Childs party -buffet

[Jessica60]

Trying to plan my 4 year olds birthday party.
Just getting opinions please.

I used to do a buffet for my other kids parties. Sandwiches on a tray, big bowl of crisps, cakes on a stand etc and kids or parents fill their plates.

I am guessing I may have to think this cheap option due to covid and think of something else.

Would you be happy letting your kid eat at s buffet in this current stage of covid?

I'd be happier if there was someone serving rather than the kids sticking their hands into bowls of crisps etc if I'm completely honest.

Even before Covid i saw a lot of 'picnic boxes' with the children getting their own box with sandwich, biscuits, crisps, drink etc. I even experienced having a tick box of ham, cheese or jam on an invitation!

Picnic box is a great idea

I was also going to say you could do picnic boxes for each child.

It wouldn’t bother me but seeing friends doing lunch boxes seems a lot less waste and the kids eat what’s in the box rather then piling a plate high with biscuits.

I would avoid buffet; box box/paper bags a good idea! Sandwiches, crisps, choc bar some fruit and a drink

I wouldn't mind. At that age kids touch each other all the time and I don't think buffet makes much difference.

It might be better received giving individual meals in boxes and walking round to pass round eg cupcakes

Picnic boxes are great at this age. I got plain ones from eBay and printed a personalised Star Wars themed label to stick on DS's for his 5th. It went down well and you can also serve cupcakes and pass them out or bags of things.

I agree the picnic boxes are good with options to tick plus any allergies on the rsvp.

My 8yo has been to 2 birthday parties recently and both had little lunch (picnic?) boxes served to the children. Items were pretty much the same as you would expect at a kids bday party, just served differently. One of the mums served it in boxes that looked almost like happy meal and she even included the dreaded party bag in it. Kids were delighted.

We did picnic boxes and we stuck to a vegetarian menu for all.

Each box had:

• packet of crisps
• mini bag of cookies/Jamie dodgers/chocolate fingers
• piece of fruit
• either a Jam or cheese sandwich

We had a birthday cake and a cupcake on the side that the candles went into, that way we could bring out the cake and the kids could sing happy bday, then just lift off the cupcake with the candles for DD to blow out and she ate that. The big cake was sliced and packed up into party bags.

I don’t like the waste/packaging of unnecessary boxes and things in them children might or might not eat. At four they aren’t social distancing etc anyway so if I’m happy for them to be all over each other, breathing the same air etc I’m happy for my child to take a sausage roll or a sandwich from a plate. I don’t like big bowls of crisps etc - but that’s not covid that’s just germs in general and that you can’t really take some without touching the rest. Sandwiches/pizza slices/sausage rolls you can.

(I do draw a line at blown over cakes at the moment though - I’d prefer a cupcake/stunt cake/no blowing/no cake!)

The wise mums cling film the cake - presumably over smooth fondant rather then piped buttercream … then poke candles through .
Can be blown out ,unwrapped and cut.

I think pizza/sausage rolls etc. all fine as you can take one piece without touching the rest.

If your DC definitely wants crisps, I'd do individual packs.

No big shared bowls of stuff like popcorn. If you're doing carrot/celery sticks etc., do them in small individual paper cups.

Just did a party. Did individual bags of crisps and biscuits and sweets. Then walked round and offered mini sausages and chicken nuggets putting it on each childs plate

@621CustardCream438

I don’t like the waste/packaging of unnecessary boxes and things in them children might or might not eat. At four they aren’t social distancing etc anyway so if I’m happy for them to be all over each other, breathing the same air etc I’m happy for my child to take a sausage roll or a sandwich from a plate. I don’t like big bowls of crisps etc - but that’s not covid that’s just germs in general and that you can’t really take some without touching the rest. Sandwiches/pizza slices/sausage rolls you can.

God have you ever watched a 6 yo take communal food??

I was in charge of the biscuit plate at a carol service for Brownies once... Took my eye off it for a moment,and liked back to find a girl picking up each biscuit, putting it down because she changed her mind... I asked her to take the one she had just put down as well as the one she wanted.... She denied ever touching the biscuits 🤣

I have no idea how many she handled.

Then at a buffet, some lad grabs two slices of pizza, on in each hand, decided he didn't. Want either of them and put them back ...

A little boy touched every sausage roll in the quest to choose the exact one he wanted (they were all the same) at my cousin's wedding.

They just can't help themselves with the touching.

Honestly, do pizza slice and hot dogs. So much easier, cheaper, less prep and goes down like a treat