Organise your party food
This page contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
Our top tip when it comes to kids' party food is to think small: bite-size everything. This way children can have a handful of everything and not leave platefuls of leftover food with two bites taken out!
Children do love to choose their own selection of items from an array of plates, but if it suits you better, they will be happy if presented with a ‘happy meal’-style box filled with a tempting selection of goodies.
Below you'll find some great savoury and sweet ideas, as well as suggestions for the highlight of the party tea - the cake!
Savoury ideas
- Sandwiches - a party basic that can be made much more appealing by being cut into tiny triangles or shapes with food cutters.
- Pizza fingers - cut a pizza into manageable sections that children can eat easily with their fingers. It's usually best to stick to the basic cheese and tomato or ham varieties.
Find a tasty pizza recipe here. - Tiny quiches and little scotch eggs - bite sized are best.
Find a great mini quiche recipe here. - Mini sausages or sausage rolls - again, the smaller the better.
- Mini vegetables and dips - cut carrots, cucumber, red and yellow peppers into sticks, add a few cherry tomatoes and offer with some houmous or cream cheese for dips.
Find some delicious dip recipes here. - Breadsticks, cheese straws and mini cheese biscuits - easy to eat and filling.
Find an easy cheesy biscuit recipe here. - Cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks (older children only) - always popular!
- Crisps and potato rings.
Sweet ideas
- Biscuits - chocolate fingers, pink wafers, jam sandwiches and iced rings usually hit the spot with most children.
Find some biscuit and cookie recipes here. - Cakes - popular choices include chocolate mini rolls, tiny fairy cakes and chocolate covered marshmallows. Use the tiny petit-four paper cases that supermarkets sell rather than the larger bun or muffin cases for buns.
Find more cake and muffin recipes here. - Popcorn.
- A bowl of grapes or chopped fruit.
Drinks
- Juice - apple, orange and cranberry.
- Squashes - orange, lemon, strawberry or blackcurrant.
- Individual juice cartons - more expensive, but easier and less chance of spillages!
- Water - the best thirst quencher of all.
Cake
There are lots of themed cakes you can buy, but you can also buy a simple sponge cake to customise for your child. Use ready-made icing and icing pens to decorate.
Or for your child's next birthday or special occasion, why not create something really unique and special? There are lots of easy ways to make lovely birthday cakes that are healthier, cheaper and much more individual than shop-bought varieties.
Take a look at our guide on cake decorating, which includes tips and ideas from other mums - we promise these cakes are high on impact but low on stress!
Sandwich tips
- Take margarine or butter out of the fridge to soften for a while, before you begin.
- Use different types of bread to add variety to your party sandwiches.
- Choose from rye, granary, baguette or french stick, ciabatta, pitta, rolls, or baps and muffins.
- Cut sandwiches into quarters.
- Don't overfill the sandwiches.
- Offer a selection of fillings (eg: grated cheese, cream cheese, jam, chocolate spread, ham, tuna) so there is something for everyone.
- Make some plain, buttered sandwiches for those children who don't like any of the sandwich fillings (there are bound to be some).
- Don't use peanut butter or chocolate hazelnut spread in case any of the guests have a nut allergy.
- Keep sandwiches fresh by placing them in plastic bags or covering them with cling film or foil.
