children's party virgin - help please

[bunny3]

Ds has his birthday party in a fortnight. 30 children, school hall etc. We have always done wacky warehouse type parties till now where food is all done for you. I have just realised I have to organise food myself this time and am in mild panic.
Answers to the following burning questions will be hugely appreciated:

mini pizzas or hotdogs or sandwiches? If sandwiches, what are the most popular fillings?

should I bother with fruit/cucumber sticks etc? (I am sure these are put out just for effect)

food on table to help themselves or dished out by adult helpers? Or party boxes??

juice cartons or plastic cups that can be refilled by big jug of squash?

biscuits/cakes or both? same time as savoury food or after?

crisps - bags or bowls?

see I told you they were burning questions!

How old are the children?

5 - 6 y/os

Hi i did my dd's third birthday recently.

I stuck with sandwiches as was the easiest option. They went down well, we had marmite, ham and cheese.

Cucumber, tomatoes, and strips of peppers went down really well - i think the colours attract the children.

Put the savoury out first on the tables, and get adults to help children top up their plates.

I did plastic cups with jug of juice and i don't recall any spillages.

Definitely do the sweet stuff after savoury, get a mix of bite size things - i had mini sponge rolls filled with jam and cream (tescos freezer department) and fairy cakes.

Bowls of crisps.

And i think thats it! enjoy!!

I did

sandwiches cheese and ham (no hot stuff),
carrot sticks (big bag pre prepared from supermarket)
Cheese cubes,
crisps (two kinds)

Made up a few plates of sandwiches and a few plates with a selection of the rest of the stuff. Spread these out along the table to stiop the kids from haveing to stretch to much if there is a selection of stuff on each. Adults helped to refill the plates.

I would use bottles or cartons of juice less mess with spills than cups and jugs.

I had an ice-cream factory (got the big blocks of ice cream from cash and carry and bowls of sweets, sprinkles and sauce. Use the smallest bowls you can find for putting icecream in so they can't go mad. I didn't have any other sweet stuff, just cake to take away.

Get a helper to set food out while you are playing the games, my MIL brings her booze and happily sets it all up while supping her drink .

at my sons party i found it so much easier to order the handled boxes in same theme of party. in each one put a small sandwich, couple small sausages etc, carton of drink, frubes, piece of fruit and a biscuit. you wont believe how much cheaper and easier it is. also so much food gets wasted at parties. as for feeding the adults - its not their party is it?

thanks everyone. Love the idea of some booze but at 11am a saturday morning ... maybe not!!
Mysonsmummy, even with the extra cost of boxes (40p each?) do you still think it is cheaper tham plates of sandwiches to choose forom?

just to add - did boxes for dd1 3rd bday on saturday and defo know I spent a lot less, then presenting food on a table.

each box had:
2 chicken nuggets
2 cocktail sausages
3 strips of peppar (red, yellow and green)
2 chucks of cucumber
1 cherry tomato
1 fairy cake.

the salad stuff went in a food bag, so box didn't go soggy!

boxes from party pieces (40p ones) are quite small - was going to add a sandwich, crisps and raisins - but this would have been too overwhelming.

boxes were dished out, picnic style with a carton of juice first and once everyone looked like they had finished, opened a packet of chocolate fingers and shared them out.

had to offer mums something too and they had the same, just added some dips, pitta bread and tortillas.
(though, just put one big plate out with all the bits on and dips in middle).

oh, all the mums food got eaten and the guests went home with their leftovers in their boxes.

chunks!

just read you numbers - to be honest with 30 children boxes is the way to go (I only had 9 children and it made all the difference).

also food is contained so no crushed sarnies in the hall floor etc etc (esp. if you have to clean up afterwards). You could do juice from jugs though but do them after food and have drink monitor for rest of party and a drinks area (stop kids running around with cups in hand and avoid spillages)

I did food boxes for 4yo DD's party earlier this month. In each one I put in:

• small bread roll sandwich (ham, chicken or choice - had asked for this info on ESVP
• drink (orange, apple or water - agan RSVP info)
• small bag of sticks of carrot, peppers, cucumber and cherry tomatoes
• mini chocolate man
• small bag of grapes
• cheese portion
• mini pack of Pringles

Think that was it! Then there were nibbles and cakes/buns (homemade by my lovely sister) for adults, and the children's dessert.

Lots of people commented on how much they'd like the food box idea, and they could be taken home with the left overs in (as well as some cakes) if the child didn't eat it all at the time.

Had to be organised in advance and that morning, but was a doddle at the party. We just threw out some picnic blankets on the sport's hall floor and ate there. Worked out really well.

We paid about 40p a party box, shaped like castles.

\link{http://www.partypieces.co.uk/PartyPieces/category/Party%20Boxes_Party%20Boxes/1/\Party Pieces}

We managed to fit all of below items in the castle box, along with a couple of napkins and a straw. The only problem was for those children having a small bottle of water - as these were a little big, but the cartons were fine.

hi hulababy - glad u joined this thread, saves me a search. just wanted to say I "borrowed" your idea for party crowns, so went a searching in party pieces and they went down a storm on saturday, so thanks.

Thanks for all the info everyone - Im going to put this thread on my favourites list :)

Another vote for boxes here. Just had DDs party and it was quite easy really apart from frantioc 40 mins in morning making the snadwiches.

Each child had one trinagle/quater of
tuna mao
chicken
Dairylea
Chocolate spread

plus other food that was just the sarnies.

Glad it all went well lexiemum!

i hated boxes
more hassle than worth imo

Really cod? I found it so easy to do - far easier than any buffet style party I have ever done. But you do have to be ultra organised in advance, but makes the actually party jobs foodwise non-existent almost.

dh is so anti box but I think children really like eating out of them. Do all children like marmite sanwiches? I cant see how I would be able to offer a choice of filling if I go for the box option.

wish Id done a wacky warehouse party now - much easier

I wouldn't go for marmite - definite an aquired taste

I did the boxes with choices - but I included an RSVP form with the invites where the child chose a sandwich and a drink (I gave them 3 options for each).

gawd, too late to find out personal preferences ... what do children eat if not marmite ?(one boy brings his own sandwiches to parties as he'll only eat beef paste ) chhese or ham? what about crisp flavours? Do they all like cheese and onion ?

pizza, hot dog and sandwiches all good. Fillings: suggest ham, cheese, jam.
I always put out fruit and salad bits (and get really fed up if there are none!). Yes, some kids don't eat them but som edo. Washing a bunch of grapes and a box of cheery toms is no effort after all. Strawberries and respberries vrey popular too.
I personally do big plates of food on the table or even on a separate table but boxes are fine too. My worry with them is that eg my DS1 wants a lot more sandwiches than that, DS2 really wants more salad etc (and of course other children have prefs too!)
Cups to be filled with squash - Rock's organic squash is aspartame free and very nice.
Biscuits (I recommend nigella's butter biscuits) and cakes (eg decorated fairy cakes). After the savoury stuff or no-one will eat that.
Crisps - bowls but not too many in a bowl or some children (eg my DD) will just take a hugh plateful. I prefer plain as msg free (bit of a food nazi, as you can tell!)

sorry, dismal typing there. But I think you all know what I meant....

Marmite YUCH!. I think you would have at least a 50/50 split on those likeing and those hating marmite, never fed it to my kids as I detest it .

you didn't ask about this but my top party tip - cheap plastic plates and cups from Woolies or similar cost something like just twice paper plates and cups - ie only two parties and they have paid for themselves, and you have a ready supply of plastic for picnics/when extra friends come for tea/eating and drinking in the garden. I have a lovely set - really brightly coloured. And no guilt abuot wastage