What food would you serve at a 2pm to 4pm children's party?

[GibbyWB]

Hello,
I'm having a birthday party for my 5-year-old on a Saturday from 2pm–4pm with an entertainer. After reading another thread, I'm now wondering if I've got the timing wrong!
As it's after lunchtime, I'm hoping most of the children will have already eaten. There will be a 20-minute break in the entertainment for food. What would you put out? Would you do a full party tea, or just snacks and cake?
There will be around 35 children, so I'm trying to keep it practical without everyone leaving hungry!

I was thinking ice-cream in a cone? But thought I should have something a little more!

Sandwiches, crisps, cake and pop.

A full party tea, most young kids eat lunch by 12pm so will be hungry by 3pm? Plus party food is buffet food isn’t it so kids can eat as little or as much as they want?

Pizzas, cucumber carrot and pepper sticks, fruit, ice cream

Had dd's party at that time of day. We did some veggie sticks, cupcakes and cold pizza. Noone ate anything other than the cake! Honestly I'd do cake and pass the parcel in the 'break' and not worry about it.

I'd put out sandwiches, some warm savouries or pizza and fruit. I'd also have lots of packet stuff like crisps and biscuits secreted away to bring out if I thought there was not enough or if it all disappeared quickly.

I'd go picnic style. This is some years ago but one of the most successful eating... sessions (sorry, don't know what to call it!) was each child being handed a happy meal type box, 1 triangle sandwich, a bit of pizza, carrot and cucumber sticks, mini breadstick or similar. There was always a couple of boys at daughters birthday that would snatch chips, pizza and nuggets that were put out (soft play staples) none or heavily handled leftovers for anyone else, a bit of carrot for the shyest girl who's Mum has dropped and left 😂

It won't take any longer to chuck it in a box and hand it out than it will to stand over table dishing it out.

Cake for going home.

I'd assume kids would have a light lunch 12ish, something more substantial after the party, followed by a bit of squashed cake.

Got to do food!

sandwiches, cut up pizza, crisps , cakes. It will be eaten.

They will expect more than just an icecream.

Each child, in turn, filing past the table to fill a plate with some of similar ..

Mandarin
Watermelon
Savoury muffin

Mini egg quiche
Cheese
Cherry tomatoes
Sandwich
Carrot sticks
Fairy bread
Crisps
Honey Joy

Then sitting to eat.

Water in cups, Cordial in cups .. walk around with jugs.

Birthday cake in napkin.

I’d do a full party tea. Just don’t go crazy on the sandwiches.

Strawberry Jam sandwiches
Ham sandwiches
Grated cheese sandwiches
Cucumber and carrot sticks
Crisps
Mini sausage rolls
Fruit - maybe strawberries if still in season

And lastly I always make homemade cupcakes and decorate them morning of the party (usually about 5am!). I do half chocolate and half vanilla. Then I decorate them with plain icing (not butter icing) and add decorations like jelly tots, sprinkles, wafer flowers, chocolate mini jazzies. They are always insanely popular.

It is common to feed children at parties. I also think it’s fine not too at that time, but it’s a good idea to let parents know ‘snacks will be provided’ and not lunch. We went to one that just said biscuits and juice provided. It was fine the kids still had a great time and us parents all knew to still feed them a normal lunch. The main risk is parents opt for a light lunch as they all think the kids will be eating again in 2-3 hours.

@GibbyWB DSs last birthday party was 2-4pm. My parents and MIL told me I’d gone way overboard with food and that kids wouldn’t want more than a snack at that time. And the buffet ended up almost wiped out 🫠🤣

We had no allergies to contend with so buffet was straight forward:

• sandwiches (cheese, ham, chicken, jam)
• mini sausage rolls
• carrot/cucumber/tomatoes
• watermelon/strawberries/satsuma/ blueberries
• babybel cheeses
• frubes yoghurts
• Chocolate rice crispy cakes
• crisps
• sweets
• fruit shoots/water

Cake went home with party bags 👍🏻

Cold chipolata sausages,
Baby plum tomatoes, sliced raw carrots, cucumber, peppers
Tiny slices of pizza
Crisps
Cubed chicken breast, pan fried with oregano
Wholemeal pittas and bread sticks
Hummus and tsatsiki

Watermelon, satsuma segments, strawberrries

A mini ice cream each.

I've got a different take on this, we went to a party exactly these times with an entertainer a few months back.
There was squash, water, crisps and biscuits.

Then at the end cake handed out.

The food barely was touched as the children were pre occupied and they all just ate the cake as they left.

I think that unless the party is around or, on or ending at lunch time know one does big buffets.

It's also probably a cost thing now adays.

I do remember discussing with a mum a while back how different food at parties is now compared to when we were young, as the parties used to be simpler but there would be a small table of food for staying adults and the parties would be at lunch. The food featuring as the party. It's not like that now.

What about hotdogs? You can cook in batches so only open the tins for 1 or 2 per child if they are still hungry it takes 2-3 mins to make more.

Bread can be frozen if you don't use it.

When mine were little I used to buy the cardboard lunch boxes in whatever theme the party was and give them one each with sandwich, chocolate chip muffin, carton of juice or fruit shoot, piece of fruit, crisps. Could prepare before and just give them the box after the entertainment. Often they would take the box home with them.

I don't know why this is always suggested frankfurters are absolutely rank- the worst of UPF.

If you don’t want to go OTT, just do a slow cooker full of hotdogs (cheese strings for veggies?) , fruit skewers/jelly fruit picots, and veg sticks with a few dips. It doesn’t have to be too much.

I’d still do food. I’ve been to parties at that time. Always with food.

Most kids like an afternoon snack anyway, especially after playing.

i’d do pizzas, crisps, strawberries, grapes, carrot sticks, cucumber, drinks and a cupcake each

Full party tea, in my experience they will fall on the food like wolves.

With a similar timed party, we wrote on the invitations there would be cake and ice cream following the activity.

I’d do normal party food. It gives the kids a chance to calm down for 20 minutes. Pretty much everything always got eaten at our parties, cake went home in party bags.

I usually did a box for each kid - a marmite and a cream cheese finger sandwich, Pom bears, juice carton. Platters of fruit and veg sticks with hummous on the tables. Water and squash available throughout.

I was coming on to suggest this, I often did picnic boxes, easy on the day to hand out, easy to sort out food allergies/pretences. I would make up for each child and write their name on as you make them, then if they don’t eat it all it can be taken home.

Us grumpy Nans must think alike!

No food needed at that time, best time for a party imo. If you want to do something, do the cake then maybe?