Is it that time of the year again, where you feel like you’re slowly crumbling under the ‘planning the perfect birthday bash’ pressure?
Fret not, for I have walked the storm and have emerged as a superhero (more like a super birthday-planner, hehe)!
My daughter recently turned 5 and we threw a quaint birthday party for her since she did not want anything extravagant like her previous birthday bashes (guess she’s growing up, huh?) While my husband nailed the kids’ activities at the party, I was in charge of the food. With 3 kids at home, it becomes quite an easy task to pick out the kind of dishes you want to have at your party.
These tried-and-tested snack ideas for kids’ birthday parties are super effortless to put together and are so delish, the little monsters will love them. However, to be able to execute with perfection, I would advise you to start prepping early so there’s no last-minute cooking for you to get flustered about!
Here goes!
Drink Ideas
- Soups
- Fruit punch (literally use any fruit you fancy)
- Ice cream sodas
- Milkshakes
- Yoghurt smoothies
- Freshly squeezed fruit juices
- Iced chocolate drink
Appetisers or Snack Ideas:
- Devilled eggs
- Potato wedges
- Onion and potato fritters
- Roasted vegetables with dips
- Sandwiches loaded with colourful veggies
- Mac-n-cheese bites
- Potato skewers
- Pizza pinwheels
- Mini tacos
- Fruit kebabs
- Sliders (miniature burgers)
- Tortilla chips along with garlic dip
- Rainbow or chocolate cupcakes
- Garlic bread
- Spring rolls
- Miniature waffles
- Mini grilled cheese sandwiches
- Corn dogs
- Meatballs wrapped in pita bread
- Capsicum pizzas
- Cheese and jalapeno bombs
- Cheese balls
- Kung pao chicken meatballs
- Caramel and cheese popcorn
- Paani Puris (experiment with cheese stuffed paani puris)
Main Course Ideas:
- Mini dosas
- Hakka noodles
- Colourful berry pulao
- Green chicken curry (use spinach and fenugreek leaves)
- Homemade pizza
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
- Sloppy Joe dogs (hotdogs topped with cheddar)
- Sandwich cookies
- Mini burritos
- Burrito bowls
- Bread pizzas (get creative with the toppings)
- Fried chicken (choose a simple batter)
- Club sandwiches
- Pasta (creamy Mac-n-Cheese is a huge hit with kids)
- Chicken pizza rolls
- Chicken and prawn fried rice
- Baked lasagne
Stress-free party planning 101:
- Variety is the key! Make sure you are going all out with crackers, cheese, etc. instead of the regular pizzas and burgers.
- Food allergy mishaps are pretty common, so make sure you know every guest’s food preference when they RSVP.
- Have a DIY food counter (something like a make-your-own-sandwich thing) for the adults to have some fun.
- Make the food as uncomplicated as possible. Finger foods are convenient as they do not entail a lot of cleaning up for later.
- Cook in moderation! I hate party leftovers so I typically stick to cooking for 10 people if I’m expecting 15.
Serve your ordinary party drink in an extraordinary manner:
- Freeze edible flowers and use them in punch bowls while serving.
- If you have organised a theme party, freeze items that you think go with the theme.
- Serve the drinks in teacups with saucers, funny milkshake cups, etc. instead of the regular ones!
- Decorate the drinks with artsy, colourful straws to make them look vibrant.
In the words of the eternal Haruki Murakami – ‘Once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive!’
My thoughts, exactly, Mr Murakami.
Execute these superb snack ideas for your kid’s next birthday party and let me know how it went in the comments section
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