Bday Party Food

[nicolewi]

This is not one of those posts where I am making 15 amazing gourmet items and wondering whether I need more. This is, like, super basic kid party. I am just having trouble putting this together even though it should not be hard. Too many holiday tasks going on plus 2 friend bday parties, St. Nick, 2 actual kid bdays to celebrate with our immediate family, getting up the tree, etc all in next week. 

1:30 to 3:30 afternoon 11 year old party at a painting place; roughly 10 kids; they do a guided painting and then have cake/snacks. I vaguely thought I might make cute winter-themed snacks to go with painting theme but I have zero desire to make that happen. I just need to buy something easy. DD doesn't love pizza but I could just do pizza anyway. Not super familiar with the area but there are fast food places nearby--Wendy's, Subway, McDonald's, DQ, Jersey Mike's.

We are having cupcakes for sure. 

DH is likely not available nor are my parents so I don't have a second driver; I have to bring whatever food I plan to serve when we show up for the party. My teenage daughter can help me carry stuff and set up.

Kids will have had lunch already and wouldn't really need a "meal" but i need to feed them something.

What would you serve??

[VillainV]

Ham and cheese sliders?

[pittpurple]

That's a fabulous time for a party as you don't really need to serve food at all.

My daughter turned 11 a few weeks ago and the big hit at her party was a pick n' mix station (I live in Scotland so it's probably called something else in the states!). Basically a candy bar - I bought maybe 8 different kinds of candy and just put it out on platters, gave the kids some containers from the £1 shop and they just filled them up with whatever they liked. They snacked on some during the party and brought the rest home so it was an activity, a snack and a favour in one :-)

So personally I'd just do cupcakes, a candy platter and maybe some packets of chips/popcorn for kids who aren't as into sweets and call it a day. Now that my daughter and her friends are older, they don't really eat proper food in between meals anyway (though my younger son is ALWAYS eating and his parties are nonstop action so they actually get hungry!)

[thebreakfastclub]

I would do a chicken nugget tray that you pick up on the way.

[momin2013]

With that timeframe I think snacks and cake is sufficient. Doing much more would cut into painting time and it’s already a pretty short party. I’d put out a couple bowls of chips that kids could snack on during the painting if you can, then do the cake say half an hour or so before the end.

[starburst604]

Agree that you don’t need to serve a meal with that timing. I’d do the cupcakes and snack bowls or bags of things like popcorn, chips (big Frito Lay box?) and the like with waters and gatorades.

[lacey]

Can you ask what your daughter wants? Dear DD, we are bringing cupcakes to your birthday party. In addition I think we need a snack, but not necessarily a meal, since it’s mid afternoon. Do you want me to pick up pizza, (double cut) subs, or nuggets on the way? Or we could do chips and a fruit platter. What would you and your friends like best? I need an answer by the end of the day.

I’d also throw out the suggestion of a popcorn bar with pretzels, chocolate chips, m&ms, marshmallows, and a sour/gummy candy. Not fancy - just open the bags of popcorn and pretzels and put the candy stuff in solo cups and give the kids solo cups to eat out of.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I agree that you don't NEED to do substantial food for this, and you could totally make it easy on yourself and buy a box or two of prebagged chips and/or other snacks (like my kids love the mini fudge striped cookies, so I'd get a box of chips and a box of cookie that include those and call it a day). But if you WANTED to do extra, my grocery store does a simple sandwich slider tray with turkey, ham, and roast beef mini sandwiches on hawaiian rolls, and those are always big hits with kids, and I know I don't mind the left overs because I like them and my kids take them in their lunches, so I tend to order that for parties since it's so easy.

[penguingrrl]

Agreed with the others, at that time of day you don’t need more than snacks, maybe add a box of chips. But out of the options you gave I think Jersey Mikes would hold up the best through a party. Places like McDonalds and Wendy’s barely make it through a drive home, let alone sitting out during a party. Sandwiches and pizza tend to stay tasty in that setting.

[dcn]

I’m doing a party 1:30-3:30 and just doing cupcakes. I may get some assorted chips or something but the beauty of a 1:30 party is that you don’t have to serve a ton of food!

[sparty04]

Ditto on the chips, waters and cake. Maybe some packs of Oreos if kids don't like cake. I wouldn't make it harder on myself by having some fresh food available since it's between meals.

[christy082]

Individual snack packs (chips, popcorn, etc). Super easy and no real setup/ cleanup needed.

[noodleoo]

Ditto everyone else. At that time, I woudln't expect or need any hot food. I would have cake or cupcakes, bagged snacks and drinks (juice boxes, water) like others said. Is 11 too old for a goody bag? The ones I do these days are all candy/snacks anyway so you can just give those out as the snack.

[shauni27]

Dec 5, 2023 9:10:06 GMT -5 christy082 said:

Individual snack packs (chips, popcorn, etc). Super easy and no real setup/ cleanup needed.

exactly this. no need for a meal, just grab a giant box of individually wrapped snack packs and serve the cupcakes. 

[nicolewi]

Thank you so much. I really like the pick n mix/snack bar ideas. Maybe I’ll let them do a make their own popcorn and candy snack mix or something along those lines. Or just the take-home candy!

The place provides some kind of beverages… I need to check on what that includes.

[whattheheck]

Have the invitations gone out yet? If not, consider adding “snacks and cupcakes will be served” so that no one is holding off eating lunch bc they think they’re getting pizza. I don’t think you need a full meal/lunch - but I would appreciate a heads up if my kid was attending.

[meanie]

We have been to parties in that timeframe and the food ranges from only cupcakes to pizza and snacks, so I don't think you can go wrong here.

I will say that we did pizza for an afternoon party and ended up with 20 pizzas left over so....don't do that I guess!

Maybe some bowls of chips/pretzles/popcorn and waters set out at the beginning, then cupcakes and juice after painting. 2 hours will fly by and they will be busy with painting, I bet they won't even eat much.

[nicolewi]

I already did put cake and snacks on the invitation. But I was having a hard time coming up with what kind of snacks, so I was just considering doing pizza or subs instead, but I think I’ve got it figured out now thanks to all of this advice!

[erbear]

1:30-3:30 does not require pizza. I'd get snacks (chips, pretzels, fruit) and cupcakes.

[mcppalmbeach]

I feel like people here give a lot more attention to this kind of thing than what I see in real life 😜 I think snacks are fine. I’d likely do packs of chips and/or goldfish out with a small fruit platter. Or you can just have pizza delivered.