Any Ideas For A 6 Year Old Boy's Birthday Party?

Our answer

A child's birthday party is always a balancing act between what they would like to eat and what parents would like to feel is a more healthy option. At the end of the day it is best to not get too agitated about the food on offer as a birthday party is not an every day event. Nigella has some general pointers for food at children's parties in How To Eat (p500) and in Feast (p260).

The children will be quite excited so it is best to concentrate on a few star items rather than having lots of fiddly food on offer. Nigella always has cut-out cookies (How to Eat p503 and Feast p266) and Marmite Sandwiches (How to Eat p505 or Feast p262). Nowadays pizza is a very popular option but do cater for extra as parents tend to enjoy this too. Hummus with carrot sticks and fingers of pitta bread are also can be left on tables for children to help themselves and Cheesy Feet (Feast, p253) cut into shapes appropriate to your party theme are a fun savoury option as well as the usual crisps (potato chips).

Children are generally more interested in the icing on a birthday cake than the sponge itself but Nigella's Devil's Food Cake (Kitchen p253) is very popular and should deliver on both the cake and icing front (though it may be slightly messy for 6 year olds so have napkins handy). The Chocolate Malteser Cake (Feast, p283) is also a favourite with both children and adults and would be a perfect birthday cake (with extra Maltesers on top).