What to feed 30 x 5 years olds on a tight budget

[Ontheperiphery79]

I know it's not an AIBU, but DC bday party next weekend; I need to provide food on a shoestring.
They'll be eating at 13:30 and the venue allows 30 mins in the party room with no flexibility. They'll be very active for the hour preceding this.
Please throw some ideas my way re: what to feed and how best to present it. There are 30-ish of the little darlings to feed.
Help!

Yup. Which is why I tend to avoid meat especially pork products.
So cheese and tomato pizza rather than a meat topping.
No gelatine and no nuts!

Asda do plain brown lunch bags 10 for £1.

Then I'd do:

Ham/cheese sandwich (half round per child)
Crisps
Mini muffin
Small chocolate bar
Apple/banana
Yogurt

Jugs of squash or fake fruit shoots (Aldi do 8 for £1.39)

Aldi also do a party cake for about £5

I think you'd be able to get everything for about £35-£40.

Can prep it all in advance and easy to clear up.

Don’t over worry about this. Most would have already eaten lunch if the party isn’t till 1.30.
Although I definitely would be taking something to eat for the children who wouldn’t have.

I'd just do tinned hotdogs with afew crisps in bowls and then instead of a cake buy a tray of cupcakes and sing happy birthday and then dish the cakes out for pudding
Job done ✅

Essential range pizzas or nuggets and fries. Essentials fairy cakes with or without icing. Bags of party crisps in little paper bowls. Lots of water and squash plus chocolates and you're set.

Half a sandwich seems insane for a 5yo. Mine is on the slimmer side and would be affronted if presented with something he'd devour in three bites 😂 I'd do a platter mix of sandwiches (ham, cheese, jam) or pizza, then bags made up with three snacks (crisp, fruit, choc bag/bar) and a drink (3 jugs of water, orange and blackcurrant squash, refill as necessary)

In my experience kids that age are often quite fussy, eat slowly and don't eat a lot anyway.

Hot dogs in a bun

slice of cake

jugs of squash

The person saying she is doing a 11 year olds party tomorrow and offering half a sandwich

Is that really enough?

Google Mary Berry fairycakes or Mary Berry Chocolate fairy cakes. Bake three dozen fairy cakes like these as the sweet treat- takes minutes and taste yumm. I usually top the plain buns with plain icing or melted chocolate and a jelly tot?? I just dust the chocolate fairy cakes with icing sugar. I sometimes produce these at my kids parties and kids love them.

I also dont bother with fancy birthday cakes from bakery. Simple no butter sponge cake sandwiched with jam and fresh cream or fruit and fresh cream makes a quick, easy and gorgeous birthday cake. You could make two??

Savoury food which goes down a treat.

Hot dogs
Chicken goujons
Cocktail sausages - some plain and some cooked with some honey and mustard
chips

Have you got cooking facilities? If so, I'd get a couple of those huge rectangular cheese and tomatoe pizza and cut into rectangles, serve with crisps, cut up Cucmber and carrots. A few packs of biscuits laid out for them to help themselves. Followed by birthday cake. If no cooking facilities, I'd bring load of sausage rolls instead of the pizza.

Also don't bother with homemade fairy cakes etc. learnt from hard experience kids that age prefer mini rolls, crisps and supermarket own brand treats.

If you have access to jugs and water I'd take diluting juice and have that rather than fruit shoots because if they're v active (soft play??) they'll probably drink loads. Have a roll of kitchen paper for spillages.

Food wise

Popcorn (bulky and cheap)
Aldi crisps (cheap and various flavours)
Sliced cucumber (1 cucumber sliced into quarter circles)
Sandwiches - just ham and cheese if nobody vegan etc
Some biscuits (shops own)

Also don't keep the jugs next to the food
(Experience of an entire jug of juice flooding about 6 kids plates of food at ds's party!)

I don't think £86.70 is the budget the OP had in mind.

I did a parry for a similar number last year and just did lunch bags with a fruit shoot, cheese sandwich, crisps and a bag of mini fingers and then put several fresh fruit platters out, which were devoured. Maybe I didn't feed them enough actually....

I’ve just done a 5yo birthday party on a budget we did very similar to what most are saying. Ice cream and fairy cake toppings are such a good idea but it depends if this would fit within the timescale.

in hindsight I wish we had plated or boxed them up but everyone had plenty and ate enough for a party tea

we did:
”platter” of ham and cheese sandwiches
(2 loaves of bread, one big pack of ham and one essentials cheese from Asda - £6)
also wish we had added jam to the mix

cucumber and carrot sticks (£1)

fun size chocolate bars (2 large packs for £3 Aldi own brand)
i think biscuits may have worked better and also cheaper

Cheese and onion rolls and sausage rolls (£3)

multipack Aldi own brand crisps think we got 2 but can’t remember the price!

all in with squash this cost us less than £30

I’d be getting these 79p pizzas from aldi, a few bags of cheesy wotsits, a couple of cucumbers, squash , and a few packs of value fairy cakes

They barely eat
Crisps
Fruit plate
Token finger sandwiches
Pizza (parents will eat)

Really, don't do individual bags or fuss with sausages etc. I've been to so many parties where parents have put so much effort in, and the children are never bothered!!

We did whole class parties at home from reception to year 6, and learned over time. Basically, they won't eat much at all, especially when young, because they are too excited about other stuff. They won't eat many sandwiches or anything 'big', stick to finger food that they can grab and go with. Mini sausage rolls and crisps, and mini chocolate muffins are popular. (Lots of crisps and nibbles). Don't waste time on healthy stuff as it won't be eaten - although a few grapes and strawberries might be. Tiny sandwiches with ham or grated cheese, mini sausages and sausage rolls, cheese and pineapple/onion on sticks, cheese sticks, Indian nibbles etc. Don't worry about it being junk food, it's one afternoon. (But do ask beforehand about any allergies or intolerances - it's easy to accommodate).

And of course cake- to be sliced and added to the party bag to take home.

But truly - we did less and less food each year, as the children really don't eat it. Oh- and get some orange and blackcurrant squash. You'll be fine.

Meh. I wouldn't bother with the vegetables sticks or the fruit, no one will eat them, and by the time you get to the venue they won't even look so appetizing anymore. It's a birthday party, no one expects to eat healthy at a birthday party. I'd make your life easier and bring what they'll eat.

Crisps definitely.
Mini sandwiches (ie = normal sandwiches cut into four squares - less waste). Prepare maybe a couple of different ones, like ham and cheese in some and tuna, tomato and mayo in others.
Sausages and cheese rolled into puff pastry, cut into small slices (easy, fast and cheap, you can serve them cold or lukewarm if it's not possible to re-heat them).
Cheese sticks
Mini pancakes if you have the time and inclination - they can be made in any number of ways and you can even toss some fruit or vegetables in the dough depending on your inspiration.

Pretty much all you need is
Pizza
Crisps
Cupcakes
Juice and water

Can add some cheese sandwiches, crackers and biscuits like party rings for some extra.

Since when were strawberries cheap! £2.25 a punnet near me.
Carrots are cheap for your token healthy and 1x cucumber.
Crisps and popcorn.
Cheap fairy cakes or tray bake.

Cheese spread /Jam sandwiches, crisps (lots of), cheap frozen mini sausage rolls/sausages, cheap cheese & tom pizzas cut into little squares. Squash. The cake. Bung it on big platters and let them help themselves. No fuss, no stress, takes no time at all.