Party food for 3 year olds?

[WhereIsBlueRabbit]

So DS is turning three soon and I'm trying to plan his party. Would welcome thoughts from others as to what the norm is, as we've been to two very different parties this summer for this age range and I'm starting to doubt myself.

We've previously done afternoon parties where I would only expect to feed the kids (but adults welcome to tuck in). But this year we're hosting over lunchtime because 0600 to 1430 is a long time if he wakes at the crack of dawn due to over-excitement. Up to ten kids but ranging in age from 1 to 5 as siblings are invited.

What food would you serve at a party for kids this age? (We'll offer food for parents too, given the lunchtime slot and the fact that some people will be travelling.)

Would you offer drinks other than water for kids?

What about adults?

Also: sweet stuff. Is it the done thing to have bowls of sweets out? I was planning to just knock up a load of mini cupcakes, plus the birthday cake. But every party we've been to this year has had bowls of sweets out - do people expect it? I would normally reserve sweets for party bags - thoughts?

The usual stuff, sandwiches, crudités, crisps, fruit, party rings and cake. Squash and water .

The parents are usually happy to pick on this too, but would probably appreciate tea and coffee too. Maybe a couple of bottles of sparkling water.

Not seen bowls of sweets before. Kids will be excited enough without sending them demented wit excess sugar. As you say, save it for the party bags.

Little sandwiches - I'd stick to medium sliced bread and have basic fillings like mild/medium sliced Cheddar cheese, sliced ham, maybe sliced turkey or chicken, and maybe seedless jam and / or Marmite too.

For jam or Marmite sandwiches, you can make "pinwheels" by taking the crusts off a slice of bread, spreading one side with jam or Marmite, then rolling it up with the spread on the inside, then cutting horizontally (approx. 1.5 cm. wide is a good size for the pinwheels).

Cocktail sausages can be a choking hazard so sausage rolls and / or chicken nuggets might be better.

Crisps are good as they're a "treat" food but don't give the sugar high of a load of biscuits, cakes and sweets.

Personally, I'd keep sweets for the party bags and just have a few biscuits, plus a few cakes (or just the birthday cake).

Little squares of Margherita pizza (lukewarm or cold) maybe too.

My little girl just turned 4. I did sandwiches, chicken nuggets (cold), sausage rolls, crisps, fruit, biscuits and fairy cakes.

For adults, I'd have tea, peppermint or fruit tea, coffee, and water, plus maybe a few adulty snacks like Kettle Chips or flavoured breadsticky things, or a "luxury" type biscuit to go with their hot drink. (Have a jug of chilled water with lemon slices in for the adults if you want to be fancy). Most adults like a slice of birthday cake more than anything.

Water in plastic tumblers for kids, little juice box each if you wish.

Thank you - this is really helpful. So my initial thoughts were probably about right - I was going to do a mixture of cheese and ham sandwiches (but the idea of another option is good) on both white and wholemeal bread, along with a veggies plate (cucumber, pepper, carrots, halved cherry tomatoes), Pom Bears, fruit kebabs and something sausage-y.

I was thinking little cooked sausages as we did those last year and they went very fast. I hadn't considered they could be a choking hazard though?

For the parents, I thought I'd do enough of the above but also put out some sliced baguettes and cold meats/cheeses (kids can obviously eat this too if they want).

Tea and coffee will be on offer! Would people expect anything other than soft drinks over lunchtime? There always seems to be beer/prosecco on offer at afternoon parties but seems a bit early?

No need for booze. Also, won't the adults be driving to and from the party?

The end of a cocktail sausage or Frankfurter can basically be like a whole grape and block a child's windpipe, apparently. If you were to cut the ends off of of the sausages, they'd presumably be fine.

Tea/coffee or water for adults will be absolutely fine at lunch time (some may go to a pub after though!!)
Just do sausage rolls if you're worried about a choking hazard with little sausages (not heard that choking hazard before)

Bowl of grapes - cut in half - for a healthy fruit option.

I've never done bowls of sweets but instead I do bowls of biscuits. One year it was iced gems, another year it was party rings and another year it's been those little Cadbury animal biscuits.
We've been to a few parties where the kids have had little pots of jelly and fruit. Cleverly the parents have done the sugar free kind, so the kids get all of the jelly fun but don't get hyper!

I serve cocktail sausages to preschoolers or toddlers but I cut them lengthwise. I do mini plum tomatoes cut lengthwise too, as cherry tomatoes always seem like w choking hazard to me.

Are you likelt to have any vegetarian/halal children or parents there.

We dids, so stuck to a mainly vege selection just to make it easier. We did cheese and jam sandwiches rather than ham.

Had the little cheese and onion rolls instead of sa usage rolls.

Did platters of cherry tomatoes, cucumber and carrot sticks and a platter with satsumas, melon slices and pineapple chunks.

A plate of bicscuits, some breadsticks/crackers and dips

Thanks all. Will definitely bear that in mind re sausages - I always halve things like cherry tomatoes and grapes and ironically normal sausages lengthways but never realised cocktail sausages could be an issue.

There are only a couple of kids I don't know well/know their mum well and none of the others have any dietary requirement as far as I know.

We will have halved grapes and strawberries! Sticking to my DS's favourites . I like the idea of melon, and also a biscuit bowl, though will have to watch mine as w has a bit of a thing for biscuits .

IME 3 year olds never eat sandwhiches at parties. At lunchtime, i’d do slices of pizza, bowls of chips and carrit/cucumber sticks (largely for show!).

But at this time you do need to feed parents, I’d have sandwhiches for them.

My kid is clearly a little unusual then as he likes sandwiches but only eats pizza and a long list of other foods at the childminder's house!

My dd recently turned 3 and we did;

• jam, cheese and tuna sandwiches

-cheese and tomato pizza, cold

• sausage rolls

-pom bears Then for afters I did bowls with iced gems, party rings, marshmallows and those rainbow puffed rice things. And cake. They all got sweets in the pass th e parcel.

For the adults I made lots of homemade pizza with coleslaw. We had Beer and fizz but it was a tea time party and we knew all of the adults (people were still here and 8.30)and I certainly wouldn't expect that at a day time party, maybe some sandwiches or a couple of quiches would be nice. Muffins and cookies?