What would you serve if you had a family with 3 young children coming to lunch?

[LittleDoe]

Title says it all really. I've got a good friend, her DH and 3 kids (ages approx 8yrs, 6yrs and 3yrs) coming for lunch in a couple of weeks. From my side there will be me, DH and our DS (21 mths).

We've not seen them for a while and I think the kids are reasonable eaters, but I don't really know what they like to eat. (I have asked if there is anything obvious I should avoid and there doesn't seem to be). How does the following sound?

Roast ham (served cold)
New potatoes roasted in the oven (i.e. served hot)
Home made coleslaw

Rice salad
"Normal" salad
Bread
Maybe a plate of salami / cold roast chicken?

Was thinking of sticking everything in the middle of the table so everyone can help themselves and kids can take what they want. Is there enough there for the kids do you think? Should I be doing anything else?

Will also do a pudding - something like pavlova but will have ice cream in freezer on standby!

Thank you in advance!

Sounds good, maybe do chicken and not salami, one of my ds's won't touch ham or salami but would chicken. Like to idea of it all being in the middle too, takes the pressure off!! And, hey... if they only eat the bread and meat and some pud it's only one meal for goodness sake!!

Sounds lovely. Maybe some cherry toms/cucumber - just as they are - not in a salad if you know what I mean.
I hate pavlova - as do my children - but I know lots of people like it. If it was us a nice cake would go down better, maybe with a bit of fresh fruit.

I wouls add pasta, maybe with cheese. Easy, not messy and most kiddies love pasta

Excellent tips, thanks! Good idea just to put out a bowl of cherry tomatoes or cucumber. Stupid as it sounds I might not have thought of that. Will maybe rethink pud. Cake with fruit sounds nice. Just need to be able to do ad much as poss the day before I think.

that sounds just fine to me!

Sounds perfect, was going to suggest just that sort of "pick and mix". Perhaps adding some cubes of a relitively bland cheese (mild cheddar/emental) might also work?

Please don't take it as an insult if one or more DC only eats the bread/the ham etc. Your spread sounds fab but TBH even if someone asked me directly "what does DD love?" she'd probably still surprise me on the day!

Ice cream is a fab stand by!

I can spell relatively - honest

i'd chuck in some carrot and cucumber sticks next to the salad, so they can 'have vegetables' without having to whine about sift through leaves.

Please please cut the cherry tomatoes in half, or i will worry.

As long as you've got a reasonable variety of bits and pieces on the table, plenty of bread for them to fill up on and something lush for pud then everyone should be happy. My go-to for visiting children is home made chicken goujons... strips of fresh chicken dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and shallow-fried until crisp. No complaints so far :)