38 kids' party food ideas

A key part of the fun at a kids birthday party is the party food! We've got party food and drink ideas for children's parties for kids of all ages – along with easy recipes.

A much-loved children's food, cheese and tomato pizza is a party favourite. Cut into small slices so everyone can dig in.

Cheese and tomato pizzas are cheap to buy, or you could try making your own.

See our cheese and tomato pizza recipe here.

Perfect for picnics and for parties, these yummy savoury bites go down a storm with ketchup.

What's more, they taste even better when homemade.

See our sausage roll recipe here.

Handheld, easy, cheap to make and familiar: there's a reason sandwiches are a children's fave at party. In addition to children's favourites like ham and cheese, tuna mayo, chicken mayo, and egg and cress, you could try hummus with shredded carrots for a good vegan option, sausages with ketchup or coronation chicken!

Cut them into little triangles – perfect for little fingers.

See our sandwich filling ideas here.

Try these meat-free sandwich ideas too.

A sister to the sandwich, wraps are another great party food because you can put almost anything in them. (Chicken tikka? Chicken and cole slaw? Halloumi and couscous? Yes, yes and yes!)

Kids can even enjoy the frilly lettuce or slivered carrots when served up this way!

Then once they're rolled up, you can slice them into thirds so kids can try different ones without leaving loads of waste.

Try these easy ones:

Easy ham and cheese wraps

Falafel wraps

Chicken wraps

Spicy chicken wrap for kids

These yummy savoury muffins are packed with veggies, and make for a relatively healthy choice of party food.

Plus, they look like cakes, so kids love them!

See our recipe for cheese and carrot muffins here.

These party-friendly meaty bites are ideal for kids of all ages, and taste fantastic with a bit of ketchup.

What's more, they're super easy to make too! Our meatball recipe is gluten- and egg-free, so they're ideal for kids that are allergic.

See our recipe for meatballs here.

Carrots, cucumbers, celery, halved cherry tomatoes, peppers, blanched broccoli, mange tout and more.

Make them more fun by varying the shapes: long batons, ridged or crinkle-cut rounds, , long ribbons, little flowers, skinny matchsticks ... you could even get fancy and do flowers to give them even more eye appeal!

Some veggies, like broccoli, work better if they're slightly blanched: it brings out their colour and softens them slightly to make them more yummy to eat. (We love broccoli florets as 'trees', for a dinosaur-themed party!)

Add a side of sour cream or hummus as a yummy dip for them too.

See our hummus recipe here.

These delicious cheese straws are made with puff pastry and cheddar cheese.

They're easy to make yourself, and you can even get your little one to help you.

See our recipe for cheese straws here.

These tasty little treats, which we discovered on Play Party Plan, are easy to make from frozen shredded potatoes ... or shred the potatoes yourself if you're feeling foodie.

Sprinkle on some cheese before baking, or fill them bits of ham, diced sausage, tiny slices of spring onions or whatever else you fancy.

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Quick and easy to cook in the oven, chicken nuggets are a guaranteed win at any kids' birthday party!

Try these make-at-home crispy cornflake chicken goujons you can make in the air fryer.

Serve with ketchup or barbecue sauce.

See our recipe for chicken nuggets here.

This yummy quiche contains spinach and feta, and can be served alongside salad or the veggies above.

It tastes great with both mayonnaise and ketchup and is easy enough to make at home with the kids. Plus you can make this ahead of time and slice on the day, or slice into sections beforehand so all you have to do is hand them out.

Note: This recipe has cream but you can use a dairy-free milk in it as well.

Check out our recipe for quiche here.

Great at barbecues, and even better at kids' parties, especially during the summer months. Also, it's easy to do these as meaty, vegetarian or even vegan depending on the bread you buy and the type of sausage you put inside.

Serve in a bun with ketchup (or mustard for kids with adventurous taste buds!)

Tip: Cut the entire hot dog in half. Kids can come back for another half if they're still hungry and you won't be left with loads of full-size hotdogs all with one or two bites taken out of them.

See our recipe for hot dogs here.

Probably simplest snacks to have at a kids' party are good old cheese and crackers. Minimal effort or prep, and loved by all.

What's more, they're a great snack for fussy eaters, too. Win win.

A quintessential party favourite that's fun for little fingers.

Serve them straight out of the packet, warmed or even baked in a honey mustard or maple and ginger sauce if your kids will go for it.

Super quick and easy to prepare!

See our recipe for maple and ginger cocktail sausages here.

These super nutritious broccoli tots are a great alternative to chips and are ideal for toddlers as well as kids.

A great idea for sneaking in their greens in a tasty way!

See our recipe for broccoli tots here.

It's always worth having plenty of crisps in different flavours at your child's party so the kids (and grown ups) can dip in and out of them.

Vegetable crisps are a yummy, healthier alternative too.

Make these more fun by providing individual packets or pop them into little individual bowls that kids can eat to the bottom of.

Alternatively pile them up on a tray in the middle of the table for 'wow' effect, with a little scoop so kids can put some on their own plate.

Plus, you can offer tasty dips too! See our spicy cheese dip recipe here.

If there's one food kids just love, it's cupcakes. Especially at parties.

You could go for cupcakes with classic vanilla frosting, or serve a variety of cupcakes, including chocolate and strawberry.

These yummy vanilla cupcakes are super easy to make at home, too. Don't forget the sprinkles on top!

Try our recipe for Hummingbird Bakery vanilla cupcakes here.

These deliciously moreish chocolate brownies go down a storrem at parties, and feel like a truly indulgent treat.

What's more, any adult attendees will love them too!

We've got loads of different brownie recipes for you to experiment with, including beetroot brownies and avocado brownies, as well as regular brownies.

See our recipe for chocolate brownies here.

This fruity and refreshing ice cream makes for a delicious party food, especially on hot summer days.

The fruit inside means its a little healthier than chocolate or vanilla ice cream, too.

Serve with berries on top, a sprig of mint, or a wafer.

See our recipe for fruity ice cream here.

These fun and colourful biscuits are great to serve at kids parties.

Part of the fun of them, is that the kids can enjoy making them with you, and adding their own decorative colours.

See our recipe for painted biscuits here.

A much-loved treat over the years, these French-inspired fondant fancies look absolutely gorgeous with their pink, yellow and brown icing.

An elegant choice for a kids' pamper party, sure to delight kids of all ages.

Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble, jelly on a plate!

Kids love the wobbly texture and fruity flavours. Add some berries to it to sneak in some of their five a day!

See our recipe for fruit jelly here.

These pretty macarons are a real crowd pleaser, and you can make them in all sorts of colours with the most delicious filling.

Ideal for kids parties and pamper parties, and if you want to get really fancy, you can try and make them yourself.

See our recipe for macarons here.

Get the kids involved in making these scrumptious chocolate cornflake cakes.

They're super duper easy to make at home, and most of the ingredients you'll have in your cupboards.

See our recipe for chocolate cornflake cakes here.

It's a good idea to provide some healthy snacks at your child's birthday party.

A mixed fruit platter offers a little something for everyone. Combine chopped banana, strawberries, kiwi, apple and blueberries in a bowl.

If you like, you can serve it with yoghurt too.

To make it extra fun, try this watermelon pizza recipe.

It's not a birthday party without cake! And this decadent chocolate cake with a strawberry topping is just the ticket.

Just be sure to serve it after all the other party food so little ones don't fill up on sugar first.

See our recipe for chocolate cake here.

What could be better than cake? How about cake on a stick like a lollipop?!

These are super fun and easy to make, especially for kids, who will love rolling their cake pop around in sprinkles and other decorations.

See our recipe for cake pops here.

A perennial classic, jelly and ice cream is a true children's party favourite, as popular now as it ever was.

Serve up a fruity jelly with chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice cream and be sure to provide some sprinkles and chocolate sauce for the finishing touches.

These delicious chocolate cupcakes are just as good as the real thing, except that they're egg and dairy free.

Ideal for allergy sufferers or those with intolerances.

See our recipe for egg and dairy-free chocolate cupcakes here.

Get the kids into the party spirit with these fun blue mocktails that are super easy to make.

The trick? Food colouring. You can adapt the colour you choose to the theme too, so orange for halloween, pink for a princess party, green for aliens and so on.

Garnish with blueberries and lemon.

See our recipe for blue mocktails here.

If you fancy giving the kids a sweet drink, try this healthy banana milkshake.

This super simple recipe combines ripe bananas and cold milk. Simply blend up and serve.

See our recipe for banana milkshake here.

This delicious smoothie really packs a punch, full of healthy berries like strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.

Use frozen fruit on warm days for a refreshing drink for your party guests.

See our recipe for berry smoothies here.

Fizzy, fruity and refreshing, this strawberry mocktail is a great party drink for both kids and adults alike.

It features sparkling water, berry juice, and sweet strawberries, making for a great party drink - especially during the summer.

See our recipe for strawberry mocktails here.

A little bit sweet, zesty and ultra refreshing, lemonade is a fab party drink, and tastes even better when homemade.

You can make this lemonade with either still or sparkling water too, depending on preference.

See our recipe for homemade lemonade here.

Fruity and fun, this delicious and summery drink is bound to go down a storm at your kid's birthday party.

You can mix and match the different types of fruit you use too if you like.

See our recipe for fruit punch here.

This creamy, fruity summer drink contains yummy banana and mango, as well as yoghurt and juice. A delicious treat at a kids' party!

Since it's quite thick, you'd be best serving this with the sweets and pudding, so everyone eats the savoury snacks first and doesn't get full.

See our recipe for banana and mango smoothies here.

We often think of more exotic drinks during parties, but for a lot of children – especially young kids and toddlers – milk is a healthy choice and a drink they really love.

Just be sure to serve milk drinks AFTER the party food, so they don't fill up on liquids. Water is a better choice alongside their food.

This easy to make strawberry milkshake is healthier than the shop-bought versions, as it contains real fruit.

You can even make this milkshake dairy-free if you have any allergy sufferers attending the party.

See our recipe for strawberry milkshake here.

Check out the dairy-free version here.