Hello BITOGers,

I give up!

This is the second year in a row where me +wife prepare something at home, and almost nobody touches them...

This year:
-home made ham+cheese+butter+bun sandwiches; No GO! only about 6 from 20+ kids
-home made ham+cheese+butter+Gluten-free bun sandwiches; GO! 2 from 2 kids
-no cake this year!
-store bought heavy glazed cupcakes: GO! (everybody had different colors tongues from the topping)
-home-made Gluten-free cupcakes + Gluten-free glazing: GO; 2 of 2 kids

Last year:
-home made finger foods: maybe; 10 kids out of 20+
-home-made gluten-free cupcakes, no glazing or topping: NO GO! maybe 4 kids out of 20+; The rest just turn them upside down and press them to smush!

The fruit-gummie snacks and veggie straws where a hit! Go figure...

So beside Pizza and bad food coloring cakes or cupcakes, what are my options with Today's youth?
What did you see at kids parties you where present....

Cake and various drinks. Oh, and pizzas if it was a full lunch kind of party.

Too many people are going too nuts about "gluten free" nowadays.

I think that about sums it up.

Kids don't really seem to care for 'meals'. They like candy and soda for obvious reasons, but I would argue that kids have it good enough already. Empty calories on top of their already robust meals at home just contribute to the obesity epidemic.

Instead of food, can you book an event at a trampoline place or a indoor climbing gym? Give them a few hours to burn calories instead of consume.

In my case it was warranted:
-1 kid celiac (the auto-imune genetic version of gluten/wheat allergy)
-1 kid with gluten+dairy allergy

My kids school is nuts free (not just peanuts) and berry free (strawberry, etc etc) because of kids with BIG reaction...

Sorry, not just fashion diet.
Thank you for understanding!

Kids have always been like this, as far as I can remember. Seriously, the last thing kids want to eat in a birthday party is ham and cheese bun sandwich when cup cakes are around, that's normal.

for some reason, the "get moving" venues this year where booked 3-4 months in advance this year...(4 years ago, pirate-theme park; 3 years ago, local nature-themed park)
so smaller number and craft place this year....
But them making "slime" was a boom. Kids and getting dirty.... Yay

Funny, I just saw your signature...
Had 4 kids who the parents forgot to tell us they are vegans/vegetarians.... Oh well, veggie straws and fruit-gummies where OK...

Yes, I figure...seems the only option.

At least i give them water, not sugar loaded juices/pop.

We default to pizza and cupcakes, works every time.

We've also tried other things in the past ( hot dogs, burgers etc) and they never work out. Kids all eat different at home and pizza is pretty universal.

We have a too-small house, so our "parties" have been small affairs. Pizza and cake--nothing fancy here.

Hey, if I went to a party I'd be pretty content with that, at that age or until just recently (gave up on cake, pizza not far behind). I have nothing against fancy foods but I'm more of a steak and potatoes kind of guy.

Beer and wings.

Yeah, the world is more "diverse" these days. When ordering food you have to make sure at least 1 or 2 main courses are vegan. Meat eaters can eat vegans when they run out of meat, but not the other way around.

I never met a kid who didn't like pizza. Now, ham and cheese on a buttered bun, that would be a no go.

For next year, if arranging transportation isn't a problem then maybe visit a local public park/outdoor thing? Most of those go heavily unvisited and would love to have a large crowd come in to look at various exhibits.