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?

I would just give them a home made biscuit and a drink at half time, leave some bowls of crisps dotted around.

It’s only a 2 hour party and isn’t really at a meal time so need for a full spread?

Yes kids expect food but I don’t think they really care how much food, a snack will be fine.

My first birthday party was my 8th party.
I'm sure it was longer than two hours, a hall was hired and we had lots of party games and music and pass the parcel and jelly and ice cream and it was awesome. I'm in my 30s now and I still remember it. (Sounds proper naff now lol)

There was loads of food and I'm pretty sure a sausage roll fight happened. It's one party, just let the kids go crazy.

You may not think you need to bother, but its a few hours out of your life and trust me, if it's an epic party, she will remember it forever!

Massive 10 quid cake and some nuggets from Costco and your sorted!

Also made the assumption your eldest is a girl. Apologies. I don't know why i thought that

A kids party for 7/8 with no food?! I would think that odd if my dc went to a party with no food and am pretty sure it would get talked about for all the wrong reasons. Whether it's over a meal time or not food is quite a big thing to a child's party

Just change the party time and you definitely won’t have to feed them. Either 5am or 8pm.

Homemade biscuit for 8 year olds ? Wow. Just feed your child’s friends some party food ! It’s a party isn’t it ??

One of the few perks of having to drop small kids off at birthday parties and bugger up the whole weekend is knowing they’ll be fed and you don’t need to bother cooking a big tea for them on that day.

Such a bizarre outlook.

You should be a tad more hospitable given you have children of your own.
Just get the pre packed party food from twsco/asda. Or order a couple pizzas. It might not be meal time for your kids but it might be snack/late meal for others.

I’d flipping love my children to go to a party without a pile of food, particularly when the party is not at a meal time. Those are the days when my children basically have 4 meals!

If I were you I’d do a slice of cake and drink midway through and be done with it.

The only problem I can see is that they may get bored of partying for that long. The eating part usually accounts for 30 minutes of doing something different!

We have done less and less food at each subsequent party -as the children are always hyper and really don't eat much. They also eat very few sandwiches and even less fruit - so don't waste time on the 'healthy' stuff . I do think you need to lay something on but from experience, a few little cakes, choc biscuits and crisps is all you need. If you can be bothered, individual homemade jellies go down well.

And don't forget the goody bags.... (subject of many other MN threads!!). Hope it all goes well .

DD 11 came home from a birthday party today, they had a sandwich, a Babybel and a chocolate bar each. For 10/11 year olds. Because of the time she came home she had supper in her pyjamas, a pizza.

What do you mean ‘fruit’. Nobody gives out fruit at parties?

A party with fruit, that’s almost as bad as no food!

I swear this happened, once I went to a wedding and there was no dessert. That was 11 years ago and really it will never leave me.

Oh I just realised that strawberries are a fruit and would be totally ok!

) or bowls of raspberries or fruit salad even.)
When you said fruit I had visions of people handing out whole pears etc. with the skin on but now I understand, sorry about that!

YABU. I don't know any 7/8 year olds who ever dance for more than 20 minutes at those sort of parties.
The food is a necessary and welcome time filler.

If we were doing an afternooon party I’d do cake, fruit tray, crisps, drinks. You don’t need meal food mid afternoon.

Totally U
Either go the whole hog or not at all
Doesn’t have to be a 5 course lunch

Is it even a party if there aren't paper plates filled with beige stuff that's probably been banned by JO, followed by brightly coloured stuff that requires dancing for two hours to burn off the effects?! Glad you've seen sense OP

7/8 year olds aren't going to dance for two hours! Do a snack table and drinks, where they can help themselves, and birthday cake.

This current thing about constantly giving snacks to kids explains a lot of the weight problems around now

Ah here we go, the fat theorists.

Maybe read up on actual research which links obesity to lack of exercise and poor diet. Not necessarily snacking. At disco parties.

You’re not hosting a party then. That won’t go down well and you stand to embarrass your child amongst his/her peers. Put on a platter please.

Well I wouldn’t go the following year if you had no food. I’m glad you changed your mind or there would be nobody at the disco next year.

Snacks and drinks. Seriously.

Two hours non stop activity is not going to happen. A break even 20 mins for a slice of pizza, couple of sandwiches and the birthday cake ceremony {piece taken home) would give time to recharge. Can understand you wanting the DJ to perform for the money being paid but children do not exercise non stop for 2 hours, watch them playing - it's stop start, stop start.

I think food is a must but party bags are unessesary. The most popular going home gifts I have given were pirate helium balloons (which had been used to decorate the venue) and a foam sword which I got wholesale price on eBay. They were big despite being cheap as chips so in kids eyes they were far more valuable.

If you're not providing food, or enough food to fill up the age children you're inviting, please warn the parents. I really wanted to go to Sainsbury's at 8.45pm to buy an emergency pizza.