Kids' party food ideas

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 kids' 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.

See all of our quick, easy and fun ideas...

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.

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 (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Mini salami pizzas (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Angel Delight ice lollies (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Turkey munchkin (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Cheesy number crunchers (opens in new tab)

Chocolate 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!

Get the recipe: Marshmallow cake (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Chicken dippers (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Pizza biscuits (opens in new tab)

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 (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Marshmallow swizzle sticks

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.

Get the recipe: Traffic light ice lollies (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Biscuit birthday cakes (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Potato sailboats

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.

Get the recipe: Candy floss (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Stripy picnic rolls (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Twisty sausage rolls (opens in new tab)

Kids’ party food ideas

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 (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Lemon squares (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Clown face frittata (opens in new tab).

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.

Get the recipe: Watermelon pig (opens in new tab)

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!

Get the recipe: Rainbow cake push ups (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Smarties cookies (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Ice cream cone cupcakes (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Mini burgers (opens in new tab)

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.

Get the recipe: Buttery Moo biscuits (opens in new tab)

Mary Berry’s best chocolate cake

Kids won’t be able to resist tucking into Mary Berry’s chocolate cake – and neither will you. It’s simple and easy-to-make so you could even get the little ones involved – we are sure they will enjoy licking the spoon.

Get the recipe: Mary Berry’s best chocolate cake (opens in new tab)

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 (opens in new tab)

Where to next?

Cooking with kids recipes (opens in new tab)

Birthday cake ideas (opens in new tab)

We can't believe it's cake! (opens in new tab)