What should you serve at a children's birthday party?

Simple, recognisable food: pizza in squares, mini rolls, pasta with tomato, small meatballs, ready-cut fruit and the cake. Children eat little and quickly, so go for small portions and plenty of water.

Which foods should you avoid with small children?

The Italian Ministry of Health guidelines on preventing choking on food in children list round, hard foods as risky, such as grapes, cherries, mini mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes and nuts. They do not need banning: they need preparing in the right way, for example cut up.

How much food do you need for a children's party?

Children eat less than adults, but you also need to count the accompanying adults, who often eat more than their children. Ask the caterer for two separate quantities and add a 10-15% margin.

Must the caterer state allergens even for a private party?

Yes. EU Regulation 1169/2011 requires anyone supplying unpackaged food to give information on the 14 allergens. Ask for the allergen matrix for each dish and tell them in advance about children with allergies.

Children's Party Catering in Rome: Menu, Quantities, Safety

In short

Children need simple, small, recognisable food. The real menu is the adults' one.

For the youngest, round, hard foods should be cut up: the Italian Ministry of Health says so.

Allergies are collected with the invitations and passed to the caterer by name.

Do two separate counts: children and accompanying adults.

At a children's party the caterer has two clients. The children, who want pizza and cake and then to run off. And the adults, who stay three hours and get hungry. This guide helps you choose menu, quantities and format, with an eye on safety.

Who is at the party

Before talking about the menu, count the guests by group:

Group	What they eat	Notes
Children up to 4	Little, soft, cut up	Often with a parent beside them
Children 5-10	Pizza, pasta, sweets	They eat quickly to get back to playing
Children 11-14	Almost like adults	They love street food and sandwiches
Accompanying adults	A proper buffet	They stay for the whole party

Many caterers have a children's price. Ask up to what age it applies and whether the adults have a different menu.

Where: home, garden, play centre or park

Home: comfortable for up to 20-25 children. A low children's table, the adults' buffet in another room.
Garden or small villa: room to play, but you need shade in summer and a plan B if it rains.
Play centre or party room: often has its own in-house food package. Ask whether you can bring an outside caterer and whether there is a charge.
Park: in Rome many families celebrate at Villa Pamphili, Villa Ada or Villa Borghese. Rules on set-ups and activities may apply in public parks: check with Roma Capitale, the city council, before organising catering.

For logistics at home there is the guide to catering at home.

A few things, done well, in hand-sized portions.

Savoury

Pizza rossa and bianca in squares
Mini milk rolls with cooked ham or cheese
Pasta with tomato or baked pasta in small portions
Small meatballs in tomato sauce, breaded chicken strips
Mini supplì (fried rice balls), only for the older ones, not piping hot

Sweet

The birthday cake
Biscuits, ciambelline, small tarts
Ready-cut seasonal fruit: strawberries in May, watermelon in July, mandarins in winter
Ice cream, if there is a freezer or an ice cream cart

To drink

Water, plenty of it, both room temperature and chilled
Juices and freshly squeezed juice, few fizzy drinks

Safety: choking-risk foods

The Italian Ministry of Health's Guidelines for preventing choking on food in children identify ages 0 to 4 as the highest-risk group. Among the foods to prepare with care, they list round ones, such as grapes, cherries, mini mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes and small meatballs, and hard or cylindrical ones, such as nuts, raw carrots and frankfurters.

There is no need to leave them out. They need preparing in the right way, for example by cutting them. Ask the caterer:

how they prepare fruit, mini mozzarella balls and frankfurters for small children;
whether they can keep the little ones' table away from peanuts and nuts;
whether the staff know there are children under 4.

Consult the full document on the Ministry of Health website. And remember that at the table the youngest should eat sitting down, with an adult nearby.

Allergies and intolerances

At children's parties food allergies are a real issue. What to do:

ask in the invitation whether there are allergies or diets;
give the caterer the child's name and the allergen, not just "one coeliac";
ask for the matrix of the 14 allergens for the menu, compulsory under EU Regulation 1169/2011 even for unpackaged dishes;
for the allergic child, ask for a dish prepared and packed separately, with their name on it.

For coeliac disease, vegan menus and other diets, read the guide to special diets.

The adults often outnumber the invited children, once you count parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. A seasonal buffet always works:

pizza bianca or focaccia with mortadella, cured meats and cheeses;
savoury tarts and seasonal vegetables, artichokes in spring, Roman courgettes in summer;
a baked first course, or a spelt salad in summer;
coffee, which saves the party in mid-afternoon.

If the party is in the afternoon and ends before dinner, a generous aperitivo is enough. If it runs into dinnertime, the adults will eat as at an apericena (an aperitivo generous enough to replace dinner).

How much food you need

There are no official tables for children's portions at parties. Industry guides give rules for adults: around 4-6 pieces of finger food per person for an aperitivo, at least 12 if it replaces dinner, with a 10-15% margin. For children, ask the caterer for an estimate based on age: it is an indicative figure, because it depends on the time and length of the party.

More details in the guide on how much food you need per person.

Cake, entertainment and timing

A children's party has a clear rhythm. An example for an afternoon party:

Moment	What happens	What you need from the caterer
Arrival	Games, first nibbles	Savoury buffet ready, water
Midway	Snack break	Hot dishes, if planned
End of party	Candles and cake	Small plates, a knife, someone to cut it
Leaving	Goodbyes	Trays for families to take away, if you like

If the cake comes from an outside pastry shop, ask whether the caterer charges for cutting and serving.

How much it costs

There is no price list for children's parties. The indicative ranges found online, for example €15-20 per person for an aperitivo, apply to adults. Many caterers have reduced prices for children, but they vary a lot: these figures are indicative, to be checked in the quote. See also how much catering costs in Rome.

Questions to ask the caterer

Do you have a children's menu and price? Up to what age?
How do you prepare choking-risk foods for the youngest?
Can you give me the allergen matrix? Can you prepare a separate dish for an allergic child?
Do you bring plates, glasses and tablecloths? Are they compostable?
Who cuts and serves the cake? Is there a charge if I bring it?
Do the staff stay for the whole party or just drop off the trays?
Can you serve in a park or a play centre?
Who takes the rubbish away at the end of the party?

Before you ask for a quote

Have ready the date, time, number of children by age, number of adults, place and allergies. With this information the caterer can propose real quantities, not guesses. You will find caterers who do parties in the birthday caterers section or among the private party caterers. When you are ready, request a quote.

Sources

Italian Ministry of Health, "Linee di indirizzo per la prevenzione del soffocamento da cibo in età pediatrica" (Guidelines for preventing choking on food in children), Publications section of salute.gov.it: https://www.salute.gov.it
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, EUR-Lex: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/IT/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011R1169