Kids Birthday Ideas - What About The Food?

When you first start the planning process and begin thinking about kids birthday ideas, it's a good idea to sit down with a pen an paper, and actually have a 'Plan'! Having an actual plan for your kids birthday party will definitely keep you focused, and you can create a time line for when certain things can get done. Preparation and planning are key to having a stress free kids birthday party!

First of all, there are a couple of things to take into consideration when planning 'the menu' for your kids birthday party.

• The age of the children. The younger they are, the more careful you have to be when it comes to leaving bowls of food around...you really don't want the young ones putting  their sticky little fingers in various bowls of food when they aren't old enough to know about hygiene. 
  
• Portion control, and time management! There are things you can do the day before the party that will save you huge amounts of time, and minimize food waste (always a pet peeve of mine). For example, you can scoop individual servings of ice cream into small dixie cups the day before the kids birthday party and keep them in your freezer...ready for quick and easy serving on your kids birthday party day!

• Have a set 'meal time'. In other words, don't just leave bowls of food sitting out for the entire duration of the party. Plan a set time to sit down and have the 'birthday meal' and then put the food away. This will eliminate the little fingers double dipping, and also keep the portions in control. This will make sure all of the kids at the birthday party get their fair share of the snacks!

So, What Should You Serve At Your Next Kid's Birthday Party?

It's really up to you, but here are a few ideas....

1.  For a very young crowd (one to three years old), you really don't need more than the traditional birthday cake, and maybe a little ice cream. Your bigger focus should be on the parents, who should be attending with their little ones. These early year birthday parties are usually  more for the family and close friends, so I would just have a few snacks and maybe some finger sandwiches available. Think of food you can prepare in advance...that way you can enjoy the special birthday party with your little one and your family. A party for a young child should only last a couple of hours, so don't sweat the food part!
2.  As your kids birthday party becomes a party for four to six year olds, you will have to consider a bit more for snacks. But, keep in mind, these are very little people, so a couple small bite sized sandwiches, maybe some apple slices, mini carrots, or a small serving of crackers all served on individual plates would work well. Of course you will have the kids birthday cake and those prepared ice cream cups! You can also use bottled water or juices...which you can label with each child's name, to keep the food handling and spillage to a minimum!
3. Once your kids birthday party advances to the older age groups, you might then consider having a bowl of chips available, or some other snack food. I still think it's a good idea to have a set 'sit down' time when you can serve the main food offering...sandwiches, hot dogs, pizza, or whatever you decide on. To leave food sitting out the whole duration of the kids birthday party only invites a bigger mess and more food waste

Bottom line - Keep it simple, most kids will remember what they DID at a kids birthday party more than what they ATE, so offer a quick mini meal, and focus more on activities that will keep the kids entertained and make the celebration a memorable one!