Whats’ the first thing that comes to mind when you think of children’s birthdays? Aside from presents, it’s usually room or venue decoration and making a cake. But, food is just as essential to the atmosphere, wouldn’t you agree? Yet, it usually slips one’s mind until the last minute, as parents get preoccupied with other party organization details.
However, preparing food at the eleventh hour can create stress before the supposedly joyful event and spoil it for you as the host. Let’s face it, youngsters are usually choosy eaters. This means taking into account everyone’s taste in order to prevent food hassles. After all, isn’t the point of the party to have kids return home tired from playing with their tummies full of delicious food?
For this reason we’ve compiled a carefully chosen kids birthday party food ideas list you’ll find below. In this way, you’ll have plenty of suggestions to juggle in your mind before deciding on the most suitable dishes. Read on and thank us later!
Pretzel rods
Children are full of energy, and their birthday parties usually mean them swarming all around the room. It’s nearly impossible to get all of them to sit down and have a meal. Worry not, because this is where birthday party snacks come in to save the day!
Ideally, you’ll want something they can reach for and chew on the go. First on the list are pretzel wards, as there are countless ways to decorate them according to the party theme. You can choose between a salty version which is perfectly dippable in delicious sauces, or go with the sweet ones for which you’ll need candy melts of different colors. For additional decoration, you can include sprinkles over the candy coating and pack them all in festive boxes or bags. In need of some inspo? Here are some of the most popular ones to stimulate your creativity:
- Harry Potter chocolate magic pretzel wands – whether you decide to make the wizard wands or house-themed ones, there’s plenty of options to choose from this famous fandom
- Unicorn horn pretzel rods – add some unicorn sprinkles and you’ll have the girls lining up for the second serving!
- Colorful rainbow pretzel rods – with sprinkles of all colors you can make a pretzel rod turn magical in an instant!
- Disney’s Frozen pretzel rods – blue candy melt and some snowy edible sprinkles is all you need for this theme. These ones are among the most suitable kids party snack ideas if you’re celebrating during the winter months.
- Minion chocolate pretzel wands – googly candy eyes and yellow candy color (white chocolate might be a good option here!) and you’re all set!
Veggie cups
Snacks don’t all have to be unhealthy, as there are plenty of ways to make vegetables fun. Wait, do you still believe in the common misconception that kids dislike vegetables? Then you haven’t tried arranging them in a colorful and creative way! In fact, you’d be amazed that they can be turned into some of the best kid party food. Not only are they high in vitamins, but they are perfect appetizers too. With some veggie dip thrown into the mix, you might even trick a veggie hater to change their mind.
So, which vegetables do you pick? For the sake of arrangement, it’s best you choose the ones that can be cut into sticks or put on skewers. Try to include a mix of at least for different vegetables per cup and combine contrasting colors. To make it even more appealing, you can add some cheese in as well. Here’s an idea – cherry tomatoes and grilled cheese is an excellent snack to nibble on during a game break. In the same way you can make Greek salad skewers, or simply pair carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers and slice them lenghtwise.
Now doesn’t this sound like the healthiest and most colorful component of your party menu? Plus, they’re easy to make and can be prepared a few days in advance.
Frozen fruit yogurt bites
Looking to find summertime fun food for a kid’s birthday party at home? These froyo fruit cups are just about the perfect snack for the hot weather months! A combination of sweet and healthy is exactly what you need for the kids to be flocking for more of these tasty cups. Best thing about them is their compact size – it turns them into great grab-n-go treats.
Making them is hostess-friendly as well. You can do it either with homemade or store-bought phyllo crust shells, or take the easier route and simply put yogurt in a muffin tin. Once you have the yogurt base, arrange a fruit mix on top, freeze it and, voila, they’re done in three hours tops!
When it comes to the best combinations of fruit to customize them with, it all comes down to seasonal fruits. Some of the most yummy ideas include a berry mix, pineapple & mango or lemon and & lime. To spice it up, drizzle in a bit of honey into the greek yogurt or experiment with different flavored ones (vanilla or strawberry yogurt, for example).
Mini pizzas
Moving on to main dishes, mini pizzas are the ultimate classic among finger foods for birthday parties. Heck, we bet you’ll decode those picky eaters’ appetites with a plate of this well-known meal. It’s kid-friendly and adults adore it as well, so it’s a win-win situation in that department. They’re also suitable for the parties in playhouses, as they are easy to snatch on the go.
Decide on the toppings, buy a package or two of pizza dough as well as shredded mozzarella cheese and they can be done in less than half an hour.
A fun-shaped cookie cutter can help create heart-shaped or triangular slices, making them even more interesting.
Another guarantee that will have the kids attacking the pizza buffet is by making mini calzones. All it takes is just one additional step – folding the dough over the toppings and tucking in the edges. Before you know it, you’ve transformed mini pizzas into calzone bites and they’re ready to go into the oven!
Taco platter
Who’s up for some taco fiesta? Well, the kids certainly always are! To cater to kids’ picky tastes, put a twist to the pre-made tacos and make a taco buffet instead. This way, you’ll create a rich platter of endless possibilities and give kids a chance to build their own taco. Sound fun, doesn’t it?
There’s only one downside you should be aware of, and that is the potential mess this method can cause. But, hey, birthday parties don’t happen every day, so they might as well enjoy constructing their dish. When it comes to ingredients, divide them into three parts – taco fillings, meat and toppings. You can also include some seasoning for the kids that like it.
Tacos can also be an excellent option when it comes to toddler birthday party foods. Make mini taco bites, or, even better, use different ingredients to create funny faces on tortillas. Get your kids to help you out and you’re both bound to have a few laughs in the process.
Mini sandwiches
Another finger food classic which is a certified crowd favorite. Once the kids energy levels start flagging, they’ll line up in front of the food buffet in need of a boost. Their happiness when they detect sandwiches on the menu will yet again confirm they’re the best kid party food.
Ingredient options are numerous and with some ketchup, mayo and kids’ favorite sandwich sauce you’ll provide a tasty meal. They will lessen the hassle of making other complicated food ideas and clear your time schedule for other birthday-related tasks. Just like with tacos, you can lay out different fillings for them to make their own sandwiches. Whether it’s red pesto, cheese, crunchy veggies or smoky bacon, you’ll provide each kid the freedom of choosing the ingredients.
They will be even tastier if you’ve got a panini press or a sandwich toaster, plus you’ll have them warm when it’s meal time. Open bread slices work as well, and pitta bread is a great option too.
Crispy chicken strips
Who can resist crunchy fried chicken fingers paired with a delicious sauce? But, hey, don’t mix them up with the greasy, deep-fried chicken usually served in restaurants! Home -baked olive oil ones are not only tastier, but much healthier as well. Make sure to buy unprocessed chicken meat and don’t forget the breadcrumbs which give this dish a lovely crispy texture.
In order to spice them up, you can add some side dishes to go with them as well. The classic and most popular ones are, of course, fries. If you wish to be more creative, pasta salads are an excellent addition too. We bet the combination will have kids asking for seconds!
Chocolate doughnuts
It’s a well-known fact that every kid has a sweet tooth – none of them will turn down a cream-filled doughnut! If you don’t own a deep fryer, don’t worry, as baked doughnuts are a thing too. In fact, they are not much different than making muffins or cupcakes.
Of course, you’ll want to decorate them in a special way for the birthday party. The easiest way is to fold in the rainbow sprinkles in the flour mixture before transfering into the donut pan.
When it comes to glazing, you can have all the fun in the world with them. Some examples are writing the birthday number, your kid’s name or a simple fun message like “Bite me”. You can even transform the doughnuts into different fruit – Google away for all sorts of ideas. No matter what theme you land on, they’ll surely turn out to be great kid birthday party treats!
Oreo pops
Nowadays, cake pops seem to be an indispensable part of any birthday party. They exploded in popularity back in 2010 and have since then been acknowledged as cake-on-a-stick. But, what if we told you that there is an easy-to-do, no bake version? Even better, right? Well, all you’ll need is chocolate melts, popsicle sticks, sprinkles and a package of Oreo’s.
Once they’re done they can be put in the freezer, so it’s another thing you can prepare ahead of time. These tiny treats on a stick can help you unleash your creativity when it comes to decorating them. Again, just like with the doughnuts, the combinations are endless, it’s all about the birthday boy’s or girl’s wishes!
Colorful whoopie pies
Why have a normal chocolate cake, when you can have a sandwiched one instead? It is said they got their name when kids would exclaim “Whoopie!” whenever they saw them prepared. That should be a guarantee enough that they fit in this list of best kid party food! It’s traditionally filled with marshmallow fluff, but various kinds of buttercream will do as well.
Use coloring to make them more festive-looking and you’ll have a killer treat to impress the kiddos with. These soft and creamy goodies will certainly fit in with any type of party buffet. The moist cookies will melt in everyone’s mouth and have them begging for more!
Concluding words
There you go – we’ve hopefully filled your head with kids’ birthday party food ideas. Now all that’s left is to get these suggestions kid-approved, put on your apron and get to work! Remember, these are all easy-to-make foods, not time consuming yet tasty, the best deal there is.
After all, we’ve assembled this list knowing how time can be tight during the party organization. With this in mind, you can relax a bit more and concentrate on the bigger tasks, like designing invitations. Ultimately, parties are supposed to be fun events you’ll cherish long after they’re done. So – look forward to it and don’t dread it, as for food, it’s going to be finger-licking good!
