Hosting a children’s birthday party can get pretty stressful. You want to give your child the best birthday possible, but there’s so much to plan. You need to think about the invitations, venue, entertainment, party bags, birthday cake, the list goes on. And you’ve got to do it all under a strict budget whilst trying to keep everyone happy. Honestly, it can be a bit of a nightmare, particularly when you’re new to it. One question that sparks a bit of debate though is, should you serve food to parents at a children’s birthday party. And if so, what food should you be serving to the adults?
This one isn’t the easiest to answer. There’s a few things you should consider before deciding what to do about the food at your child’s party. How old are the children? How long is the party? Will the parents be helping out? That’s why we’ve made this guide to go through everything you need to know about food for adults at a children’s birthday party. So let’s jump right in!
Should you Serve Food to Parents at a Children's Birthday Party?
There’s a lot of debate surrounding the question, should you provide food for parents at a children’s birthday party? Looking at the responses on a lot of forums, it looks like the jury is pretty much out on this one unfortunately. But you knew this wouldn’t be a straight forward one.
Some parents reckon that it’s actually a bit rude to not serve food to adults at a children’s birthday party. There’s the opinion that it’s just good manners to offer it. This is especially true when some parents stay to help out. We do see the argument that, if adults have made the effort to stay and help, that at least offering some light refreshments is just common courtesy.
Others, perhaps even the majority reckon that this view is a little over the top. It seems that at least some parents think that offering tea and coffee is more than enough to keep the parents happy. Whilst others say that they’re perfectly fine with having the kid’s leftover food. Some even reckon that children’s birthday party food is the best bit about the whole event! Other parents worry about the playground gossipers. Will they get judged if they don’t provide food for the parents at their child’s birthday party?
But what if your budget is really tight and you just can’t afford to provide enough leftovers for the parents. Some think this is completely fine. Why should you even think about food for the parents at a kid’s party? Focus on the children themselves, they’re the ones that the party was put on for after all. If you’re worried about spending too much organising your child’s birthday party, check out our quick tips to stay under budget.
The Main Things to Consider
Okay, so now you see it can get a little complicated.
We think that the first thing you should do is consider your budget. If you’re on a tight budget, don’t worry about food for the parents. It’s not a necessity and it’s far better to think about the kids than what the parent’s think. It’s the key to making sure your child has a good time. If you have a bit of money left over, try and offer some leftovers for the parents, particularly the ones that stayed to help out. And if you’ve got money to burn, one way to earn some brownie points amongst the other parents is to put on some snacks just for them! But to be honest, we think this is a bit much. The problem with this though is, where do you stop? You could have the whole family showing up for a bit of free grub if they know it’s up for grabs.
It’s also good to think about what time the party is, and how long it’ll last. If it’s crossing over a mealtime, it might be a nice idea to think about food for the parents too. Check out the best time to have a children’s birthday party, for all age groups!
What Food Should you Serve to Adults?
So you’re feeling generous and have decided to consider what food you should serve to the parent’s at your child’s party. Just how much do you need to do? And how much extra will it cost? These are the main questions you need to answer before deciding what food to serve. We’ve created the ultimate guide to party food to help a bit more with this.
How Much Food Should you Serve at a Children's Birthday Party?
There are plenty of different options for the kind of food to serve at a children’s party. As with any party, make sure you are aware of any allergy or dietary requirements first. But how much do you actually need to serve? Have a look at our serving size suggestions per 5-year old child for some help:
Food | Amount per Child |
Sandwiches | 1 sandwich |
Fruit and Veg | 2 servings |
Cupcakes | 0.5 cupcake |
Cookies | 0.5 cookie |
Crisps | 0.5 bag |
Cheese | 1 slice |
Crackers | 1 cracker |
Pizza | 1 slice |
Drinks | 2 drinks |
So how much food should you serve for the adults? If you’re just going for some leftovers, we think that the amount for half a child should be about right per adult. So if you’ve got 20 children coming to the party and 10 adults helping out. We think cater for roughly the amount you’d need for 30 children.
Should you Serve Separate Food for the Adults at a Children's Birthday Party?
We’d probably say no to this one. Of course it’s nice to think about the parents at a children’s party, but they are by no means the focus. And to be honest, most parents are pretty happy with kid’s party food anyway! So we think you should just stick to the same party food you serve to the kids. This way you’ll save loads of time and money as you only need to provide one set of food. Otherwise it ends up getting way too complicated, and there are lots more important things to worry about!
Where Should you Get the Party Food?
Fortunately, there are loads of great places to get party food for your child’s birthday. You can find loads of great ideas at your local supermarket. This is a great option because most offer a service where you can order the food ahead of time and pick it up on the morning of the party. This way you know that it’s fresh, and it’s a hassle free way of sorting out your party food! Costco are also great for children’s party food. Often it’s a really cheap way to get everything you need. Plus, they offer loads of options so you’re sure to find all the party food you could ever need! If you don’t want to buy all your party food, you can always ask other parents to help out. If you’re happy to return the favour, chances are that they’ll be happy to helpout. Especially if they can enjoy some food themselves at the party!
Final Thoughts
We know that planning a children’s birthday party can be stressful. The main thing you need to think about though, is making sure that your child has a great time. So worry less about the parents and more about the kids. It can be a lovely gesture to offer food and drinks to every parent that drops their child off at the party. But it’s not at all necessary, and chances are most parents won’t do it back. So offer some food to the parents that stayed to help out, and if the budget is tight, tea and coffee is perfectly acceptable!
Don’t forget to have a look at our ultimate children’s party planning checklist to make sure you’ve got everything covered! Like our Facebook Page and follow us on Pinterest!