Ideas for dinners for reception age children who come to play

[MrsFogi]

Can anyone suggest any dinners that reception age children who come to play with dd after school are going to enjoy. We eat a pretty varied range of food that isn't always to our visitors' tastes and I don't want them going home saying I starved them (I want them to have a lovely time) but at the same time I don't want to feed them something that will have their mother on mn complaining about what their dc has been fed on a playdate (if they dare use the word playdate on mn)

Pizza
Pasta

Sausage, Mash & Peas/Carrots
Cottage Pie
Spag Bol
Macaroni Cheese (or most pasta dishes tbh)
Jacket pots with cheese & beans
Pizza & garlic bread (home made of course )
Fishcakes & wedges

Fish fingers.

I have learned the hard way not to expect too much from visiting guests.

Bits and bobs.
Bread, ham, cheese, cherry toms, cuke, carrot sticks, a dip or two, pineapple, and then leave them to eat without you.

Ice cream for afters.

They'll all eat something.

So are fishfingers considered okay by the average mner? We've never had fishfingers but I'm happy to get some in for playdates but wouldn't want to find they are considered in the same category as Greggs' sausage rolls and Fruit-Shoots.

I used to make or buy little pizza bases (or use pitta breads), top them with tomato sauce, then put out little bowls of various toppings (mushroom, tuna. sweetcorn, cheese, even broccoli !) - then the kids could pick what they wanted and put it on the top - they were quite keen on eating something they'd made themselves.

Fishfingers are very much considered to be okay, I believe. Both M&S and Sainsbos ttd do extra chunky ones, so its more like a proper bit of fish than a sad little sliver.

I always found those organic meat balls (like the Ikea ones) in a home made tomato sauce with pasta went down well.

Or sausage, chips, peas and corn or peas and carrots or beans.

Or pizza that they can have a hand in making.

But, actually, I always ask the mums of visiting children if there is something their children really don't like or, if v. fussy, things they are guaranteed to eat. It takes the guesswork out of it and makes it less stressful for you.

Always fishfingers in batter though. They seem nicer for some reason I think.

It's best not to be at all adventurous for visiting children. I've had problems with even a basic spagehetti bolognaise before, so I stick to ff's nowadays.

Baked potatoes with butter, cheese & beans always seem to go down well.

Fishfingers ok until you hit a vegetarian.

Beans on toast also good, sausages & beans if you know they eat meat.

BendyBob, I have to say that at that age my dd used to eat almost anything - except spaghetti bolognese! (hated mince, fortunately has come round now)

i always do roast dinner, its a bit of a faff but kids tend to eat it

I sometimes do individual toad in the holes in muffin tins served with baked beans. A good alternative to sausages, chips and beans.

Give them the sort of food they for their school lunch eg sausage and mash, fish fingers and chips or tomato pizza, followed by jelly and ice cream. Decide what you'll give and then check with the mums if it will be ok.
I found that some children won't eat anything unfamiliar, like bolognese sauce that isn't like their mums; I even had one child who wouldn't eat a chicken drumstick because he'd never had one before.

I also find meatballs and pasta are scoffed...if in doubt do a "picnic" of sandwiches and little salady bits with cake and ice cream

i've always done the usual kiddie food, fish fingers, chicken dippers, pizza, sausages all with chips and beans.....and my son has always been fed the same. I always ask the mum what food and they always say one of the above - i will say keep the portions very small, they tend to eat less - all that excitement. And my rule is takeaway for myself once everyone has gone home and my children are in bed.