Making Party Food
FUN and EASY

Many a time I have spent worrying and slaving over recipe books up till midnight but when the day comes, only half of it is eaten. My advice:

Food is usually a lower priority for the kids than playing games, friends getting together and simply having fun.

Teenagers are an exception, as teenage boys especially seem to have a voracious appetite so make PLENTY of it.

Remember a lot of kids are fussy eaters, even if your child is not, so err on the side of caution. Concentrate on child friendly and fun party foods. Let your standards slips for once, but do bear in mind that too much sugary foods and drinks can cause very hyperactive children.

* Planning What To Eat
* The Cake
* Savoury Party Food Ideas
* Cookies and Sweet Treats
* Kid Drink Ideas

Planning... (most important!)

However there are things you can do to make it easier. Just read on.....

Plan Ahead

• The time of day for the party will influence the type of food that you may want to provide. If you are going for mid morning or mid afternoon, snacks will be fine.
• Think about how much you and the kids would normally eat around that time of day.
• Plan how many kids are coming and allow 3–4 different savoury plus 2-3 sweet party food choices as well as the cake.
• Ask someone to help you with the party. It's not a sign of 'not being able' but a sign of 'being practical'.
• Don't forget that some kids have ALLERGIES especially to nuts, but in general their parents should inform you of this before hand.
• Prepare as much food as you can in advance. Make use of your freezer if you have one, as you really won't want to be doing much cooking on the day. Leave yourself time to be having fun with the kids.

Printable Party Planning Checklist

Choice Of Food

• Discuss with your child what party food she/he would like and allow treats to make the day feel special.
• If you are having a theme party this may well dictate the sort of food that you might choose.
• Finger foods, especially for the under 7's, are much more child friendly and practical than a child balancing a plate of food on their laps.
• Younger kids are also likely to eat more if they can come and go to the food table.

Allow 2-3 drinks per child

• Plan drinks according to the weather and how boisterous the activities are.
• Make sure that disposable cups aren't too flimsy, as with little kids paper cups tend to get a bit soggy round the lip and thin plastic ones tend to get crushed by little hands.
• The same applies to paper plates. I always write names on each cup and plate (or stick pictures on) to save mixing them up as the kids always forget which one is theirs.
• Party food boxes are a great and fun alternative and are much easier for the younger kids to use.

Home Cooked or Ready Made?

• Ask yourself how much time you have, how good are your cooking skills and what is your budget. I tend to do a mixture of both shop bought and homemade party food. I must admit that shop bought party food often works out cheaper if you buy the shops own brand and in bulk and obviously saves a huge amount of time and energy.
• Don't feel bad about buying ready-made food. You are just being practical.
• Buy foodstuffs that have a long shelf life or are freeze-able so then there is less wastage. Or you could do a mix such as buying a packet biscuit/cake mix and decorating the goodies yourself. Your child will love to help I'm sure!
• Some of the supermarkets produce excellent packet mixes which just need water, eggs and oil. Consider ready made pizza bases and have fun with your kids going wild with your own toppings.

Where To Eat
Where do you want the kids to eat?. Remember, if it's a buffet the guests will need somewhere to sit. We often lay down a big mat which all the kids sit on and have a sort of indoor picnic if it's too wet/cold to be outdoors.

What About Mums and Dads?
I don't usually cater specially for the adults but if you have the time it's nice sometimes to prepare one party food item that is more adult appropriate although adults still like crisps and popcorn!

The End Of The Party
At the end of the party you won't feel like cooking for the family so make sure that you have something ready cooked in the freezer.

* Planning What To Eat
* The cake
* Savoury Food Ideas
* Cookies and Sweet Treats
* Kid Drink Ideas

Print of this party checklist.

Did you know.......".HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU" is the most well known song in the English speaking world and perhaps in the whole world too. Its origins began with a Kindergarten schoolteacher from Kentucky called Mildred J. Hill. In 1893 Mildred composed a melody and her sister Patty Smith Hill who was the school principal added some simple lyrics to form the song "Good Morning to All". It was to be a simple greeting song for teachers to use in welcoming students to the class each morning. The catchy little tune soon became popular and was then published in a songbook 'Song Stories for the Kindergarten'. No one is sure who changed the words to what we sing today as "Happy Birthday" but they first appeared in a songbook in 1924 and since then it has been sung at millions of birthday celebrations throughout the world, including up in space.