Need party lunch ideas for 3-4 year olds

MrsSippi · 20 January 2019 at 11:50AM

It's my daughters 4th birthday soon and I have arranged a party for about 30 of her nursery friends (all aged 3-4) at a soft play centre.

I have ordered a load of happy meal style boxes and am trying to think what I can provide for their lunches. I am going to compile them all beforehand as I am currently without a cooker so it's easier doing this than preparing platters of food for them to help themselves. Hopefully the boxes will make it more fun for them.

Any ideas/suggestions of what I can put in them would be hugely appreciated. I'll have jugs of squash etc and bowls of fruit separately so these are not included in the boxes. So far I've thought of: sandwich (probably ham/cheese), yoghurt or jelly, a mini sausage roll or similar, carrot/cucumber sticks, crackers or crisps. All of these are only ideas so any thoughts would be hugely welcome. They will also all get a slice of birthday cake.

Savvy_Sue · 20 January 2019 at 11:31PM

personally, I'd avoid sandwiches and go for things which require less effort: mini sausages, little bits of pizza etc. Very little will be eaten anyway ... or is that just my experience of 3-4 year olds?

BargainJunky · 21 January 2019 at 1:22AM

My suggestion is keep it simple. If you decide to do sandwiches ham, cheese or jam go down well. Party sausages or sausage rolls, cherry tomatoes, cue, carrot sticks, cold pizza, strawberries/grapes and wrapped biscuits/cakes or funsize choc bars.

aimeemum · 22 January 2019 at 10:42AM

I second doing the old favourites. Maybe a small ham/cheese roll, a mini-roll or biscuit, some crisps, a carton of drink and something healthier like an apple. If you're pre-making the lunches, try to make it as simple as possible and sealed so that it stays fresh and you can prep well in advance that way.

Working_Mum · 22 January 2019 at 5:11PM

I used to pop a cheese spread/ham/jam sandwich or two, a packet of crisps and a small cake bar into a roll top paper bag for my children whenever we had parties for them. The contents were never fully eaten whatever I used to put in them.

I used to do a "treasure hunt" around the garden, with the kids stopping at various spots instead of party bags - saved having to prep them and used to wear the little blighters out.

A friend of my son - now 20 years old commented recently that he used to love coming to our parties because I never forced him to eat fruit!

LilElvis · 23 January 2019 at 12:32PM

Have you checked with the soft play centre that they allow you to take your own food and drink? The ones by us definitely dont.

Fen1 · 23 January 2019 at 1:00PM

Have you checked each child's dietary requirements? Vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free? The last thing you need is a child going into anaphylactic shock.

Jox · 23 January 2019 at 1:12PM

I've been to loads of 4 year olds parties in the last few months, some provided chicken / veg nuggets and chips, some pizza, some ham / cheese sandwiches and fruit, pom bear crisps.

The parents ate more than the kids did

Alikay · 24 January 2019 at 3:45PM

No Party Rings?!!:eek:

jackomdj · 27 January 2019 at 10:15AM

Fen1 wrote: »

Have you checked each child's dietary requirements? Vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free? The last thing you need is a child going into anaphylactic shock.

Sorry, but surely it is up to a parent of a child with special requirements to let the person know, or bring their own things. My niece had an epi pen from an early age and her mum would make anyone aware of her needs. In my children's class at school, we had children whose parents let us know about requirements and one child who would bring their own very specific packed lunch.

Yes if told you could do something specific, but you shouldn't have to ask each parent individually.

MrsSippi · 29 January 2019 at 2:22PM

LilElvis wrote: »

Have you checked with the soft play centre that they allow you to take your own food and drink? The ones by us definitely dont.

Yes it's definitely allowed. My kids have attended parties there and you basically pay for the room and bouncy castle etc and you are expected to provide the food, balloons, cake etc.

Fen1 wrote: »

Have you checked each child's dietary requirements? Vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free? The last thing you need is a child going into anaphylactic shock.

jackomdj wrote: »

Sorry, but surely it is up to a parent of a child with special requirements to let the person know, or bring their own things. My niece had an epi pen from an early age and her mum would make anyone aware of her needs. In my children's class at school, we had children whose parents let us know about requirements and one child who would bring their own very specific packed lunch.

Yes if told you could do something specific, but you shouldn't have to ask each parent individually.

No I haven't but I am not going to check the dietary requirements of 30 kids. I'll provide a lunch box for everyone with an assortment of things then will put out platters with pizza, sausage rolls etc for kids to top up with what warm food they'd like.

Need party lunch ideas for 3-4 year olds

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