Food for a first birthday picnic?

[purplepuffa]

Please help - planning my child's first birthday picnic!

I've invited about 35 adults and quite a few little ones from 6 months to about 7 years old. Not sure exactly how many will turn up - probably about 20 core people and the rest are more casual friends from baby groups etc who might just come if they have no plans.

I've said that there will be cake but for people to bring whatever else they would like for the afternoon. Starts at 12pm.

I wasn't going to provide food/ drinks apart from getting a nice big cake, but now that it's approaching I'm second guessing myself - should I be making sandwiches, pizzas etc? If so how much do I get?

Am I over thinking it?

What would you provide? I don't want to waste food if people just bring their own, but also want it to be a nice event.

Thank you!

Thank you :) We have planned a kids area, toys, bubbles etc. Just wasn't sure about food specifically.

It's more about waste and logistics than cost. Trying to avoid rocking up with a massive platter, cool box and the works to find out that half the people drop out on the day and the other half bring their own lunch 😅

I've had a couple of friends do similar for their kids but one catered and one didn't and I don't know what's normal. I like the idea of supplementing with quiches etc, think that's what we will do.

You’ve invited a huge amount of adults (in addition to all the kids) to say it’s a little tea party for a 1yr old. I think if you’re inviting that number of people it’s gone beyond a casual meet-up in the park with a couple of other families & everyone bringing their own packed lunch. It’s strayed into Event territory.

I think the rule of thumb is: if you invite 50plus people to something it has become ‘An Event’ for which you are ‘The Host’.

In such a position I’d feel a responsibility to provide more than one cake. I’d be thinking:

• drinks enough for everyone to have at least a cup/glass of something; doesn’t have to be fancy. Few bottles sparkling water, boxes of OJ, couple bottles cheap fizz.
• simple food but at scale: pre-order a stack of local nice wood fired pizzas to be delivered during the celebration, or get to Lidl & buy several dip selections & a stack of cheap crackers & olives / watermelons to cut up and put in big bowl / big bags of crisps etc
• maybe a coolbag full of little bottles of french bières if there’ll be the appetite for a drink amongst the scores of adults
• big pile of paper plates & cups & napkins
• Cake — needs to be enough to feed all the people you’ve invited (50 people?!?). If not, buy a few trays of pre-made cupcakes from Lidl and give one to each guest as they leave.

I HATE having to host things, have v little money or time, but when I do have to pull-together family or social gatherings the above is the absolute basic minimum I’d do. Even with my hectic life, two kids, no other adult to help me, and relative lack of cash I can manage the above. Surely you and your partner can together afford the time & cash for a trip to Lidl or a call to a local pizza cafe?

I don’t think you can propose an event / occasion for your child’s bday, invite a huge amount of people, yet only turn up with one cake and a rug.

I’m afraid I agree with this, I find the concept of so many sitting eating their own food and what will need to be a ginormous cake a bit odd.

but it’s done now, I would bring plates, cutlery napkins and have water at least.

I’d bring big bottles of fizzy drinks, water, cups, and sharing bags of crisps plus perhaps some nice snacks like olives, also maybe trays of strawberries (they were cheap in Lidl today) I’d bring both birthday cake and basic fairy cakes suitable for little ones

Also is the cake big enough for 50 people?

If it’s not cost… then definitely put on drinks at the very least

Yup snd if you’ve told 50 people they can have cake. Make sure you have enough cake for 5o people, you can’t front up with a small cake for 15.

This sounds like more of a family friendly festival or a local park’s family fun day event than a birthday celebration.

I'm surprised so many think it's a huge number of people. They won't all come, and of the children, most of them are babies (people from NCT/ baby groups etc!)

I've simply asked people who have been part of his first year of life to come and celebrate in the park. I suspect we'll end up with about 20/25 adults. Of course I've got a nice big cake 😄

Some of the comments have made me feel very defensive of the whole idea which was just thinking how can I bring people together when I live in a small flat without a garden, especially in the summer when people like to be outdoors.

We will get drinks and quiches etc!

Your guests will presumably think along the same lines as pretty much everyone on this thread that you started!

you won’t regret getting in drinks and food!

I think this sounds lovely! How did it go, if you've had it already? I've come across this thread as we're doing an afternoon picnic type gathering for our one year old very soon! However we're doing in afternoon so just planning to bring cake and some snacks and people will have eaten before.. I hope!