relevant, but am I the only one who’s slightly nauseated by the universally-adopted marketing expression ‘sweet treats’?

Absolutely can't bear it

OP posts:
Original poster
owlll · 21/01/2025 15:34

SpringleDingle · 21/01/2025 15:30

It's very middle class! Round our way there is very little veg and fruit and what there is doesn't get eaten. Out kids prefer chcolate, crisps and jam sandiwches!

You caught me. Private school, but a private school up north to soften the edges a bit 😉

OP posts:
Dartmoorcheffy · 21/01/2025 15:31

Sausage rolls
Chicken goujons

PointsSouth · 21/01/2025 15:30

Slight aside, and barely relevant, but am I the only one who’s slightly nauseated by the universally-adopted marketing expression ‘sweet treats’?

SpringleDingle · 21/01/2025 15:30

It's very middle class! Round our way there is very little veg and fruit and what there is doesn't get eaten. Out kids prefer chcolate, crisps and jam sandiwches!

Original poster
owlll · 21/01/2025 15:30

@ThisGoldTraybake yes.... I do know that.

I'm just disagreeing with the notion that the kids will only be interested in the sandwiches and sausages and won't eat any fruit or veg. Which just isn't my experience at all.

OP posts:
Original poster
owlll · 21/01/2025 15:29

Brbreeze · 21/01/2025 15:26

I think it all sounds fine, and similar to the recent 3 yo birthday parties I have been to.

Out of interest, why would you not do squash but are ok with Haribo in party bags? We’ve been to parties and been given sweets recently and it really undermines my “those are for older children and grown ups” line 😂
I wouldn’t give Haribo to a 3 or 4 year old

Other parents have at previous parties and my son loves them so 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
ThisGoldTraybake · 21/01/2025 15:27

owlll · 21/01/2025 15:25

All my son's friends basically live off fruit and veg!

It's a great thing!

Show quote history

Not really, children, and humans need carbs and other food groups to survive and thrive…

Brbreeze · 21/01/2025 15:26

I think it all sounds fine, and similar to the recent 3 yo birthday parties I have been to.

Out of interest, why would you not do squash but are ok with Haribo in party bags? We’ve been to parties and been given sweets recently and it really undermines my “those are for older children and grown ups” line 😂
I wouldn’t give Haribo to a 3 or 4 year old

Original poster
owlll · 21/01/2025 15:25

ThisGoldTraybake · 21/01/2025 15:21

Maybe leave the fruit out…

mini cucumbers maybe yes but it’s a party, you don’t need to put healthy stuff out to make yourself look like a responsible parent.

All my son's friends basically live off fruit and veg!

It's a great thing!

OP posts:
ThisGoldTraybake · 21/01/2025 15:21

Maybe leave the fruit out…

mini cucumbers maybe yes but it’s a party, you don’t need to put healthy stuff out to make yourself look like a responsible parent.

Original poster
owlll · 21/01/2025 15:18

Why squash and not fruit juice?

Why processed meat instead of fruit?

OP posts:
Bonkersbeyonkers · 21/01/2025 15:16

Sounds good to me! Use dairy free spread, and have jam sandwiches as an option, so the dairy free children have a choice aside from ham. Put the cheese ones on a different plate to avoid contamination. And I agree with others, less fruit / veg but do add mini sausages and replace the juice with squash. Strawberries were very popular at a 5 year old's party I went to recently.

ODFOx · 21/01/2025 14:46

Cocktail sausages and cherry tomatoes ( the baby plum ones so they're sweet) we're always the most popular things when my brood were nursery age.
Are you putting it all out for parents to help their children choose or handing out boxes? You won't need so many choices if you do the latter.

ShaunaSadeki · 21/01/2025 14:34

Humous to dip the bread sticks and veg in?

Growlybear83 · 21/01/2025 14:32

A children's party isn't a party without pizza and cocktail sausages. Unless youve got tiny quantities, I think you've got far too much fruit and salad. My experience of children's parties was that it was impossible to provide enough little sausages 😆

Soubriquet · 21/01/2025 14:12

Mini sausage rolls/cocktail sausages

whaddayawannado · 21/01/2025 14:10

I'd do little iced fairy cakes rather than cupcakes
Chocolate fingers
Cocktail sausages

HPandthelastwish · 21/01/2025 14:07

Is it a hall party? I'd have a little table with rich tea, icing pens, white icing and some sprinkles to decorate their own biscuits. It's a good activity for quieter children that need time away from the busy party room

Magamaga · 21/01/2025 13:58

owlll · 21/01/2025 12:35

I have some special cupcakes for the diary and egg allergy children.

I think the Pom bears are egg and diary free, same for the breadsticks and party rings

Show quote history

What about the spread on the samdwiches?