No party would be the same without kid party food. While planning your party menu, remember to stick with you theme and keep things simple.

A children's party is not the time to try to introduce a new food or pay too much attention to getting in all the veggies. Serve things that kids will like and that they are familiar with -- the food should be fun too. Serving foods like pizza, sandwiches, cookies, chips, hotdogs, etc. work well because they aren't too messy and most kids like them.

Finger Foods Work Best...

Children seem to do best with finger foods, in my opinion. Small sandwiches, kabobs, cheese and crackers, fruit, veggies and dip, etc. all work well. Make sure you are aware of choking hazards when you're planning the menu for a younger children's party.

Many experts agree that you should plan 4 - 6 hors d'oeuvres for a party and that you should make enough for each guest to have two each. This is only a rough guideline... you can choose to have more or less depending on the time of day of the party, the age of your guests, and if parents will also attend.

In addition, you should also plan to have a couple of bowls of munchies set out for the children. Trail mix, chips, popcorn, and pretzels all work well.

Making Things Ahead...

You can also plan your menu out so that you can make some things in advance. Cutting veggies, making dip, etc. can all be done in advance. Some people even make the cake ahead and freeze it. (I don't do this myself, because I think the cake tastes different -- but younger children wouldn't know the difference anyway.) The last thing you want to be doing is decorating the cake as the guests are arriving.

Don't Forget The Drinks...

There are a lot of different ways you can go on the drinks, depending on the number and age of the children. You can hand out juice boxes, make punch in a bowl, serve soda in glasses, or offer a tub of ice filled with a variety of canned drinks.

If parents will be present, you might consider making a pot of coffee or a pitcher of iced tea for them. In addition, make sure you have lots of ice and plain water available for everyone.

The Most Important Item on the Menu...

For most parties, the cake is the most important food on the menu. If you don't have a lot of time or money to spend on food, spend the majority of it on the cake. The cake is what the children will remember most about the party, especially if it's a birthday party.

When I have parties for my children, I personally don't spend too much time on the rest of the food -- throw some chips and pretzels in bowls, make up a few sandwiches, veggie trays, cookie trays, etc., but I've spent hours creating a great cake for the party. The cakes are what the kids usually talk about long after the rest of the party is just a memory. (You can see some of the cakes I've created here.)

Put some time into the cake...

Do you have a great idea for party food? Share it!