Kids like small bites they can eat with their hands. Plan more savory food than sweet, because the savory goes first. Here are ideas from savory to sweet and a table of amounts by guest count.
The whole party plan: Kids' birthday party: planning from start to finish
Savory food for a kids' birthday party
- Mini pizzas cut from ready-made pizza dough with a cookie cutter
- Pigs in a blanket, or sausages in puff pastry
- Small rolls, or a Finnish sandwich cake in small pieces
- Veggie sticks and dip: cucumber, carrot, bell pepper and cherry tomatoes
- Pasta salad in small cups
- Popcorn in paper bags (for kids over 4)
Veggie sticks go faster when they stand upright in a glass. That makes them easy to grab.
Sweet treats
- A layer cake, or cake pieces that don't need cutting
- Muffins or cupcakes with a decoration for each child
- Fruit skewers: grapes, melon, strawberries and banana
- Ice cream or frozen yogurt pops at summer parties
Drinks
Water and one juice are enough. For the youngest guests, write each child's name on a cup. Then the same cup gets used for the whole party.
How much food do you need?
Kids eat less at parties than adults expect. The games are more interesting than the food. This is our rule of thumb for a two-hour party:
| Food | 6 kids | 10 kids | 15 kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savory bites (3 to 4 per child) | 20 | 35 | 50 |
| Veggie sticks | 1 big bowl | 2 bowls | 3 bowls |
| Fruit skewers (1 to 2 per child) | 10 | 15 | 25 |
| Cake | 1 small | 1 large | 1 large + muffins |
| Drinks | 2 l (half a gallon) | 3 l (3 quarts) | 5 l (1.3 gallons) |
If parents stay for the party too, plan their own food and coffee.
Allergies and special diets
Ask about allergies in the invitation. Make one dish that suits everyone, and put a small label on the table saying what's in each one. A gluten-free, dairy-free cake is easy with ready-made bases. Leave nuts out completely unless you know your guests for sure.
What can you make ahead?
Bake the cake base and freeze it a week before. Make the pigs in a blanket and mini pizzas the evening before and warm them up on the day. Make the veggie sticks and fruit skewers on the morning of the party, so they stay fresh.
For parents
Ayaka is a Finnish multivitamin for children over 3. Your child decorates their own jar, so the vitamin moment becomes their own thing. A refill comes through the letterbox once a month. See the starter pack
