4 - 5 year old party food

rchddap1

Am looking for suggestions for a 5 year old's birthday party. There is a kitchen where we are holding it, but its limited in scope. Plus I've got another child under my feet all day so can't spent all my time cooking.

The party is in November, so I'm aware that it could be a touch on the cold side so am looking for suggestions that could be included.

Right now we're hoping for about 20 kids plus parental attachment (but only have 8 confirmed)

Riversong

Could you batch cook something like... I dont know, home made chicken dippers. That way your kids can have them as a meal and you can put them out at the party?

bluebag

OMG, I read the thread title as 4-5 year old food as in the food being 4-5 years old!! Oh, I can be such a fool at times.

Big_Alf

You could always make it a 'build your own' party. I find this solves the problem of food and entertainment.

Have around 4 different tables where the kids can make their own food, for example pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads, fruit smoothies/ fruit salad rice crispy cakes etc...

This works great as you can split the kids into small groups which makes them a lot easier to handle and you can also control the quality of ingredients that go into the food so they aren't all running around hopped up on e numbers later on!

For example pizza, all you need is some pitta bread, tomato puree/passata, cheese and some veg to go on top. Simple, healthy, cheap and the kids will have great fun doing it.

meritaten

you really DONT need to cook - you can warm up a few items if you really want to, but 4 to 5 year olds wont mind a bit not having hot food! I wouldnt recommend putting really hot food on the tables anyway - a just cooked pizza cheese topping is like napalm on the fingers!
I never, ever cater just for parents either, the party is for the kids, not them and they are welcome to eat what the kids eat, or go hungry!

mummygems

I always do sandwiches (grated cheese, jam etc), breadsticks, prawn cocktail shells, mini sausages, grapes, cucumber fingers or slices, carrot fingers, dips and some chicken nuggets (cold). Pudding is usually more fruit, basic jaffa cakes, basic mallow cakes, pink wafers, home made fairy cakes and then a slice of birthday cake. Everyone always seems happy enough when they leave.

I also do 2 jugs of juice, 1 orange and 1 apple and blackcurrant (again these are the sainsburys basic range) and then there is always water from the tap if they want it. I never give the kids fizzy drinks but usually have some for the adults.

Re: catering for adults I think it depends on whether they are friends, family or just the parents of the LOs. If its friends and family then they should just eat whatever you put out for the kids but if its LOs parents that you dont know (i.e. school friends) then I wouldnt worry about it. I have never been catered for at those types of parties (apart from being offered a drink). I guess it depends also on your budget etc.

Hope the LO enjoys their party.

Spendless

I'm a fan of rip open the packet and place it in a dish as much as possible when you have kids about and limited options. Sausage rolls, quavers, biscuits, buns, mini scotch eggs, pizza cold cut into slices or mini ones then add some sandwiches to them.

jenhug

cherry toms, cucumber, carrot sticks and a dip.
hot dogs in buns cut in half, maybe some potato wedges if you can cook them in advance and reheat before serving
strawberries, grapes and fairy cakes for afters.

abbecer

Is there a microwave and oven in the kitchen? Are you on a very tight budget? For one of my son's birthdays I did chicken dippers, micro chips, sachet of ketchup and put them into zoo themed party boxes with a carton of pop. On the table I had carrot, celery and cucumber sticks plus cherry tomatoes. Another party I did similar but bought the little chip "pouches" and used oven fries instead of using micro chips. All veg can be prepared in tupperware tubs in advance.

beckseven

I used to go all out with the food for kids parties but a few years experience of the little blighters leaving all my carefully chopped crudites and cherry tomatoes mean that I have completely stripped things back and kept things really simple for myself so that I don't collapse in a big heap! My ds had a birthday in Feb and we had 30 kids(it was a joint party). We just did hot dogs in buns-we got tinned hot dogs on offer in Netto and just boiled them up in a big pot in the hall we hired and bought value hot dog rolls and had a bottle of ketchup going round. Instead of chips we just had a couple of bowls of crisps going round and then after that I had some homemade fairy cakes which are easy to whip up a batch. had a couple of jugs of squash going round and bought cups and plates from the pound store plus the birthday cakes of course. It wouldn't have won the healthiest meal award but was easy and took the stress off things and didn't cost very much at all. HTH.

Erosgirl

bluebag wrote: »

OMG, I read the thread title as 4-5 year old food as in the food being 4-5 years old!! Oh, I can be such a fool at times.

LOL, so did I at first before I re-read it.