What to Cook for a Kids' Playdate

Whether you're hosting a play date for toddlers or a play date for 10 year olds, be prepared to accommodate different likes and dislikes. Consider making meals or snacks that the children can help prepare and are customizable to the tastes of each child. Before the play date, be sure to ask parents if their child has any food allergies you should know about.

  1. Pizza

    • Pizza is almost universally loved and can be made to accommodate the tastes of any child. Prepare the dough beforehand, then give each child an individual pizza-sized portion. Let them spoon on sauce and sprinkle on cheese. Offer a platter of toppings, for example, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, chopped spinach, mushrooms, pineapple, sliced baby tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, olives and diced zucchini. Then let the children decorate their pizzas to their liking. Allow the pizzas to cool for a few minutes after baking to prevent burns, and cut into bite-size pieces for smaller children.

    Fruit and Yogurt Sundaes

    • Ok, so they're parfaits, but calling them sundaes at a play date ups the fun factor. For snack time, serve up vanilla yogurt with fruit and other fun toppings for a build-your-own activity. You can purchase a bag of frozen mixed fruit like a blueberry, blackberry and raspberry mix or use fresh. Other fruits to consider include pineapple, pitted cherries, strawberries, bananas and kiwi. Offer granola and graham crackers to top the sundae. For a fun treat, offer a few chocolate chips or a dash of rainbow sprinkles.

    Make Your Own Muffins

    • Prepare a muffin batter before the play date. Spoon batter into lined muffin cups allowing room for additions to be mixed in. Give each child a plate or an ice cube tray with ingredients to make their own muffins. Use different colored liners to identify each child's muffins. Fun ingredients for make your own muffins include blueberries, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, dried cherries, coconut, pineapple, oatmeal, diced apple and raisins. Let the muffins cool after baking and before serving to prevent burns.

    Build Your Own Sandwich

    • Sandwiches are easy and they can be adjusted for nearly any palate. Offer each child a plate for building a sandwich masterpiece and set out a few platters with the main ingredients. Provide whole grain bread or crackers to build the sandwiches, and ham, turkey and salami for the meats. Jack, cheddar and Swiss cheeses are great compliments to meats. You can also offer lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, olives and other fresh ingredients for toppings. Little ones will love the finger food, and older children will enjoy getting exactly what they want.

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