Entertaining With Kids

I think entertaining is fun.  I do get a bit nervous, wanting everything to go smoothly, but overall I really like it.  When I was younger and had my apartment, I would have some friends over with a few appetizers and some beverages.  Then when I got my first house, I started to theme my parties and menus.  Now that I am a mom of two vivacious boys, I keep kids in mind.

When we have friends over with children, I like to have a kid friendly menu and activities.  First the menu.  My boys are the pickiest eaters.  When we have holidays at a relative's house, I come along with their own meals.  It's not uncommon for me to whip out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or two from my purse. So when we have other kids over, I really try and accommodate their needs.  I always check with the parents for allergies or restrictions.  With that information, I plan the menu.

That being said, we are having over two families tonight.  No allergies, but we will have vegetarians.  Tonight's menu is as follows:

turkey chili with cornbread
vegetable noodle soup
home made Italian bread
salad
cheese platter with fruit
peanut butter sandwiches (kids)
cheese sandwiches (kids)
candy bar cake and ice cream

It is a balance that meets everyones preferences and simple enough to prepare ahead of time.  The children are welcome to have anything on the menu, but I did make the sandwiches knowing that's what my boys will eat.  To make the sandwiches festive, I cut them into different shapes.  Here's how they went together.

First start with really thin bread (this makes it easier to cut).  I used a 100% whole wheat bread.

Spread them with peanut butter, jelly, honey, etc.  I also made some into cheese sandwiches.  Then using cookie cutters, cut the crust off.

Arrange on a platter.  I cut each different kind of sandwich with a different shaped cutter.



After dinner, I planned some craft activities.  When a larger group of kids are at a gathering, it's a really good idea to have some organized activities.  Tonight, I have fun foam door hangers and bookmarks, and sand art.

I purchased the foam door hangers and I already have different shape pieces to adhere.  Then from simple fun foam sheets, using decorative scissors, I just cut out bookmarks.

The sand art kit came with everything the kids need to make their own bottles.  The only thing I did was put the sand in squeeze bottles.  You can find them in the candy aisle of the craft store.  They have a tip that fits right into the bottles and will keep the mess to a minimum.

Finally coloring sheets and my marbled crayons are always a fun activity :)



So the next time you entertain with kids, have a few activities and a friendly menu planned.