Easy, kid-friendly recipes for a summer luncheon?

[zoebartlett]

I''m hoping to host a pool party at our new condo sometime this summer, and I''m planning on inviting about 7 work friends who have little kids (ages 2 mos-. I don''t entertain much, so I''m at a loss as to what to make. I''d like to make kid-friendly things that everyone can enjoy. My first thought was just to buy a bunch of things at a deli and have people make their own sandwiches with whatever toppings they want. I''d also provide sides, either bought or made. I''d like to try something different though, but I don''t to be overwhelmed either.

Do you have any ideas that you could throw my way? Thanks!

 

[MissMina]

Why not take a poll of your guests and find out what
their children like to eat.That''s what I used to do
when I gave parties for kids.That way you won''t be
wasting food.

The sandwich makings idea sounds good with meats and cheeses. Some kids will eat raw veggies.

The sides will probably be more for the adults.

 

[somethingshiny]

Make-your-own is always good with kids.

Other ideas:
BBQ
hot dogs and hamburgers
kebobs (meat, veggie, fruit, or dessert)
pita wraps

pasta salad
fruit salad
macaroni salad
(of course you have to make cold provisions for these)
corn on the cob


And a big hit with that age group would be building sno-cones!! (adults would probably enjoy it too!)

 

[qtiekiki]

Between DD, nephews and nieces, noodles/pastas usually do well as far as main dish goes. Cheese platter would be good. DD and one of our nephews loves satay, so ditto on the kebabs or similar.

 

[tyty333]

I like to do a pasta salad side dish that has cubes of meat and cheese in it. I also put little pieces of raw veggies in it
(broccoli and carrots). I use the spiraly pasta. Kids seem to really like it and its got almost everything you need
in it for a meal if thats all they decide they want to eat. My kids also love fruit salad.

Another things kids love are the hot dogs wrapped in cresent rolls...but really need to be made close to the time of
serving so may not be a good option.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Hot dogs, pizza, fruit, pasta salads are always popular. I have also used 2 frozen pie crust and put ham and cheese in between two layers. Used cookie cutters to make cute shapes/animals and baked them for ham and cheese sandwiches. Those are a hit.

 

[Ninna]

A mental poll sounds like a good idea. Most of our friends'' kids [10] tend to skip the veggies

Silly shaped pasta salad [jackpot, flamingo]
Simple hamburgers with homeade buns, sliders for babies.
DH is known to gather the kids around and make s''mores with McVitie''s digestive biscuits [ chocolate coating on one side version ]
Huge Fruit Salad
Also keep inexpensive frozen treats as back up, kids tend to eat twice.

 

[zoebartlett]

MissMina -- thanks for the suggestion of asking my friends. I''ll ask around and see if there are any particularly picky eaters.

SS -- fruit kabobs! That''s a great idea. I like kabobs (of any kind) but I never think of having/serving them for some reason. I think I''ll add this to the list of must-dos.

Qtie and Tyty -- I was thinking of making a pasta salad or two. One will probably be Greek, with orzo, black olives, feta, grape tomatoes, baby spinach, and Greek dressing. I may make a more traditional pasta salad with tri-colored rotini and Italian dressing for the second one.

Tacori -- thanks friend! I love the idea of the ham and cheese sandwiches. That''s on my list now too.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

T, loves pesto if you are looking for pasta salad ideas. I forgot to mention when you make the "sandwiches" make sure you make a couple of cuts to let it vent. The first year we did pumpkins and make the cuts part of the design (if that makes sense). Last year was animals and we also worked in the cuts. You could do flowers and make the cuts to separate the petals. Also we brushed the top with egg to make it golden. We have also done cresent rolls wrapped around hot dogs. Kids like to dip stuff too. Veggies in ranch seems popular.