A SIMPLE PARTY TEA

Deciding what food to provide at a party can be difficult, simple sandwiches don't seem special enough but the reality is that these are young children unlikely to have high expectations of birthday food.If  you are providing food at home or if you are taking it with you to be eaten at a venue nothing beats a picnic style party tea.

SANDWICHES
Stick with simple fillings, ham, cheese and maybe egg. there is no need to add lettuce / tomato / mayonnaise etc... this is a party not a mission to get them to eat their 5 a day in one sitting. There is also no need to buy the finest ham - a pack of wafer thin is perfect for this and opt for a medium cheddar so it at least has flavour but is unlikely to be too overpowering for some children.

Cut crusts off the bread and cut sandwiches into fingers - usually three fingers out of a slice. While using shape cutters for sandwiches can look nice, it tends to waste lots of bread and filling. Finger size sandwiches are easy to eat and in my experience always go down well.
If you are feeling creative you could do some brown and some white sandwiches and make a pattern on the serving dish.

In my experience parents like a sandwich or three so make sure you have plenty. Chidlren are likely to eat one or two fingers each.

CRISPS
While you may want to avoid crisps for health reasons children love them. I avoid anything cheesy that is likely to stain clothing / furniture / carpets. Just a few small bowls around the table should ensure that children eat something other than the crisps. breadsticks are also popular and could be served instead of or alongside crisps.

VEGETABLES
Chopped up sticks of carrot / cucumber / pepper and celery are a great way to get the children to eat some vegetables at a party. With a dip such as houmous. Place the houmous in a small bowl in the centre of the plate and arrange the vegetables around the outside, thinking about colour as you do it. Brightly coloured food always tends to be more appealing to children.

MEAT
Mini Sausages or sausage rolls are a tasty treat if you want to give children something warm to eat. Sausages coated in maple syrup or drizzled with honey and cooked in the oven for 30 minutes are delicious. Serve these with a pot of ketchup and children and adults alike will enjoy. Sausage rolls either bought or made yourself (recipe to follow later) are also delicious.


FRUIT
Continuing on a healthy note, a bowl of grapes or strawberries is also a great idea to have on the table. Easy to pick up with their fingers and parent friendly. 

DESSERT
Yogurts in tubes or pots of jelly are popular with children. They can eat them themselves, they do not cost a fortune and they are easy to dispose of.  You could also make or buy some small squares of flapjack or some brownies, supermarkets often have boxes of biscuit or cake squares that are perfect for occassions like this. Again minimal fuss and effort but happy children.

DRINKS
Cups and juice jugs are in my opinion a recipe for disaster with drinks being spilled, tables ruined and stick floors. While you cannot avoid spillages completely, I find that buying juice cartons or individual bottles is a much safer way of serving drinks. Again this may work out more expensive than a jug of juice but I think it is definitely worth it. Children also seem to like the novelty of having their own carton/bottle.

 
A party tea using all of these elements provides a delicious selection for any children's birthday party and all with minimal fuss, expense and effort.