To not put on food at my child birthday party?

[LittleDonkeyKong]

Having a party for my eldests birthday next month and have booked a DJ with a 2 hour party package. The party is 2-4. I think stopping for food is such a waste of precious dancing time and the party isn't over a meal time. Am I being unreasonable?

Genuine question op.
If you were having adults at the party, say a family party with aunts/uncles/close family friends, would you consider whether you needed to feed them or not?

Also, some children will not dance.

Party bags = piece of cake, a pencil and an uninflated balloon! CRACKED IT!

Well they'll all be thrilled with that won't they. Each having their very own pencil to take home.

Come on OP, you can do better!

My kids would be very disappointed to go to a party without food.

Just had ds's 7th party. Worked out how much food I though we'd need. Trembled it (just in case) the vultures descended and everything (except the crudités) vanished in 15 minutes

Also, every child will ask when the food is.
Some will ask more than once :)

Kids parties need food. The parents and kids will both expect it. Doesn't have to be complicated but special food is part of the celebration and loads f kids will come hungry

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable. Like has previously been mentioned, it’s not over a mealtime, they’ll have had lunch probably an hour before arriving. This current thing about constantly giving snacks to kids explains a lot of the weight problems around now. As long as there are drinks available they’ll be fine.

Dont be silly, you definitely need to provide a small buffet at a kids birthday party. It doesn't need to be anything grand just finger food.

iceland is your friend and if it was good enough for KK it's good enough for you

lots of juice, some tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches and ham/cheese maybe.
Lots of little nibbles and crisps cakes and biscuits.
Party bags you can get from poundland and all the stuff like balloons and small toys. Wilco is good too.

I haven’t done party bags for years. I give a piece of cake and maybe a bag of sweets. I can’t be doing with plastic crap that you get in party bags. But, you always get a good spread at our parties. Be it traditional party food, a Macdonald’s, or take away pizzas, whatever it is, I don’t want to be know as the hostess who sends people home without feeding them. And I know they won’t starve, but it’s a party, it’s meant to be a bit of fun.

FWIW, I think getting 8 year olds to dance for 2 hours solid is going to be difficult. (I run brownies and there is no way they would tolerate this). I hope you’ve (or your entertainer has) got some games planned incase it turns into a bit of a race track. And some small prizes go down well for the winners too.

@LOLerskates I don’t think children’s parties are the reason for obesity. Even in the 50/60s children had jelly and ice cream/fairy buns and sandwiches etc.
They weren’t all fat then.
Being fat comes from eating junk cakes every day, constant snacking I suppose.
A children’s party is supposed To be a joyous occasion and a one that doesn’t happen every day. It needs special food to suit.

YABU

There is always food expected at dc parties (rightly or wrongly) I’ve never been to a party where there hasn’t been food.

The last disco party my Ds went to, there was just a helping of chips delivered by the local chippy and bread and butter. A few other bits but still, enough to add fuel.

I haven’t read all of the thread so apologies if it’s moved on since page 1!

YANBU: I find 2-4 parties with food a bit difficult as mine cannot wait until 2 for lunch and will probably want something for tea as they won't eat much at 3ish. I also agree that most party food is wasted ime.

I've just had ds 7th birthday party (over a mealtime) and the burgers and pizza were barely touched (the donuts and biscuits on the other hand...)

And party bags were a piece of cake, surprise bag, sweets and a mechanical pencil. All my friends hate the party bag tat so I compromised.

Do crisps, drink and maybe fruit, then cake

I did a 2-4 party as we were going away the next day and so didn't want the hassle of food so thought like you not near either meal time will be fine. I just put in the invite snacks and cake so put out a few biscuits packs of raisins and doled out cake to take home. Everyone was happy. They could stop the activities and have a break and a snack whenever they wanted. We still ended up with loads left but least it could just be left til we got home.

Going by school discos for the same age, the boys will run about and see who can do the longest knee skids, a few girls who go to street dance classes will show off their moves and the rest will lurk around the edges, too shy to join in.

Unless you've got a really good DJ who will do some games with them.

Good luck!

At that age you are usually expected to feed them. As a minimum I’d provide snacks and make sure it’s very clear on the invite that there’s no meal.

cheesemongery
You cut off the bit where I suggested sweetie cones. In no way was I insinuating op should offer a bag full of tat. I only ever once did that for a party for dd and it felt very wasteful. I gave out books and sweets when the children were little then as they got older it has been things like a funny mask on a stick each with a sweetie cones. The odd party at home the kids also made their own crowns or pirate hats, where they stuck on plastic jewels. They went down surprisingly well for dds 8th. So that was 3 things (mask, sweetie conf and cake) that year. Dd always comments that she gets the best parties. Sure that’s subjective though .

Yes yabu

Food is expected at children's parties, this is because children are generally pretty hungry!

Just leave a buffet out of standard party fare and children can help themselves as and when.

I once went to a party without food. It was bizarre.

2 hours with no break for food - OP that party will descent in to chaos. They certainly won’t be happily dancing for a full 2 hours and even the best DJ won’t keep them engaged for that length of time.

When my dds were little and had partied it never entered my head about the time of the party and if it coincided with a meal time. They got fed regardless. Most parents would probably give nothing to their child for lunch or a very light lunch if they had a party to go to shortly after meal tome. So yes yabvu.

I find there is very little waste. Parents usually scoff left over pizza.
You can put out some crisps and sweets and keep more aside to top up, if you're worried about waste.

As well as the food (you can't not feed them) I would do a craft/making things/colouring in table for the non dancers.

YABU. Food is the done thing. Just get it sorted. It's supposed to be a bloody party you miserable git.

YANBU! Kids don’t care about food, adults don’t care about food - just let the invitees know and be done. It saves wastage, effort and money; and all the hassle. Honestly kids will have lunch before they go, grab a drink while they are there and have tea at home (like they would at school!) It’s not an issue, and think all the people who moan here must live in an alternate dimension.

Definitely don’t ask about allergies etc but I always make sure there’s a veggie option of something savoury. I did hot dogs this time with crisps, birthday cake and drinks. I asked in advance if anyone was veggie as I was doing hotdogs. I was limited with the venue on what I could carry/serve. No one got back to me. I took some cheese just in case. Took it home again. Food went down well.
If you have a child in the class/group with severe allergies you’d know. One of my DD’s friends has a milk allergy. She mentions it a lot, so I double checked with that particular parent to make sure she was ok with with what I was buying, got a small pack of dairy free cakes so we could still have a regular birthday cake and bingo!
I’d say it’s standaed practise not to serve nuts these days, just in case, but you’d know if there was a severe allergy.