I love planning and preparing for my children’s birthday parties. I usually ask my kids to pick a theme, and we then plan the food and games around that theme. We’ve had fairy parties, farm parties, Lego parties, Star Wars parties and cowgirl parties! The possibilities are endless and we’ve previously featured a rainbow themed tea party on the blog.
Preparing the party food is often the most time consuming part, but it can be as simple or as extravagant as you wish. We asked the Be a Fun Mum community for your party food ideas, and we’ve grouped them here in one place for you, with lots of helpful tips too!
Cold food
- vegetable sticks (cucumber, carrot, celery, capsicum) with dip
- popcorn
- crisps
- pretzels (can cover in chocolate)
- fruit platter
- fruit kebabs
- strawberry and marshmallow kebabs
- cut up fruit served in cupcake cases
- marshmallow pops
- ice blocks
- ice cream in cones
- frozen yoghurt
- mini cupcakes
- mini muffins
- chocolate crackles
- cake balls
- chocolate brownies
- honey joys
- individual jelly cups
- frog in a pond
- fairy bread
- sandwiches
- biscuits (cut into fun shapes)
- crackers and dip
- corn chips with layered dip
- cheese platter for adults
- lamingtons
- jam tarts
- hard boiled eggs
Hot food
- sausage rolls
- cheerios/cocktail sausages
- mini pizzas
- sausage sizzle
- baked potatoes
- spring rolls
- mini hamburgers
- wedges/hot chips
- mini hot dogs
- mini quiches
- toasted sandwiches
- spaghetti
- shepherd’s pie
- mild chicken curry
- fried rice
- stir fry noodles
Make your own food
This is a fun party activity:
- make your own ice cream sundae
- make your own baked potatoes
- make your own mini pizzas
- decorate milk arrowroot biscuits or decorate funny face biscuits
- decorate cupcakes
Drinks
- water
- juice
- cordial
- fruit punch
- milk – plain or flavoured
- tea and coffee for adults
Birthday Cake
- traditional cake
- cupcakes – no need to cut up
- ice cream cake – great for warmer months
- more birthday cake ideas here
Tips for smooth party food prep
- prepare food in advance and freeze where possible
- kids are often too busy playing to eat much, so there’s no need to over cater
- keep packets of chips and other pantry/freezer food on standby in case you need more
- label children’s cups and plates so they can come and go from the food
- offer the birthday cake earlier in the party, to reduce the need for other foods
- designate a time and area (even a picnic rug) for children to sit down and eat
- check for food allergies before the party and plan the party menu accordingly
- serve morning or afternoon tea only, to save having to prepare a meal for a large group of people
- have a “Japanese watermelon smash” instead of a traditional piñata filled with lollies
- when children are younger, parents tend to stay at parties, so have some food and drinks set aside for them
- serve children’s party food in individual, labelled cardboard boxes/containers (available online and in discount stores). This prevents wastage and gorging!
- serve hot food in individual noodle boxes
For recipe ideas, head over to Simple Home Cook and and purchased Kids Party Food from for only $5.95.
2 Comments
Poptop Children Parties
November 8, 2016 at 2:59 amI like how fun and colorful it looked on the table
Your kids are very lucky! You’re so talented, Cath!
How do you manage your time to get all the tiny details in?
GymBus
November 7, 2017 at 8:15 pmAwesome ideas about party food, great blog, thanks for sharing.