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If you're planning on throwing a children's birthday party at home, you're probably asking yourself, 'What do I do for kids party food?' Luckily, we're here to help.
What should I serve at a kids' birthday party?
There are a loads of things you can choose for easy kids party food that are cheap and tasty, while also appealing to children's sense of fun.
- Kids love finger foods they can pick at. This could mean a variety of sweet and savoury snacks, with some healthy options thrown in too, as well as drinks to wash it all down with.
- You could stick to traditional, much-loved kids party food like cocktail sausages, jelly and ice cream and fondant fancies, or mix it up by trying out some new recipes like broccoli tots or cauliflower pizza .
- Don't forget plenty of crisps and crackers too. They're easy to grab and satsifying to crunch.
- Classic sandwiches: When it comes to sandwiches, we've tried alternatives but the basics seem to always be crowd-pleasers, such as cheese and ham or chicken mayo sandwiches cut into triangles. Who doesn't love those?
More tips when preparing kids party food
If your child's friends are attending, it's smart to ask on the invitations for any dietary requirements ahead of the party. That way you can prepare some suitable food for them prior to the celebrations - whether it be vegan, gluten- or dairy-free, and so on.
Be sure to provide plenty of water on the day to keep little ones hydrated. If you want to serve them a sweet drink, you could serve homemade fruit smoothies , milkshakes or watered down squash. Though it's best to provide these after the food, so they don't fill up on liquids.
Finally, don't forget about the birthday cake , aka the bit of the party the kids look forward to the most (other than the presents, of course). You can pick up some pretty good birthday cakes at the supermarket featuring all their favourite characters, or you can of course bake your own at home.
Check out some of our birthday cake recipes here.
Read on to discover our round up of the top kids party food ideas, including budget-friendly options, and easy-to-make recipes that you can even get the kids helping along with beforehand.
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Last updated 23 June 2022
36 kids' party food ideas
1. Cheese and tomato pizza
A much-loved children's food, cheese and tomato pizza is a party favourite. Cut into small slices so everyone can dig in.
Cheese and tomato pizzas are cheap to buy, or you could try making your own.
2. Sausage rolls
Perfect for picnics and for parties, these yummy savoury bites go down a storm with ketchup.
What's more, they taste even better when homemade.
3. Sandwiches
You can't lay on a party spread without a selection of sandwiches. Kids love ham and cheese, tuna mayo, chicken mayo, and egg and cress in particular, while hummus makes a good vegan option.
Cut them into little triangles, perfect for little fingers.
4. Cheese, carrot and courgette muffins
These yummy savoury muffins are packed with veggies, and make for a relatively healthy choice of party food.
Plus, they look like cakes, so kids love them!
5. Meatballs
These party-friendly meaty bites are ideal for kids of all ages, and taste fantastic with a bit of ketchup.
What's more, they're super easy to make too! Our meatball recipe is gluten and egg free, so they're ideal for kids that are allergic.
6. Cucumber and carrot batons
Aim to include some healthy snacks as part of the party food spread. Carrot and cucumber batons are are a great option and most kids love them!
Add a side of sour cream or hummus as a yummy dip for them too.
7. Cheese straws
These delicious cheese straws are made with puff pastry and cheddar cheese.
They're easy to make yourself, and you can even get your little one to help you.
8. Chicken nuggets
Quick and easy to cook in the oven, chicken nuggets are a guaranteed win at any kids' birthday party!
Serve with ketchup or barbecue sauce.
9. Quiche
This yummy quiche contains spinach and feta, and can be served alongside salad or veggie batons.
It tastes great with both mayonnaise and ketchup, and is easy enough to make at home with the kids.
Not one for those with allergies though, due to the cream content.
10. Hotdogs
Great at barbecues, and even better at kids' parties, especially during the summer months.
Serve yours in a bun with ketchup (or mustard for kids with adventurous taste buds!)
11. Cheese and crackers
Probably the most simple snacks to have at a kids' party are good old cheese and crackers. Minimal effort or prep, and loved by all.
What's more, they're a great snack for fussy eaters, too. Win win.
12. Cocktail sausages
A quintessential party favourite, who doesn't like cocktail sausages on sticks?
Super quick and easy to prepare, these go down a treat with ketchup.
13. Broccoli tots
These super nutritious broccoli tots are a great alternative to chips, and are ideal for toddlers as well as kids.
A great idea for sneaking in their greens in a tasty way!
14. Crisps
It's always worth having plenty of crisps in different flavours at your child's party so the kids (and grown ups) can dip in and out of them.
Vegetable crisps are a yummy, healthier alternative too.
Why not provide dips to go with the crisps, too?
15. Vanilla cupcakes
If there's one food kids just love, it's cupcakes. Especially at parties.
You could go for cupcakes with classic vanilla frosting, or serve a variety of cupcakes, including chocolate and strawberry.
These yummy vanilla cupcakes are super easy to make at home, too. Don't forget the sprinkles on top!
Try our recipe for Hummingbird Bakery vanilla cupcakes here.
16. Chocolate brownies
These deliciously moreish chocolate brownies go down a storrem at parties, and feel like a truly indulgent treat.
What's more, any adult attendees will love them too!
We've got loads of different brownie recipes for you to experiment with, including beetroot brownies and avocado brownies , as well as regular brownies.
17. Fruity ice cream
This fruity and refreshing ice cream makes for a delicious party food, especially on hot summer days.
The fruit inside means its a little healthier than chocolate or vanilla ice cream, too.
Serve with berries on top, a sprig of mint, or a wafer.
18. Painted biscuits
These fun and colourful biscuits are great to serve at kids parties.
Part of the fun of them, is that the kids can enjoy making them with you, and adding their own decorative colours.
19. Fondant fancies
A much-loved treat over the years, these French-inspired fondant fancies look absolutely gorgeous with their pink, yellow and brown icing.
An elegant choice for a kids' pamper party , sure to delight kids of all ages.
20. Fruit jelly
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble, jelly on a plate!
You can't go wrong with jelly at a party, kids just love the wobbly texture and fruity flavours.
Add some berries to it to sneak in some of their five a day!
21. Macarons
These pretty macarons are a real crowd pleaser, and you can make them in all sorts of colours with the most delicious filling.
Ideal for kids parties and pamper parties, and if you want to get really fancy, you can try and make them yourself.
22. Chocolate cornflake cake
Get the kids involved in making these scrumptious chocolate cornflake cakes.
They're super duper easy to make at home, and most of the ingredients you'll have in your cupboards.
23. Mixed fruit platter
It's a good idea to provide some healthy snacks at your child's birthday party.
A mixed fruit platter offers a little something for everyone. Combine chopped banana, strawberries, kiwi, apple and blueberries in a bowl.
If you like, you can serve it with yoghurt too.
24. Chocolate cake
It's not a birthday party without cake! And this decadent chocolate cake with a strawberry topping is just the ticket.
Just be sure to serve it after all the other party food so little ones don't fill up on sugar first.
25. Cake pops
What could be better than cake? How about cake on a stick like a lollipop?!
These are super fun and easy to make, especially for kids, who will love rolling their cake pop around in sprinkles and other decorations.
26. Jelly and ice cream
A perennial classic, jelly and ice cream is a true children's party favourite, as popular now as it ever was.
Serve up a fruity jelly with chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice cream and be sure to provide some sprinkles and chocolate sauce for the finishing touches.
27. Egg and dairy-free chocolate cupcakes
These delicious chocolate cupcakes are just as good as the real thing, except that they're egg and dairy free.
Ideal for allergy sufferers or those with intolerances.
See our recipe for egg and dairy-free chocolate cupcakes here.
28. Blue mocktails
Get the kids into the party spirit with these fun blue mocktails that are super easy to make.
The trick? Food colouring. You can adapt the colour you choose to the theme too, so orange for halloween, pink for a princess party, green for aliens and so on.
Garnish with blueberries and lemon.
29. Banana milkshake
If you fancy giving the kids a sweet drink, try this healthy banana milkshake.
This super simple recipe combines ripe bananas and cold milk. Simply blend up and serve.
30. Berry smoothie
This delicious smoothie really packs a punch, full of healthy berries like strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.
Use frozen fruit on warm days for a refreshing drink for your party guests.
31. Strawberry mocktail
Fizzy, fruity and refreshing, this strawberry mocktail is a great party drink for both kids and adults alike.
It features sparkling water, berry juice, and sweet strawberries, making for a great party drink - especially during the summer.
32. Lemonade
A little bit sweet, zesty and ultra refreshing, lemonade is a fab party drink, and tastes even better when homemade.
You can make this lemonade with either still or sparkling water too, depending on preference.
33. Fruit punch
Fruity and fun, this delicious and summery drink is bound to go down a storm at your kid's birthday party.
You can mix and match the different types of fruit you use too if you like.
34. Banana and mango smoothie
This creamy, fruity summer drink contains yummy banana and mango, as well as yoghurt and juice. A delicious treat at a kids' party!
Since it's quite thick, you'd be best serving this with the sweets and pudding, so everyone eats the savoury snacks first and doesn't get full.
35. Milk
A great choice for young kids and toddlers, milk is a healthy drink choice at a kid's party, as most youngsters love it.
Just be sure to serve milk drinks after the party food, so they don't fill up on liquids. Water is a better choice alongside their food.
36. Strawberry milkshake
This easy to make strawberry milkshake is healthier than the shop-bought versions, as it contains real fruit.
You can even make this milkshake dairy-free if you have any allergy sufferers attending the party.
Are you planning a kids' party? Have you got any great party food ideas to recommend? Find more ideas and share your own with our articles and forum below:
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For more tips and ideas, check out our birthday planning guides by age:
1-year-old birthday • 2-year-old birthday • 3-year-old birthday • 4-year-old birthday • 5-year-old birthday • 6-year-old birthday • 7-year-old birthday • 8-year-old birthday • 9-year-old birthday • 10-year-old birthday • 11-year-old birthday • 12-year-old birthday • 13-year-old birthday • 14-year-old birthday