Do you expect lunch at a 10-11:30 birthday party???

[kelly ann]

DH and I cannot agree on whether we should serve lunch at DS's birthday party and I have to make a decision today.

The party starts at 10am and there will be a 45 minute activity. After that we have the party room for another 45 minutes (10:45-11:30). The party place can supply pizza, but is 10:45 too early for pizza? Should we just supply a fruit/veggie/cheese platters instead?

[buddyleebaby]

I would do fruit/veggie/cheese, and maybe bagels.
10:45 is too early for pizza imo.

Edited because I can not type.

[masha12]

It's never too early for pizza!

But given the time, I don't think a full lunch is necessary. If my kid were invited, I would expect there would some sort of snack, but would be prepared to feed my kid lunch when we got home.

Fruit and veggies would be great, and probably appreciated by all those moms who don't eat pizza for breakfast.

[kristenk]

I wouldn't expect lunch. Snacks (fruit/cheese/crackers) and drinks would be great, but I definitely wouldn't be looking for lunch.

[egoldber]

I would not expect lunch.

However, if it were me, at that hour I would serve coffee and breakfast snacky type foods (bagels, muffins, doughnuts...) Sarah's party was from 10-12 this year and thats what we had.

[tny915]

I would not expect lunch. Fruit and veggies, bagels, pretzels and crackers and snack food would be fine. It's more a brunch time or a snack time than a lunch time.

That being said, we're having a 10am to noon party for DD, and food will be served at 11am. I was fully prepared to go to fruit/bagels/pretzels route, because 11am for pizza really sounds too early. DH disagrees and figures that after an hour of activity jumping and playing and climbing around the party playhouse, the kids will be hungry, and DH would rather be prepared for that with real food. I ran this by a few of our guests (the parents) and they said that pizza would be just fine for the kids at 11am. We're bringing a small fruit and cracker platter in addition to this, for the folks who don't want pizza at 11am.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'd be just fine with snacks at that time frame.

Beth

Just make sure and include in the invite what your food plan is. It's one of those b-day planning tips I read about (always include what people should expect food wise). I know I appreciate it as a guest so I hope my guests appreciate it as well.

[deborah_r]

I've been to some parties at that hour that had pizza (in indoor playplaces). It wasn't like we actually ate at 10am so it wasn't that weird. I wasn't expecting it, however. I will tell you I am not so good with getting us breakfast before we head out in the morning on the weekends, so I would totally appreciate breakfast-type offerings, like pastries, fruit, maybe some cheese.

If there was not lunch we would probably just head out for lunch after the party or go home and eat lunch right away, no biggie.

[fauve01]

i think you absolutely don't need to serve breakfast or lunch, ESPECIALLY if you're going to serve cake! i think if you wanted to do a couple snacky type stuff in bowls, that would be OK (but totally unnecessary, IMHO).

i will tell you that the people in my area go nuts with serving meals and snacks for everything, and they probably would serve a meal, snacks and cake and ice cream. i think it's crazy.

HTH~

anne

anne

[kelly ann]

I like the idea of including bagels with the munchies. That way it is something more substantial if the folks were expecting a meal. DH was the one thinking we need to serve pizza, but I just don't think it is necessary. For some reason, DH feels the pressure to make sure everyone is well fed since some folks are driving about 45 -60 minutes to come to the party.

Well, thank you for all of your replies. I will show DH the feedback and maybe we can come to some kind of compromise :)

[Marisa6826]

Not lunch, but snackies.

I think pizza before 11 is kind of early. Well, unless you're hungover. :P

What about doing brunch-y type stuff. Bagels, muffins, fruit, etc.

-m

[spunkybaby]

Actually, I agree with your DH--the people who are driving 45-60 minutes will appreciate something more substantial since they will have left around 9 in the morning and won't be home until 12:15/12:30, which makes it hard to prepare lunch quickly before your kids melt down. If all your guests lived 10-15 minutes away, then I think just having snacks is fine.

Mom to a spunky preschooler (3/04) and a new spunky Christmas baby (12/06)

[B.A.F.]

Nope. Too early for me/my kids. Perfect time for a snack though. Not too heavy though because they'll also have cake I assume. If I were attending I would not expect lunch, I would just plan to give the kids a snack for lunch and make it a snacky day, then have naps, and a good dinner.

[bubbaray]

No, I wouldn't expect lunch, but I'd be happy to enjoy it if provided, LOL! I like the bagels idea, with fruit and cheese maybe??


Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[HannaAddict]

I would not expect lunch at all, but I know my little guy would love pizza and I don't think 11 am would be too early for little ones. Especially if people have to drive, it might be nice for the kids to have had something more substantial in them before heading home. But I would not expect lunch. Have fun.

Kimberly

[mykidsmom]

I think you could for sure serve lunch at 11am. If you did not serve lunch that is ok too, but I truthfully can't stand when my my child is served cake BEFORE we go home to have lunch, so if it was my party I would have lunch and cake at 11am.

[almostamom]

My DS' party is at 10 - noonish at the local zoo. We will have a pizza lunch at 11 a.m. All of the children/families that are invited live in our neighborhood which is 45 minutes from the zoo. I do like the idea of having bagels and fruit for the adults while the craft and presentation are going on.

Linda