Creating the perfect party atmosphere for kids is often a simple case of creating perfect party food; after all, a table bedecked with colourful decorations and fancy food items is the perfect place to set the mood for celebration. However, this is not to say that kids party food needs to be over the top or overly expensive, it just needs to look it!

The first thing that comes to mind for most when planning a party whether for adults or children is the food, we have visions of sticky finger marks smeared around the house, with squashed goop in the carpet and crumbs in almost apocalyptic proportions…we worry about fussy palettes and possible life threatening allergies, potential wastage if the food is not well received and of course the impending cost of feeding a dozen ravenous kids.

There are two things you can do to avoid any potential food disasters. One is to stick to a simple menu consisting of the most popular and perfect party foods tried tested and loved by children worldwide, and two, pre-divide the food into individual containers for each guest.

So what are the most popular party foods? Easy question, mini pizza, sausage rolls, sandwiches and crisps/chips. Even fruit is a guaranteed hit if you know how to present it.

But such obvious foods don’t have to be boring. These four or five simple party foods can be adapted to suit most dietary needs, party theme or age group. You can order some from a bakery, purchase ready made from the supermarket or make them at home and save some dollars. They can be jazzed up to look impressive and be presented in sweet or savoury version (more on that in another article), but no matter how you serve them up they are a guaranteed hit and should be the staple food at any party.

Once you pop all that scrumptious party food in a bag, basket or box and attach a name tag to ensure the right food goes to the right person you are in business. No greedy gobblers taking more than their share, no allergic reactions accidental consumption and an easy clean up job afterwards.