To not do food at a 6 yr old birthday party?

[yellowgecko]

I’m organising a village hall party on a Saturday, 2pm-4pm. The plan is to do a kids disco, and put out bowls of sweets and crisps, do the cake towards the end and give everyone a party bag on leaving.
I think we’ll end up with around 25 kids. I’m just fed up of going to parties and seeing all the food waste!

AIBU - yes you need to do a buffet / proper food
YANBU - snacks are fine, no one will starve

Just go to Sainsbury’s, get some sausage rolls, Quorn picnic eggs (or non quorn ones), some quiches, stuff to do sandwiches with, mini pepperamis, tortillas, dips. Just snacky bits. Add on cake and job’s a good un.

I think Iceland is quite good for children's party food, mozzarella sticks, pigs in blankets, chicken platters etc.

And it is mainly frozen so you can cook some and if it goes cook more or if the kids are full you can put it in your freezer.

The idea of people bitching about you because you have not fulfilled their expectation of a party is so bizarre. I've never heard anybody bitch about such things and I've been to a whole range of kids parties including one which was really just a playdate at their house with balloons and crisps presumably because it's all the could afford - and do you know what - the kids had a BALL. I mean who cares? The last party we did I had the same feeling as you about food OP - we had an entertainer and the food would be around 11.30. In my experience kids never eat much of the 'main' at parties and there is so much waste - - I honestly also couldn't be bothered with the faff of making sandwiches or cooking pizza at the hall (done that before and it was stressful) so I just did snacks (pretzels, popcorn, tortillas crisps, fruit and veg) and cake (which is all most kids care about surely) and party bags were a few sweets and some popcorn only. I don't mind spending money but not on stuff that is just a WASTE. I made it clear I wasn't providing a full meal on the invitations and it was all completely fine. If anyone bitched about it they are free not to come next year FFS. But I don't think anyone did because it was lovely and the kids were so sweet together with the entertainer and then the disco. They all had a great time. Kids just love the excitement of parties - they are not aware of all this keeping up the Joneses nonsense.

I always went over the top on party food as id rather too much than not enough. This year my daughter having her first party, it’s at a soft play centre but 630-8pm. The centre normally do regular party food but the evening ones it’s just a hot dog and then ice cream. I had hoped for more options but I realised it’s late enough to be eating that anyway at 4/5 years old so come to terms with it. I’d definitely opt for some pizza or hot dogs if you don’t want to make sandwiches etc. Pizza can be frozen or reheated for another night. And a bowl of crisps. Leave the sweets for the party bags

I used to do little food boxes, got fed up of the wasted food. These always went down well and were very quick and easy to prep beforehand, my DD would pop the crisps/fruit/drink etc in the day before and all I had to do that morning was make a few sandwiches. Often the parents would take the box home with them if it hadn’t been finished so no waste really.

I’ve been to a party with just snacks on a table before and found the kids really missed that sit down calm 15 mins, can get a little chaotic running around for 2 hours.

I agree. Used to love the party food

A box that can be resealed seems like a good idea

We’ve done a few parties over the years and attended lots of parties too. Our 1st we went all out sandwiches, sausage rolls, fruit, crisps, sweets etc and there was so much waste. From then on we didn’t hire any snack type foods. So bottles of water, fruit shoot etc individual bags of crisps, mini haribo, individual snack size biscuits. Basically everything individually wrapped so the kids could select what they fancied then anything left over came home and into our snack drawer so no real waste. Worked so much better. Was great for allergies as we could easily see ingredients, the kids still sat down for a bit to eat. No one mentioned there not being a buffet or proper meal and everyone left happy.

we’ve been to parties where others have done the same, somewhere it’s at a soft play type place where there is pizza/hotdogs and most have been left, even cinema parties where they get a small popcorn and drink.

id never send my child to a party expecting them to have a proper meal, they are always fed so I know they’ve had something decent to eat. If they are offered food there then great they can have some if they wish if not it’s not the end of the world. Nothing worse than having a child show up and start asking when the food is coming out right when they arrive!