Do you bring food or small gifts to playdates?

[Namechanger67]

Curious to know what others do, especially with parents they don’t know.
We occasionally get invited for playdates from school parents I don’t know well at all and usually bring a small thing as a gesture. Like a small packet of biscuits from the local bakery or some chocolate. I never know whethee it’s the right thing to so though as some parents might be strict about sugar etc. What does everyone else do?
Not sure if it matters but we live in the London outskirts in a wealthy area

I don't - it's just kind of assumed that you'll take your turn in hosting, and will provide the refreshments then.

No, just invite them to have the next play date at yours

No.

As we used to end up at one friends house more than the others because it was closer to the park so convenient I would try to make the effort to take something - usually fruit but occasionally biscuits, that my own children like eating but enough to share.

Depends who it is to be honest, I have a mum friend who has very little money so we always take a box of capri sun and some treats, I always over buy so she has some left. There’s another lady who is so generous we like to take her a little something but the other parents I don’t bother taking anything.

I think you probably know the situation and what to take and care just having a wobbly!

Definitely not expected - maybe if you’re staying for coffee so it’s like a hosting thing. But not for a standard play date. Kids do tend to bring snacks to sleepovers though.

I do, but that's because my DCs are at nursery, so the playdates are probably more about parents socialising than children actually being friends with each other. So we all treat it more or less like you would if a newish friend invited you round for a coffee, except that your children also get to play together. I don't think I'd expect to if it was at school and the choice of child was driven by the children themselves.

No and I’d be surprised if someone brought a gift to a play date at mine! Snacks/treats maybe, much more common in the preschool years. But I’m rarely organised enough to have a suitable food contribution on hand to bring with us. Wouldn’t occur to me.

No and I wouldn't want parents staying for playdates either though!

Might take some biscuits or something that t
could be shared.

I do most of the time yes! Whether that be some home baked biscuits or cookies, a box of doughnuts from the shop or punnet of strawberries. Most people I know do too! Just a nice gesture I guess and something for the kids to enjoy for a pound or two.

Yes a pack of biscuits or something that can be shared is the normal thing here

When the DC were very little and I was staying too then yes sometimes if I was organised about it (so about half the time 😆)

But if I hadn’t managed to then I didn’t worry about it and certainly didn’t expect it when I hosted

No, I wouldn’t bring a packet of biscuits to visit my own friends either. Realistically, if they are tiny enough to need you to stay for the playdate, they are too little to be eating biscuits every day. It’s just not a habit I’d get into and you never know the dietary needs of the other child or anyone in their family (what if they’re coeliac and you bring gluten into the house?). I’d have some emergency snacks for your child if you need them, but no, never had anyone bring food.

Yes on the first time. I find most of my friends kids brought chocolate or biscuits to share or cakes for first couple of times.
If I was staying I’d usually bring something like and if not it goes in their school bag. Now we know them better we do it less often.

I normally take a contribution to the snacks – some fruit and some biscuits normally.