Throwing a kids' party? You'll need fun, quick and easy kids' party food ideas, especially picked out for little hands (and with no-fuss prep!)
Throwing a kids’ party? You’ll need fun, quick and easy kids’ party food ideas, especially picked out for little hands (and with no-fuss prep, so you can concentrate on the decorations!). We’ve got lots of children’s party food ideas to inspire you, from snake sandwiches to Angel Delight lollies that you can pull out of the freezer when you’re ready.
Make the party food ahead so you know it’s sorted before anyone arrives, whether you’re laying it out on the kitchen table for everyone to dig in or providing cardboard lunchboxes to hand out to all your little visitors on the day.
The kids are going to love this fun and colourful party food selection. Some of the recipes are so simple, you could even get the kids to help you make them. Most of these recipes can be made in bulk or easily scaled up, which is ideal if you’re catering for a crowd of hungry children in one go.
Grown-ups going to stay for the party too? Make a few nibbles to pass round so no one goes hungry.
How clever are these snake sandwiches? Each sandwich is cut using a circular cookie cutter and displayed in a wavy line to form a snake. You can choose a variety of sandwich fillings for each…
Get the recipe: Snake sandwiches
Click through to see all of our quick, easy and fun ideas…
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Pesto pasta dippers
Give shopbought tortellini the party fun-factor with a pesto and nut dip. Use cocktail sticks or forks so everyone can help themselves.
Get the recipe: Pesto pasta dippers
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Cornflake chicken dippers
A really easy take on breaded chicken, these are dipped in cornflakes instead for a super crunchy finish.
Get the recipe: Cornflake chicken dippers
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Mini salami pizzas
Making pizza from scratch is so much fun, you can turn it into a party activity! Prepare the bases for these mini morsels, then give the kids a selection of sauce and topping and let them go wild. They’ll love eating their own creations, and even the fussiest of eaters will be catered for.
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Angel Delight ice lollies
The kids are going to love these easy to make Angel Delight ice lollies. Made with only 3 ingredients, it’s super simple to make lots and lots of these tasty little treats. Pack them with fresh fruit too for a healthy twist.
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Turkey munchkin
This cute little roll is a must for kids parties, and great for getting fussy eaters to tuck in. You can get creative with the fillings and the facial expressions, cutting the roll edge into angry teeth or a happy smile. The kids are going to be thoroughly entertained.
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Cheesy number crunchers
Fans of cheesy crackers will go crazy for these savoury seeded numbers. You could use them to spell out the birthday boy or girl’s age, or incorporate them into any game that involves counting. You could also use letter counters and use them to spell out everyone’s names – lots of fun for young learners.
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Marshmallow cake
Kids won’t be able to resist tucking into this marshmallow cake piled high with sweet treats. This cake is so easy to make and would be the perfect option if you’ve forgotten the birthday cake or were short on time before the big day. It’s sure to be the centre of attention – other than the birthday boy or girl of course!
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Chicken dippers
These crispy-crumbed chicken strips are the perfect size for little hands. Their slimline shape means they’re ideal for dunking in your child’s favourite sauces – and because you’ve made them from scratch, you know there’s nothing but good ingredients in them.
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Pizza biscuits
If you’re looking for something simple, sweet and bite-sized, these pizza biscuits are sure to do the trick. You can whip up a large batch of biscuits in one go and leave them to cool while you prep the toppings. A dollop of strawberry jam, a grating of marzipan and glace cherries will make your biscuits look the part.
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Popcorn pops
Our mummy blogger Anneliese knows how to get the kids excited about food! These popcorn pops are much easier to make than their cakey cousins, but with their chocolate coating and colourful sprinkles, they’ll still go down well with children of all ages.
Get the recipe: Popcorn pops
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Marshmallow swizzle sticks
These pretty chocolate treats are great if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands but want to make something sweet for a kids’ party. They would look right at home amongst a spread of buffet food or they’d make fancy party bag treats wrapped in cellophane bags and tied with a piece of ribbon.
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Traffic light ice lollies
Ready, set, go! Ideal for summer parties, these traffic light ice lollies are made from fruit and a little sugar. Make ahead and keep in the freezer as a refreshing treat for when everyone’s tired from running around.
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Biscuit birthday cakes
No birthday is complete without a really good cake, but we’d like some of these biscuit birthday cakes at our next bash as well! You can play around with the colours of the jam and chocolate depending on your party theme, but either way, the result is bound to be a hit with your guests.
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Potato sailboats
These filling cheese and tomato stacks look great and make easy party food for the kids. They’re the perfect quirky side to serve with burgers or homemade chicken nuggets. Stack them high and watch them disappear in seconds – just remember to remove the skewers if you’re catering for very young children.
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Candy floss
Making candy floss from scratch might seem tricky, but with this easy recipe it’s a doddle! You don’t need any fancy equipment or a special machine, just a bit of sugar and patience. The kids will be seriously impressed with the results.
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Stripy picnic rolls
These colourful rolls, filled with layers of tasty ingredients, make interesting and quick party snacks. They’re great for lunchboxes too! They may look complicated and fiddly to whip up but with a simple technique, you can have plenty made up in no time.
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Twisty sausage rolls
These helter-skelter hot dogs will bring all of the fun of the fair to your party. A simple twist of puff pastry transforms the humble sausage into a birthday-worthy snack – serve with plenty of ketchup and mustard and get stuck in.
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Lemon squares
These light and lemony cake squares make great little treats to wrap up for party bags, or for a quick and colourful birthday cake. Top with your child’s favourite sweets or sprinkles for an impressive finish.
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Clown face frittata
Fill up the kids with this nutritious and filling egg and potato frittata. This hearty side dish will serve up to 4 people but if you double the portions you could feed at least eight very hungry children in one go. They might even be some leftover for the adults to sample too – if you’re lucky.
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Buttery Moo biscuits
How sweet are these cow biscuits? They are deliciously buttery and great fun to make. Why not get the kids to help you too? They’ll be so proud of their animal biscuits; they won’t be able to resist showing them off to their friends at the party.
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Flower power fairy cakes
Why not get the kids to decorate their own cupcakes? They’ll love getting creative with ready-to-roll icing, colourful sugar strands and edible decorations. You could set up a little cake decorating table as part of the party – just don’t forget the aprons and kitchen roll, ready for dealing with any unwanted mess!
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Watermelon pig
Oink oink! This adorable little fella will encourage even the most stubborn of fruit haters to give melon and grapes a chance. Fresh berries or chopped apples would also work nicely in his belly.
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Rainbow cake push ups
How fun are these rainbow pops? Plus, stacking your cake in individual push pops means less mess, less waste, and no squabbling over who’s got the biggest slice! You’ll need to get some cake push up containers in advance, but once you’ve got them, it’s a piece of cake!
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Smarties cookies
If there’s a child that doesn’t like Smarties, we haven’t met them yet! These easy cookies cook in just 12 minutes, so they’re the perfect option if you’re pressed for time. If you’re worried about serving up too much sugar in one go, you can pop these in party bags for everyone to enjoy at home instead.
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Ice cream cone cupcakes
Don’t tell Mr Whippy, but we think these ice cream cone cupcakes are even better than an actual 99! With fluffy sponge baked into a wafer cone and topped with a swirl of buttercream, these quirky cakes will leave clean plates and happy tummies all round.
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Fizzy chocolate cubes
This bite-sized choc ices have a delicious surprise hidden within – Space Dust! Get everyone to eat theirs at the same time and make sure you’ve got the camera ready – there’s sure to be some funny faces when the popping begins!
Get the recipe: Fizzy chocolate cubes
Where to next?
Cooking with kids recipes
Birthday cake ideas
We can’t believe it’s cake!
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Mini burgers
The best things come in small packages, as these teeny burgers prove! there’s nothing but fresh ingredients in these – just minced beef, egg, salad and onion, and a sliver of cheese if liked – but if you want to make them even healthier, try serving them on wholemeal buns as well.