Garden party - how to do food?

[summerdodododododo]

Planning a birthday party in the summer and some of our friends are more cautious than others. They have said they are happy to come, but I was wondering if anyone could think of ways to serve food that might make people feel better?

Little paper bags filled with sandwiches, crisps, fruit and drink.

Little paper bags filled with sandwiches, crisps, fruit and drink.

Adults or kids?

For kids I'd do food boxes, with individual crisp bags, sandwiches etc.

For adults, food which people can take easily and not have to spoon out of big bowls. So pizza cut into slices, or a BBQ with finger food like burgers and sausages and vegetable kebab sticks

I have either provided multiple serving dishes, one for each household group, or provided each household with their own set of serving utensils.

A friend bought a whole lot of individual sized bottled drinks and mini bottles of wine.

Don't use your best matching tableware, go for as mixed a bunch as possible so everyone can identify their own, put little decorative tags around bases of wine glasses so they can be distinguished easily.

No blowing out of candles on the birthday cake! Maybe have a pile of celebration cupcakes instead, with every household having their own tongs, and, on a separate plate, a mini-cake with a candle so birthday person can blow it out and have their wish.

Great ideas thanks all! Both adults and children, definitely sounds like doing something separately for the children could be a good idea.

I am planning one and just plan to do bqlbq and provide normal tongs and serving utensils and put some hand gel out
Surely most wash their handa now before eating etc anyway
Dons birthday cake I have ordered a decorated cup cake to put a candle in so he can blow that out and eat and the main cake will have some sparklers
Otherwise I just planned to do help yourself food , no sharing dishes etc

We are doing a kids garden party - we are doing food boxes and cupcakes instead of a party buffet and big birthday cake. Then later in the day when mainly adults we are doing either pizza or bbq so individual portions

We had the same situation last summer and did an afternoon tea where each table (household) had their own 3 tier cake stand with scones, sandwiches and cakes. Kids had a little lunch box, which went down really well. Each table also had a metal bucket filled with ice and cold drinks. Also put a pack of wipes in the middle of the table. Sounds OTT I know but although it was only a small gathering we had some extremely anxious grandparents who we wanted to feel as relaxed and safe as possible. I actually found being able make and set everything up in advance so less stressful - every cloud! Hope you have a fabulous party!!

Tongs, wet wipes, hand gel etc. Everyone is going to be stood over the food and breathing all over it anyway.

@XenoBitch thats what I figure plus we have been having take aways etc throughout and ai haven't seen how many people have handed that .
Mind you the ones we have are not people that are very anxious