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Original poster

To serve hotdogs at a kids party, how’s best?

40 replies

Lilsmum21 · 06/09/2025 19:25

Hi all

DD is 4 in winter, her birthday party is just a bouncy castle in a hall. I will have a newborn so thought rather than preparing a whole buffet I’d do hot dogs. How would you keep them warm? I’m thinking the slow cooker? Thought I might do a bag of chips in the oven too and just some fruit and veggie sticks on the side. Any tips from anyone would be great please? Thanks all

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Talipesmum · 06/09/2025 22:39

MageQueen · 06/09/2025 22:29

I did hot dogs at many kids parties and they ways went down really well and were easy (i also always served fruit skewers because I doscovered if I made pretty skewers they would eat the fruit! Thank God as the hours I spent slicing watermelon thinly then using a cookie cutter to make a star for the top of every skewer.....)

I didnt have any veggie needs but did buy chicken ones a few times when we had children who couldn't eat pork.

Most church halls have an urn so its super easy. Take a large pot with you and fill it with boiling water from the urn. Dump hotdogs in and leave for a few minutes. they will warm up and be fine.al

Edited

Exactly this. You just need to have them in a big pan of hot water to warm them through. Then straight into buns and serve.

LittleNote55 · 06/09/2025 22:43

I’ve done this but we are veggie so had a choice of veggie sausages, cheese, or both. They went down really well, and like you say, easy!

mismomary · 06/09/2025 22:44

Age 4 is way too young for hot dogs. Sandwiches, crisps, fruit, ice cream. It's all easy.

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NuffSaidSam · 06/09/2025 22:45

I think a typical kids party buffet, lunch boxes or even pizza would be easier than hot dogs tbh, but go with whatever is easiest for you.

Snowdroppel · 06/09/2025 22:46

Had this at an age 3 party once. There was a lot of waste overall and some children just didn't touch them at all. I think they're quite a family-specifix food- if they're not something your family eats now and again they're probably quite unappetising as a new food.

Fanxjanx · 06/09/2025 22:46

I’d be worried about the choking risk with hot dogs, they should be sliced lengthways.

LostMySocks · 06/09/2025 23:17

I've done sausages in rolls for a winter party. Did chipolatas on the BBQ. Kids loved it and much easier and quicker than sandwiches (and less gutting than spending an hour cutting sarnies and then taking them all home again)
Hot dogs could easily be cooked at home and then kept in thermostat flasks until needed to save washing up at the hall.
Bit basically kids don't care about the food. They're there to run about, do pass the parcel, sing happy birthday and go home with a party bag with (they hope) plenty of sweets.

jannier · 06/09/2025 23:26

Pineapplewaves · 06/09/2025 20:21

DS went to a party once where each child was sat down and given a cardboard lunch box (like a happy meal box), inside was a supermarket version of a fruit shoot, a bag of crisps, a fun size bag of Haribo, a cake bar and a filled roll. You could make the boxes up in advance of the party except the rolls which you would make and put in on the day. When I RSVP’d I got a reply asking which sandwich filling DS would like out of cheese, ham or jam. The child’s name was written on the box so the parents knew whose was whose on the day. I thought this was a really good idea, saves making a buffet and the children can take what they didn’t eat home with them.

I've done this then added birthday cake and toy for a party bag to take everything home. Can't think cooking sausages is easier let alone the current guidance saying they need to be sliced as a choking hazard.

PippetyPoppetyPie · 06/09/2025 23:53

We did hotdogs for my 5 year olds party. The kids all loved them, I’ve never met a child that doesn’t love A hotdog covered in ketchup.
We cooker them beforehand and then kept them warm in the oven at the hall. Then when it was food time put a few plates of ready made up hotdogs around the table. We also had ketchup, crisps, cucumber and watermelon. It worked really welll I’d definitely do it again.

Pizaa · 07/09/2025 00:47

LimeBasilandManderin · 06/09/2025 19:30

Hotdogs are full of disgusting crap I certainly wouldn’t be serving them to children

It’s a party..

whoosit · 07/09/2025 00:56

Fairy bread? I've just googled it and never seen that before in my life. Do people serve that at parties??

Thattimeofthenight · 07/09/2025 01:11

whoosit · 07/09/2025 00:56

Fairy bread? I've just googled it and never seen that before in my life. Do people serve that at parties??

Not in the UK. Australia and New Zealand

iwantavuvezela · 07/09/2025 01:18

I've used vegetarian sausages before for hotdogs which I would suggest or have on hand for children who don't eat meat/pork.
its an easy option to serve for this age group

ilovepixie · 07/09/2025 01:20

PippetyPoppetyPie · 06/09/2025 23:53

We did hotdogs for my 5 year olds party. The kids all loved them, I’ve never met a child that doesn’t love A hotdog covered in ketchup.
We cooker them beforehand and then kept them warm in the oven at the hall. Then when it was food time put a few plates of ready made up hotdogs around the table. We also had ketchup, crisps, cucumber and watermelon. It worked really welll I’d definitely do it again.

My 3 don’t like a hot dog covered in ketchup.

Gagamama2 · 07/09/2025 09:52

Bit basically kids don't care about the food. They're there to run about, do pass the parcel, sing happy birthday and go home with a party bag with (they hope) plenty of sweets.

This!! Esp at that young age. Probably easier to make some plain jam and plain cheese sandwiches and use them as the “main”. The kids really only care about the party rings / choc fingers / crisps / fruit skewers anyway. I time parties to be inbetween meals: 10am - 12pm, or 2pm - 4pm, so that proper food isn’t needed. The kids snack on the above (minus the sandwiches), and keep on running about and playing. It also means they are more
likely to eat the cake rather than being too full for it

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