To consider party food boxes instead of buffet?

[blackcoffeeinbed]

I'm organising my sons 5th birthday party, I've hired a hall with a bouncy castle, diddy car track and face painting. I plan on doing a couple of simple party games aswell and having music in the background.

So I've started thinking about party food. Due to having to travel to the venue and a kitchen not being available there to prepare food so having to transport it all I am considering doing individual food boxes. I think this would also save on time, rubbish/tidying up and waste as the kids can just take their boxes away with them if they don't eat it all.

My questions are... has anybody ever done this and was it a success? How would I go about making individual sandwiches for instance, would I ask for parents to rsvp with a preference ie ham, cheese or jam? What would you put In them?

I'm thinking along the lines of carton of juice, sandwich, cucumber and carrot sticks, mini sausages, frube yoghurt, chocolate fingers and a melon stick. They seem quite basic, like a normal packed lunch in a fancy box.... I would appreciate ideas? Tia xx

Yes done this as had outside venue. Named the boxes. Asked for sandwich filling choice beforehand, jam, ham, cheese or marmite on white or brown. Fruit, crisps, small cake, carton drink, napkin, small toy, balloon and stick piece birthday cake in at the end. Food box and party bag all in one.

I wouldn't because in a typical class you will have various diets - buy disposable platters and make up at home cover with cling film and buy ready made nibbles

I've done this and it worked really well. I wish I had thought about including sandwich choices on an RSVP. I would however ask for food allergies/intolerances to avoid CF responses saying darling Johnny will only eat organic pixi dust sandwiches on bread baked by unicorns during a full moon! Perhaps include drink choices too, juice or water? Extra drinks and sandwiches are also handy for those with bigger appetites or who don't like some of the other snacks.

We did this for a couple of DD’s parties but used plain white paper bags then the kids could decorate them, which they enjoyed. Can’t remember exactly what was in them. Something along the lines of sandwiches, packet of crisps, small carton of juice, mini sausages, a gingerbread man.

I wouldn't because in a typical class you will have various diets

The OP's got that covered on the invitations though.

I can't see it being too much of a problem with 20 odd kids.

We're planning to do this for dd's birthday but we won't be putting the sandwiches in the boxes. We'll be getting Morrison's kids sandwich platters, which you can order in advance.
(as an aside, last year we did a buffet - all the cheese sandwiches were eaten but ham was barely touched).

OP, how about something Like this?

I always do this. It’s brilliant. Cuts down on waste and reuse the boxes as party bags. I also give a cupcake instead of a slice of cake in the party bags. That way I’m not stressing about cutting 20 slices of cake!

Great idea! My son would love this and it would be great for less waste and encouraging kids to eat the savoury as well as the sweet stuff.

I bought party boxes last year cheap online instead of plastic party bags. They just fold out and are really sturdy so would be perfect for doing this. Afterwards you just stick them in the recycling bin.

My friend did this. Asked if we wanted cheese, jam or ham sandwiches. Added in crisps, biscuit/ cupcake etc.
A local leisure centre does food boxes too.

I’ve seen these, they work fine. Just do a mix of ham, cheese and jam, it will suit most.

My only request would be to maybe ask if kids have allergies. It’s a bit annoying if there’s never a box DD can have due to allergies.

I did this a long time ago (my daughter is 18 in May) with Asda kids meals - snack boxes you can buy in the cafe. I rang and ordered 25 of them a couple of days before and it worked really well - and was good value for money and a real time saver!

Yes, my DC have been to parties with boxes and less food was wasted. Usually asked to give a choice of sandwich when rsvp, with the options usually, ham cheese or jam.

Yep, did this a few years ago. Worked well

Have parties changed in the last 10 years or so since my DCs were young?

Surely this is a totally normal thing to do, whole website sections are (or certainly used to be) devoted to boxes and stuff to make them up. I didn't realise it was no longer a thing, I have to say I'm more than happy not to be involved in parties for younger children and all the food angst.

No one is going to the party for the food, give them a sandwich, packet of crisps, biscuit and a piece of cake to take home and don't worry any further about it imo.

We've done this. Put 1x ham, 1x cheese and 1x jam quarter in each box along with a Babybel, box of raisins, 'Frube' yogurt, bag of crisps (Pom Bears 🐻) and a packet of mini fingers/chocolate animals/biscuits. Might have also added a piece of fruit.

It worked well and at least most of what isn't eaten can be kept and used later rather than just thrown in a bin bag.

I've never done it as I'm tight and paying for the boxes just seemed wasteful but my children have been to loads of parties like this and it did seem to work well. There was still waste though as you will put food in boxes that children don't want to eat.

darling Johnny will only eat organic pixi dust sandwiches on bread baked by unicorns during a full moon!

🤣🤣

Great idea. Also it means they can take home any uneaten food in the box as well as their cake piece, so you can save on party bags.

We did this at DD1's 5th party. We'd about 35 kids and it made it so much easier. We had a quarter sandwich cheese and a quarter jam, packet of crisps, kwenchy cup, funsize haribo, top hat, kinder bueno...and put a party popper in every bag. Kids loved it.

We always do this. We don't bother asking what people want in advance - we colour code the boxes by the sandwich filling.Two types of sandwiches, make sure one is vegetarian.

Bear in mind most kids don't eat the sandwich anyway!

We still do squash in cups rather than cartons though as It's so much cheaper and the cartons are often only half drunk IME.

I think I funded Kate Middletons education as we always used to buy party boxes from her parents business "Party pieces".
I wouldn't even consider making a buffet for 5 year olds!! They'd have their grubby little paws in everything.

@Serin Me too! One year we bought the cardboard car shaped boxes, punk Cadillacs for girls red sports cars for boys.

OP Honestly I wouldn't even ask for preferences. Just check for any food allergy or intolerances and make special boxes for those children. Just give the others a box with a bit of everything and let them get on with it. In fact I remember one party (5th) we didn't even bother with boxes we just had paper plates with a bit of everything on and handed the out.