Toddler party with no adult food?

[Sophie2525]

I’m planning DS November party, it’s 2:30-4pm, we are doing an our doors activity and then finishing in a cafe on site, I was planning to order the children lunch from the menu. I don’t really know to do about the adults, would tea and cake be sufficient for the adults? It’s too early to offer them dinner and it would be too expensive to buy them all hot dinners.

thanks

Absolutely fine, tea and cake will be perfect. The adults usually hoover up the leftovers once the little guests have finished.

Tea and cake would be fine.

No need to offer adult food at all. Buying a tea or coffee would be nice but even then not usually expected. After 3 kids at that type of party I would always expect to buy my own refreshments so if a parent offered me one I would think that generous of them.

If you make it clear on the invitation: "food will be provided for the children from the cafe, please let me know of any dietary restrictions/allergies."

I wouldn't expect to be fed.

No need to offer anything. It's a party for the children. I've been to lots with nothing for parents, don't expect anything either.

I wouldn’t expect anything at all so tea and cake would be a bonus. Definitely don’t buy dinner!

I don’t expect anything either at a toddler party.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a party where adults were fed

Surely that's on odd time for even kids to have lunch?

Yes I agree I’d say there will be drinks and cake for children and adults but no meal due to the timing of the party.

Buy a bag of tortilla crisps and a tub of hummus and salsa.

Toddlers so 2? They'll have had lunch before, I wouldn't get them a meal. Drinks and cake, maybe a few sandwiches or snacks

Offering tea or coffee is a nice touch and will be ridiculously well received going from the parties I've attended.

You really don't need to offer the parents anything ... presumably they can buy their own drink if there's an on site cafe? It's years since I organised a DC's birthday party thank goodness but food for parents was only provided if we were catering at home or in a village hall type situation.

If the food is towards the end of the party, that's a normal time for my toddler to have First Tea, so he would totally hoover up a meal even if he'd had lunch before. But I wouldn't expect anything as a parent.

It was an early dinner around 4:30? Is that weird, maybe I should just do snacks for the kids

We just had tea and coffee available for adults and a box of biscuits at DD's 2nd birthday party, and that was at lunch time (the kids had lunch boxes)

I don't think parents generally expect to be fed at a kids party, I never have.

I don't think I've ever been offered food at a children's party! I'd just get myself a coffee to be honest

I've been offered food at all the kids' parties I've been to, but I wouldn't be surprised or offended if I wasn't.

I'm a bit confused about the timing of this party re food for the children though - originally I thought the finish time was 4pm (so the food for kids before that), but now I think maybe the activity finishes at 4, and the kids aren't getting fed till 4:30? In which case I definitely agree that an early dinner for kids would work.

The first time i went to a kids party, i was shocked that parents were buying their own drinks. That's just me. I think its lovely to offer a drink to the parents. Not so much food, but that would be a great touch. Biscuits or a cake/something savoury.