The type and amount of food you serve at child’s party depends on what sort of party you are throwing. Obviously, you will need to serve cake at a birthday party and should serve snacks at the very least. If you are throwing a sleepover, you may want to serve breakfast to the guests in the morning. And if the party is to mark a milestone, such as a graduation, bar or bat mitzvah, or Sweet Sixteen, you may want to serve a full meal.
Different Cuisines
Do not believe the myths–not all children love hot dogs and chicken nuggets. Some children are adventurous eaters who like to try new foods and cuisines. If you know your child likes Tex-Mex or Mexican food, serve burritos, tacos or enchiladas at his party. Some children really like sushi, so if your budget allows, you may want to hire a sushi chef to come to the party and prepare fresh sushi rolls for the guests. You can also order Chinese, Thai or Indian take-out for the party if your child and her guests will eat it.
Simple Snacks
Sometimes, you want to keep things simple at a party. If you are throwing an evening birthday party, you may want to have the cake and ice cream be the center point of the food and serve simple foods, such as hummus and pita, raw vegetables and chips and dips to fill in the rest of the event. If you are hosting a sleepover, let breakfast be the main event and provide guests with popcorn and chips to munch on the night before.
Foods Kids Can Make Themselves
Turn the buffet table into an assembly line by setting out ingredients so children can assemble their own sandwiches or mini-pizzas. Lay out slices of bread, cheese and ham and plug in a waffle iron. Help children butter the bread, then layer it with cheese and ham to make a sandwich. Grill the sandwiches on the waffle iron. Set out English muffins or mini-bagels, tomato sauce, shredded cheese and chopped vegetables and help children make their own pizzas. Once the pizzas are assembled, bake them all at once in the oven.
Mini-Versions of Popular Foods
Miniature-sized versions of party foods always seem to go over well. Serve cupcakes instead of cake, chicken wings or nuggets instead of a bucket of fried chicken and mini egg, spring or pizza rolls. If you have the time, divide dip into small paper cups and arrange a small serving of chips next to each cup of dip. Serving smaller sizes of food helps keep portions under control and makes a better presentation.
Sleepover Breakfasts
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially at a sleepover, when children have stayed up all night. Scramble up a big batch of eggs or make omelets filled with cheese, vegetables or breakfast meat. Make a big batch of pancakes or waffles a few days in advance and reheat in a toaster or oven. Serve the breakfast with juice and milk and a fruit salad. Offer cereal to any guest who doesn’t like to eat eggs or pancakes.
Photo Credit
- waffle hearts image by Inger Anne Hulb??kdal from Fotolia.com
