When your children start entering the full-on party period of their lives – usually around kindergarten and school age – it’s a mixed bag when it comes to your feelings as a parent! On the one hand, you are as excited as your children – it’s a huge moment for them, and they will be the focus of the entire day. On the other, however, when you realize that you have 30-40 over excited little ones to deal with and entertain for 2-3 hours, it can result in palpitations.
Even if you take the easy option of hiring an entertainer to keep all the guests happy, you still might have to take care of all the food. And believe me, the amount of work – and money – involved, can be a huge burden. With this in mind, I’ve put together a few tips on how to manage cooking for kids parties. Hopefully, they will help any first-timers out there who are currently having panic attacks to get through the experience. Read on to find out more – and good luck with the party!
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Don’t panic
First of all, as much as you would love to provide your kid’s friends with a super duper five-course meal, there really is no need. You don’t have to impress anyone other than your child on their special day – least of all the parents (many of whom will be dropping off their kids and leaving you in charge, anyway!)
Safety first
Planning is vital – and it needs to begin when you send out invitations., make sure you include a request to contact you with any particular dietary requirements. Whether it’s glucose or lactose intolerance, some parents might be concerned about their kids eating the wrong type of food. And, as everyone knows, nut allergies can be incredibly dangerous, so it’s vital to start planning with a safety first attitude in mind.
Order cakes
I will always make an effort to bake a cake for my children’s birthday, but for the party, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with ordering one in. Getting something like Sam’s Club bakery cakes from allcakeprices.com or from your local bakery store is going to save you so much time and effort – especially when you have a whole party to plan. It’s not like the cake will be hanging around for long, either- it will be gone within minutes.
Simple and tasty
Pizza and sandwiches are a perennial favorite for kids parties, and there’s no need to go too far outside the norm. If you want to jazz things up a little, think about using cookie cutter shapes to make things a little more special for all the kids. Chicken skewers are another popular option, and you can also go down the burger route, too. Don’t forget to put aside time to cut up some veggies – carrot, tomatoes, and cucumber are perfect and can be supplied with a dip at each of the tables. Finally, cut up some grapes or watermelon and maybe provide a fruit salad – another perennial party favorite – and you should satisfy the kids, as well as any health-conscious parents!
Helping hands
There are two types of parent at kids parties: the ‘dump n’ runs’ and the ‘stay and helps.’ There is almost certainly a guarantee of the former, but less so of the later. If anyone does stick around, however, the chances are that they will be happy to offer a hand. Don’t reject this offer, unless you intend to be clearing up for hours after the party finishes. Ask any relatives to come and give some assistance, too. Yes, it might be your child’s first big birthday party, and you might want to do everything yourself to prove your love. But, ultimately, if help is available, use it. Even if it’s just helping in bringing food out to tables, or encouraging small people to stay sitting at the table when all their instincts are telling them otherwise! Do it alone by all means – and you have my full admiration for giving it a try. However, a room full of overexcited kids can be incredibly difficult to control, and a few extra pairs of hands will go a long way to making sure everything runs smoothly.
OK, so there you have it – how to plan and prepare food for a kids party. If you have any tips or experiences you want to share, feel free – just leave a comment in the section below and join in on the conversation!
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