any advice for birthday party food?

[ChipmunksInAttic]

hi,
planned a birthday party for my 5 year old next weekend. this will be the first time we invited all class - we always celebrated within family before - I'm expecting around 20 kids. could you give me some advice for party food please? Party will be starting at 3pm in a village hall. I've planned

• sandwiches
• mini sausage rolls
• fruit jelly

so far. Actually they are all ready made (working full time and 7 months pregnant, really don't have much energy so being a bit lazy) I will also be baking small cupcakes instead of a big cake, and also a small cake to blow the candles. What else? And what can I prepare easily for parents? How much would be enough? Thanks!

I had loads of waste at a party and swore I would never do that again. At a party I paid for catering they did everyone a sandwich small packet of crisps mini cheddars choc biscuit bar juice carton and I provided cake. They requested what type of sandwich everyone wanted eg cheese / ham and I don’t think adults expect to be fed. There was no waste, each child had their lunch in a little box. I think the children come for fun not food.

Nothing chocolate.
/Thank me later

Kids don't seem to eat much at parties at that age. Mini cheddars/ popcorn/ breadsticks? Party rings.

I never do sausage rolls, ham or jelly because there's often veggie and Muslim kids coming, but maybe not the case?

P.S: If it's the type of party where you'd like parents to stay, which can actually be nice and helpful esp if the kids are 5 and you're pregnant, I'd have tea making facilities, some beer and white wine, adult crisps/nibbles + cheese & crackers plate.

At 3pm adults won't need feeding. Offer them some cake if you have spare. If any of the guest parents offer to help, put them on teas and coffees.

Estimate the number of crisps you think they'll eat, then double it. Also halve the number of sandwiches. Carrot sticks, cucumber sticks and cherry toms do actually get eaten at this age. It's also the perfect age for party boxes if you want to do that - you could just give them a packet of crisps each in their box, so they all get a fair look in. Quavers are popular as a relatively low salt option.

We always have veggie guests so I tend to do margherita pizzas cut up into little bite size pieces instead of sausage rolls. It's easier if they can all just eat the same. However sausage rolls will be popular I'm sure.

Only adults eat the sandwiches

Been to loads of kids parties over the years with my two.
As lovely as catering for the parents is, it really isn't expected!

-sandwiches

• crisps always get scoffed, there's never any crisps left!
• halved cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, halved grapes for the healthy option
• breadsticks
• sausage rolls
• party rings it's not a party without party rings

Cocktail sausages & Party Rings.
I put 80 sausages out for 20 children and they went in a flash.

Last party I did I bought a load of disposable portion plates from Amazon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Compartment-Plastic-Disposable-Section-Catering/dp/B01BSZGL12/ref=sr11_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1535242541&sr=1-4&keywords=Portion+plates+disposable)
.... and put on

1 star shaped sandwich
1 mini pizza
2 cocktail sausages
Some popcorn
1 strawberry mouse

Cakes went in the centre of the table.

It all got eaten, no squabbling over who gets the last pizza.

thank you very much all!

one last thing, what do you think about fruit kebabs? I got little sticks for it but a bit concerned if they may cause any harm to any kid as they have a sharp end, or can be dangerous in some way at this age.

melon is popular if messy
strawberries
i wouldnt do the kebab, all those sticks

cocktail sausages
crisps

pom bears

Crisps, crisps crisps

I did little lunch boxes for my dd one year and in it I put

2 triangle sandwiches
Crisps
Cut up grapes
Sausage roll
Frube
Juice carton

Then an ice cream bar for afters with different ice creams, sauces, sprinkles etc

I have found the following to be popular-

Cocktail sausages
Pizza
Cookies

Sandwiches are barely touched

Would do chopped fruit but not kebabs. Veg sticks go down ok. Cocktail sausages.

I think your plan sounds fine, as others have suggested I'd just make sure there's something veggie and add some bits of fruit and veg (any of cherry tomatoes, carrit, cucumber, strawberry, grape, Apple slices....)

For mine I just did a little paper bag for each child with a carton of juice, bag of Pom bears and a wrapped chocolate biscuit. I then had a couple of platters of sandwiches: cheese and ham. Seemed to go down well, not too much waste (the parents polished off any remaining sandwiches) and everyone seemed happy with how much they ate.

Lots of fruit (strawberries, chopped grapes etc), last birthday party I went to the children were so hot from running about the fruit was the first things to go.

'Easy' things like crisps and cocktail sausages.

The parents are the tiny sandwiches.

I my experience the parents don’t stay once the kids are school age, and I always did fruit kebabs, chopping the point off the skewer with secateurs!

I ordered on take away pizzas and chips to be delivered at the time I wanted food. Ie in the entertainers break.

The pizza shop did me a good deal and also supplied condiments and free chips. I paid £40 to feed 30 kids and there was loads. People still talk about it a couple years later.

Oh, and perhaps not economical with so many kids, but for smaller parties in my house I offer fruit shoot bottles rather than cups of water/squash - much less spillage.
Read it on mumsnet ages ago.