Remember to check with parents about any food allergies. You will need to ensure that if one of the guests does have an allergy that he/she does not eat anything that they should not. Suggest to the parent that they accompany the child but make it sound like you really would appreciate their help.

Sweet vs. Savoury

These days, healthy eating is becoming much more important, so you may well have to spend a little more time on organising the food than a few years ago.
It is not as easy to think that jelly and ice cream will be sufficient, although this is still a favourite and we have some great birthday party jelly moulds.

Even if your children are happy with that, it is unlikely that all of the other parents will be happy with their offspring gorging themselves on sugary foods filled with additives.

Plan to have all the healthy savoury foods at the outset, and only bring out the sweet stuff afterwards. Keep the portions small so that there is plenty to go round, and less waste on the plate at the end.

Sweet

• Fruit – apples, grapes, strawberries, bananas raisins or cut a selection of fruit into chunks and make fruit kebabs.
• Yoghurt or fromage frais.
• Biscuits.
• Mini choc rolls.
• Fairy Cakes.
• Chocolate rice crispy/cornflake clusters.
• Meringues.
• Ice Cream.
• Jelly.
• Frozen juice popsicles.

Birthday Cake

If you have left plenty of time to arrange it, you could always decorate the cake in the same style as the party theme, or if your budget will allow it, buy one in. Either way, the Children's Birthday Party cake has to be the centrepiece of the party and should be brought out towards the end of the meal.

Even if they are too full to eat any, you can always wrap a piece up for them to take home with them. Use a napkin to wrap it and then place it in a birthday party loot bag for them to carry it home in.

Blowing out the Birthday Party Candles is essential, and nowadays there are plenty of different candles to choose from. You can have musical candles, shaped candles, candles that sparkle, and ones that continue to re-light themselves after they have been blown out!! – Great fun.

Drinks

It may be easier said than done, but it pays to try to limit the amount of sweet drinks they consume. Over-eating is to be expected, and quite often it is the sugary drinks that will be the last straw and make them sick. Something that it is best to avoid if at all possible!!

• Water.
• Fruit Juices.
• Fruit Smoothies.
• Milk shakes.
• Squashes.
• Carbonated drinks.
• Adult drinks?

You don’t have to limit yourself to each of the drinks above, you can mix them up to produce fruit cocktails, or ice cream sundaes.