How much food for a kids' party
Quick amounts for pizza, snacks, drinks, cake, and ice, so you buy enough without a week of leftovers. Count kids and grown-ups separately: parents eat too.
The short version
| What | How much | For 15 kids and 10 adults |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza (large, 8 slices) | 2 slices per child (1.5 for ages 5 and under), 3 per adult | 8 large pizzas |
| Kids' drinks | Juice boxes, pouches or lemonade: 1 per kid an hour | 30 for a 2-hour party |
| Grown-ups' drinks | 2 the first hour, then 1 an hour | 30 |
| Water | 8 oz per kid an hour, half that per adult (half again on a hot day) | 40 small bottles or 2.5 gallons |
| Ice | About 2 lb per guest (double it on a hot day) | 50 lb |
| Cake | 1 slice per guest, adults and siblings included | A half sheet |
| Plates, cups, napkins | 2 plates, 2.5 cups and 3 napkins per guest | 50 plates, 63 cups, 75 napkins |
| Fruit and veggies | About 1 cup per guest, plus about 3 oz of chips per kid | 25 cups, and 45 oz of chips |
| Favors | One per child, plus 2 spares for siblings | 17 |
Different numbers? The party food calculator works it out for any guest count.
Pizza and mains
Most kids ages 4 to 10 eat one or two slices; teenagers and adults eat about three. Order for the higher number and freeze what's left. If you'd rather skip pizza, plan the same way: about two small portions per child and three per adult, such as nuggets, sliders, or sandwich quarters.
Drinks and ice
Count kids' drinks and water separately. Plan one juice box, pouch or cup of lemonade per kid for every hour: most kids have one or two at a 2-hour party, and health guidance keeps juice to about one box a day for kids under 7 (AAP). Water does the real work while they run around: about 8 ounces per kid an hour, half again on a hot day, in small bottles or a big dispenser. Grown-ups get two drinks in the first hour and one per hour after that. Add one special drink that matches your theme. Buy more ice than you think, about 2 pounds per guest, and double it on a hot day. Keep one bag just for drinks.
Cake and dessert
Count every guest, including siblings and adults. As a rough guide, an 8-inch round cake or a dozen cupcakes serves up to 12, a quarter sheet up to 24, and a half sheet up to 48. Cupcakes are easy: one per guest. Custom bakers fill up on weekends, so order 2 to 3 weeks ahead.
Snacks
For a 2-hour party, a few bowls go a long way: popcorn or pretzels, a fruit tray, and a veggie tray with dip. Plan about 1 cup of fruit or veggies per guest, plus about 3 oz of chips for each kid. Kids graze while they play, so small portions set out in two rounds stay fresher than one big spread.
Timing tips
- Serve food about 45 minutes in, after the first game, when everyone has arrived.
- Cake about 30 minutes before the end, so the party winds down naturally.
- Pick up pizza 15 minutes before you serve it, or order delivery for that time.
Let Festidy do the math
Tell us your guest count and Festidy works out pizzas, drinks, ice, and plates, then updates them as RSVPs come in.
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