how do i feed 30 five year olds at home?

[issywoo]

I have arranged for an entertainer to do my daughter's 5th birthday party at home but it's only just dawned on me that i will have to feed 30 children! It is in July so if its sunny then i can feed them outside and they can sit on the grass but if it's not then how should i do it? should i hire little tables and chairs - but won't that cost a fortune? what kind of food should i do to make it easier? the party is from 3 until 5pm.
i think i've made a huge mistake doing it at home but i wanted to keep the costs down.

Sandwiches, crisps, sliced fruit, squash/water cheese straws, just make sure you have enough adults to help.
Fingers crossed its sunny
You could maybe borrow then from a school/nursery if needbe with a donation...

Do you have, or could borrow, an awning ? We went to a party in September where the kids were entertained and then ate under it, sitting on plastic backed picnic rugs. You could do either a small table if snack food to help themselves from or prepacked boxes.

I wouldn't hire tables and chairs - too expensivbe.
But 30 kids - blimey!

Why not just do hotdogs/pizza/hamburgers?, they can sit on the floor on cushions and no forks needed.

you can hire a hall round here for about £30 - a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of an entertainer, food and party bags for 30!!

personally I would invite fewer children, not just because of costs, but managability - but then I'm a wuss when it comes to children's parties

5 loaves and 2 fish?

i would have a panic attack and order a takeaway

Hotdog, packet of crisps, juice carton and ice lolly each.

Jam sandwiches as standby for those that are veggie/don't like hot dogs.

Went down very well and wasn't at all expensive

we had that many at a party put lots of blankets on the floor and said it was an indoor picnic went down well with the kids...

Lord 30! I would do the prepared little boxes. Think you can get them from PartyPieces You wouldn't be trying to serve it all out that way, and children love their own little box of anything I've found. Good luck!

When DS1 was 6 we cleared the dining room, they had games in there and then a picnic on the floor - worked v well but made multiple blowing out of candles very spitty!

They will have had lunch before they come and shouldn't eat a huge amount, I don't think - after-school-snack sort of provision should cover it.

Could have been said already, not read other posts, for ds1's party in April all I did was hotdogs given to them in a napkin, followed by an ice cream cornet with sauce and sprinkles, also in a napkin. With the hotdogs I just had 2 huge bowls of crisps that they could all take from.

It was an outside party with a bouncy slide though - they ate sat on the grass.

Oh, when I say hotdogs - I didn't buy those yukky mechanically reclaimed meat ones, I bought 'real' sausages from the butchers!! Still easy to do, just put them all in the oven.

One of my friends used boxes (like happy meal ones) put 2 sandwiches, a babybel, some peppers & carrots, raisins and a biscuit. She said that it worked out cheaper and she didn't have any clearing up or much food left over. I am going to do this at my next party.

Mini portions of fish and chips? And definitely don't bother with tables, they can sit in the garden and you can call it a picnic.

I would second the recommendation for using boxes. You can pack all their boxes in advance (if you are not doing hot food) and then hand them out when it is tea time and they can eat their tea out of the box. There's minimal tidying up and children that age love eating out of boxes. As it is summer, there's no need for a big hot meal anyway so you could always cook big pizzas and put slices in their boxes etc.

Issywoo, my advice to you is to remember that July is 7 months away. You have plenty of time to decide on the food. Am assuming you haven't already given out the invitations

My biggest tip: invite half the number of children.

I have always had 15 to each of dd's parties (whether home or outside venue) and really felt that I couldn't have handled more - and they were all well-behaved!

In fact, dd's 9th is in 3 weeks time in January, have hired the entertainment, it is at home, must send out the invitations this week (we're having 15 girls) and start thinking about the food!!

We did this last summer (or was it the summer before hmm) We hired a bouncy castle and just put some picnic blankets on the grass with bowls of finger foods and paper plates and the kids helped there selves, it was lovely

unfortunately i can't reduce the number of kids because my daughters school insist that if you invite one then you must invite the entire class (20 girls) so no-one feels excluded. then i reckoned that with cousins and real friends that would add another 10 kids. the number does frighten me but the hot dog suggestion sounds easy (do they REALLY like hotdogs?) or maybe the party box and have a picnic on the floor. (luckily we have recently moved and have NO furniture!!!). it's just that whenever i make sandwiches - no one eats them.....
i guess a picnic is the only way to do it and just pray its a fine day. where can i get an awning from???

can you not find a church hall somewhere .. I got one for DS's 3rd birthday for £25 for the whole afternoon .. and it was great cos they had a little kitchen and all the tables and chairs too

how can a school insist on who you invite to your own party

Expensive sausages in really nice bread rolls with lots of ketchup, issywoo - not those nasty fishy tinned things ugh - you can cook them on a tray in the oven, not quite as good as fried but no mess.

am that a school can insist on who you invite to a party. What are these children going to do when they grow up and don't get invited to every party going?

(BTW I would go with the box idea and put various opicnic type things inthem and chuck out everything left over)

also ed at school. Talk about big brother!!! I would do a BBQ and then even if it rains you can do it in the garage

previous years i have hired halls but in west hampstead they really take advantage and charge about £90 so i decided i'd rather spend it on an entertainer (my daughter loves animals so we've got an entertainer who brings animals to show to the kids and explains what they eat, where they live etc etc.)
hopefully people will rsvp if they can't attend which would help me plan space and food better.
the school thing is a pain especially seeing as not all the girls are her friends but what can i do, guess i have to toe the line!
am going to investigate the hot dogs and also price up all the partyware - it all really mounts up especially with the going home presents.
no garage i'm afraid but an awning sounds a good idea - where do i get one from? i really hope the parents don't stay (my husband informs me it the world cup final that evening!)