to ask what’s happened to kids parties?

[Merryoldgoat]

I’m starting to wonder if I’m a bit of a dinosaur...

Is it not the done thing to lay on party food anymore?

I’m taking my son to a party and the parents have said there’ll be some cheese and butter sandwiches and few snacks like carrot sticks.

I went to one last year where it was entirely outdoors - in November. We did outdoorsy stuff in the mud and had hot chocolate and cake. No one was allowed inside the house except for loo. No other food.

There have been a few others too where food is bare minimum and it feels odd.

It’s my son’s birthday soon and he’s having a softplay party. I’m planning to do a full party food spread (sandwiches, crisps, chocolates, cakes, crudités etc).

Is this not the done thing? Am I going to be thought a massive pig?

I find navigating all of this stuff really stressful.

In my experience the big spread is normal.

However it is also pretty often quite wasteful as children just want to go back to playing!

How old is your DC? If he's pre-school (or possibly early infants) and especially if the party is not scheduled around an actual meal time, (was this the case for the November party?) then sandwiches and a few snacks is pretty much all they eat. Lot of parents of youngsters like to prove their healthy credentials too and so won't offer anything like crisps or cake.

I think up to you what you offer - your party tea sounds fine.

That’s good to hear re: normalcy.

The waste does worry me but I’ll try to keep it to a minimum and use stuff that can be doled out in servings.

He’ll be 6 RedSky

All the parties have been around when you’d have food. The November one was right across lunchtime - the kids were starving.

I've never been to an under-catered kid's party before.

There's normally a lot of wasted food, especially if the party is after lunch.

well, often they only need a snack, not a whole meal. if the party is say 10-12 or 2-4, i wouldn't expect a meal as such. just maybe a bit of cake and water or whatever.

So, if a party start time was at anytime from 11 until 1, I’d expect a lunch to be served - is that not standard?

And finishing after 4.30 something substantial to take place of dinner?

I wouldn't expect anything 'substantial' to be honest.

I'd just make sure my kids ate before we got there.

Food is generally way more important to adults that it is to kids, who are just there to have fun.

And thinking about it, a sandwich and a few snacks is lunch.

It's also enough to keep them until they get home and have (albeit a later) dinner.

*keep them going

Ok, thanks. Looks like IABU. No biggie.

I have always been to parties where a small buffet was put on.

I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old. We go to a lot of parties (probably about 20 since September!). All have done a proper ‘spread’ of food, as have we at the ones we’ve hosted.

Never been to a kids party where food hasn’t been provided!

I haven't found that at all round my way. We usually have sandwiches crisps, carrot sticks etc and cupcakes/biscuits of some kind. Anything more would be OTT it's usually just an opportunity for the kids to sit down and become a but more calm before they run off again!

At venue parties the food is usually provided (e.g. hotdog).

It’s usually sandwiches, cold pizza, sausages rolls, chopped veg, bowls of crisps type stuff followed by chooped fruit and a platter of biscuits/cakes.

All parties my 2 have been to have had the full buffet party food. I never feed mine before or even after as they eat so much.

It is not normal not to provide food at a children's parties. Every kids party that I been to, had food provided.

How isn't xheese sandwiches and snacks not lunch for a kid?

Unless told otherwise I would assume there'd be food. I am surprised the host gets away with it, especially with DC. When i had DCs party in play centres in the past, 90 minutes play and then 30 for food and cake, some DC asked repeatedly when is food coming.

All the kids parties my DC have been to have had food.

Usually one of 4 types:

Cold buffet, with sandwiches, veg sticks, crisps, biscuits etc

Hot buffet, with chips, pizza, chicken nuggets etc

Cold picnic box per child,containing sandwich, crisps, drink, yoghurt etc

Hot picnic box per child, containing chips and one of burger / hotdog / chicken nuggets / fishfingers selected in advance.

I've never been to a kids party where there's not been a decent amount of food! Some even get pizza delivered here. It seems to be buffet or more often with our school mums cardboard lunch boxes with fruit shoot, cake, fruit, sandwich. Some even have sweetie bars. I'm surprised at the parties you've been to, maybe one mum under catered and now everyone's doing it.

I’ve always done loads of food and there’s so much waste! I’m tempted to go minimal in future.

The only waste we have usually is the veg sticks when we cater for a party! We take them home with us and use them for things like fajitas.

Another one stunned here. Never been to one without. Although things may have moved on as DD now 17. She'd have been gutted though - parties were always her opportunity to guzzle all the crap I refused to buy!