Child-Friendly Home Entertaining
How to Be the Coolest Place for Families to Come for Dinner
Jul 12, 2007
Formal gourmet dinner parties have their place. But on the fun-o-meter nothing beats a casual get-together that includes your own kids and the children of your guests.
Inviting friends and their families to your house is far more affordable entertainment than going out. It's a more leisurely evening of fun, where you get to cook for your friends.
What’s your reputation with your friends’ children as far as entertaining? Being known as the home kids love to go to isn’t difficult. By having fun things for the kids to do and serving child-friendly meals, your home will become the place everyone wants to visit.
Don't sweat the mess
Don't let yourself get too caught up in the messes that kids can create. Just don't serve grape juice or any high stain foods in rooms with white carpet, and don't use the good china. If the children's time at the table is not drawn out longer than the time it takes them to eat, messes and spills are kept to a minimum.
Keep in mind that almost any mess can be easily cleaned up after your guests leave.
Location? Think beyond the dining room table
Instead of sending the little ones off to dine in the ‘kids’ section,’ gather the whole group together in an unexpected spot. Set the family room coffee table with place mats and candles and have dinner in front of the fireplace.
Move some furniture and set up card tables and small occasional tables so everyone can eat in the same room.
Eat on the porch, the deck, or on a picnic table in the back yard. Spread a blanket inside or outside for a casual picnic.
Mixing adults and kids at dinner makes for fun conversation. You just may learn something from the kids!
Plan something fun
Board games, card games, charades, impromptu Pictionary, even a game of hangman can be a fun before-dinner or after-dinner activity for adults and kids.
Get the kids involved in the party. Give them markers and note cards and ask them to make place cards for the table. Let them decide the seating arrangements. Turn over an appetizer to the kids. Give them cans of squirt cheese, crackers and toppings and have them make up an appetizer tray.
Kiddie cocktails
Serve sparkling grape juice in plastic wine glasses for the kids. Or make virgin cocktails, 7-Up with a maraschino cherry, or even just put an umbrella in their Pepsi. The kids will get a kick out of being included in happy hour cocktails.
Have food for all ages
If you have your heart set on making a gourmet meal for the adults, then get pizzas delivered for the younger set or make a separate meal for the kids. Better yet, plan a fun, casual meal that adults and kids alike can enjoy. Some suggested menus:
- Have a pizza party with a couple different kinds of homemade pizza for everyone to sample. Or provide the pizza shells and a table full of toppings and let everyone build their own pizza. Serve appetizers while the pizzas are baking, and when the pizzas are done, serve them with salad.
- Everyone loves spaghetti and meatballs. Forget gourmet – the way to your guests hearts is with a spaghetti dinner. Spaghetti, salad and garlic bread is an easy meal for company and one the kids will love.
- Make your own fajitas. Here's a meal where hosts and guests alike get involved in making the meal. Spread out fixings for fajitas – chicken, beef, shrimp, black beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers and rice – and have everyone go through the assembly line, building their own fajitas. Serve with chips and salsa for an appetizer, margaritas (virgin margaritas mixed with lemonade for a drink the kids will love) and ice cream sundaes for dessert.
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