Guest Party Blogger: Courtney Goodwin’s Food for Kids’ Parties

Ideally, you can get away with just serving cupcakes or cake and ice cream at your party. But sometimes you have to schedule the party at a mealtime, and if this is the case, you’ll definitely have to feed the kids something besides just cake. But keep it simple! Most kids are not exactly gourmet food critics, so feed them things they’re used to eating. (Not to mention – do you have any memory of anything you ate at any party growing up? I don’t.)

• Go with frozen foods you can just thaw and/or reheat. I used frozen Smuckers Uncrustables (peanut butter & jelly sandwiches) for my daughter’s party…no cooking there…my biggest challenge was remembering to take them out of the freezer in time! Those tiny frozen cheeseburgers or bite-sized bagel pizzas would also be a big hit.
• Pre-packaged foods in single-serving sizes are super easy. There’s no prep time for you, and they’re really simple to distribute to the kids. Fruit cups, individual sized bags of chips, crackers, trail mix…you name it, you can find it in smaller bags.
• Cupcakes – They’re all the rage right now, so it may seem like a no-brainer…but seriously…not only are they super-cute – but their true value for us adults is how easy and convenient they are! No messy, laborious cake-cutting, no impatient children as they wait (forever) for the cake to be cut…just hand them out and you’re done.
• Candy or Cereal Bar – I’ve seen this done at parties and it’s super-cute. Different jars with different kinds of cereals or candies in them, and the kids can go through and build their own dishes. But beware – this comes with a SERIOUS sugar high. So provide a “bar” at your own risk!

FAVORITE RESOURCES:

· www.costco.com food, snacks, cakes

· www.etsy.com homemade cupcakes, handmade party outfits, birthday t-shirts & onesies