Any food ideas for a kindergarten class? My son will have his birthday next month and his teacher said it is?

Question

okay to bring something to his class to celebrate his birthday, but, the school no longer allows sweets such as cakes, ice cream, cookies. Asside from the normal fruit tray, any unique ideas on what I can do? There are 21 5 year olds.

Answer 1

PARTY PLEASER PINWHEELS
1 (7-inch) flour or whole wheat tortilla
2 tsp. mayonnaise
1 slice bologna
1 Sargento Cheddar Cheese Snack or
Sargento American Cheese Snack
Ketchup (optional)
Mustard (optional)
Spread mayonnaise on tortilla. Place bologna on top. Starting at one end, roll cheese snack in bologna-lined tortilla to form a cylinder shape. Slice into 1-inch pinwheels. Serve with ketchup or mustard, if desired.

SNACK BLASTER PARTY MIX
1 cup pretzel rings or mini bagel chips
1 cup peanuts or cashews
1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces
4 Sargento? Cheese Snacks (any variety)
Combine pretzels, peanuts and candy in a medium serving bowl. Cut cheese snacks crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Add to bowl and toss well. Serve immediately. Make-ahead tip: Mix ingredients in step 1 up to two days in advance; seal well. To finish preparation, add cheese and serve within 4 hours.

HAM & CHEESE ROLL UPS
8 slices deli smoked ham
8 slices Sargento' Deli Style Sliced American or Colby Cheese
2 Tbsp. honey mustard, Dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard
8 (5 to 7-inch) pretzel rods
Top ham slices with cheese. Spread mustard lightly over cheese. Place pretzel rod at edge of ham; roll up.

SNOOPY PUPPY CHOW
1/4 lb Butter
1 c Peanut butter
1 lb Box powdered sugar
1 lg Box Crispix cereal
12 oz Package milk chocolate chips
Melt margarine, peanut butter and chocolate chips in microwave on medium for 2 minutes or until melted; stir. In large bowl, pour mixture over cereal and stir to coat. Dump powdered sugar in a grocery bag; add coated cereal and shake until powdered sugar is absorbed. Store in air-tight container.

Buster's Trail Mix
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup Cheerios
1/2 cup pretzels
Toss together and serve in mini Dixie cups.

D.W.'s Jellified Oranges
5 Medium thick-skinned navel oranges
1-3 oz. pkg. orange Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1 cup orange juice
2 Envelopes Knox gelatin dissolved in 1 cup cold water
1/2 cup sugar
1 Envelope orange Kool-Aid
Cut oranges in half; juice (reserving juice) and scoop out pulp. Set orange shells in custard cups or muffin tins. Fill and chill. Cut in eighths.

SUNSHINE SQUARES (A Finger Jello that is good even for breakfast).
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
Soften gelatin in pineapple juice. Add to boiling water and stir till dissolved. Add sweetener and orange juice. Chill in a 9x9 inch pan, then cut into squares. Refrigerate in a covered container.

Answer 2

Prepackaged bags of animal crackers or graham crackers might do the trick. Blue corn chips and salsa perhaps? But that may get a bit more complicated. They're healthier than cookies, cupcakes, and the like. Also, what about breakfast foods? Will they allow something in the morning? You could do a tray of breakfast tacos (my favorite), bagels, or something similar. Breakfast tacos are certainly not in the realm of sweet foods.

Hope this gives you some ideas of alternatives. Good luck!

Answer 3

I remember a treat from Kindergarten that I loved. Each child got some banana slices and a toothpick. Then on each table or between every few kids, there were dixie cups with Kool Aid powder in each. Each cup contained a different flavor. We used the toothpicks to stab a banana slice and dip it into a flavor! I can't remember whether it tasted good or not, but I do remember it was a lot of fun!

Answer 4

Ask if you can bring cheese pizza for his class at lunchtime. Get four (12 slice) pizzas, a bunch of juice boxes, prepackaged carrot sticks/baby carrots, and individual packages of Teddy Grahams. Party plates and napkins makes it a party!

If it's a half-day class or they say "do it at the end of the day" then go with the carrots and Teddy Grahams and juice... and party plates etc. Another option might be individual packages of crackers (like Ritz Bits or Wheat Thins) and individual packages of shaped cheese (like those dinosaur or star ones... or cheese cubes... individual packages are the key!)

Giving each child a special pencil from the party store is a nice touch too... they're very inexpensive and shiny and fun. You could do a gift bag for each child with a sparkly pencil, fun eraser, pencil sharpener, little notepad and one fine tipped marker.

Things to keep in mind:

1) Keep it quick, have nothing messy or too time consuming. The teacher will thank you.

2) Avoid common food allergies - don't bring anything containing peanut butter at all, it's a life threatening allergy for those who have it. If you bring items containing dairy, eggs or wheat, bring alternative selections for those with food allergies.

It's hard to be five and not be able to join in the fun... so this kindness will put a smile on everyone's face. Might be worthwhile to ask the teacher in advance if any of the kids have food allergies or dietary restrictions, as it would have been reported to her at the beginning of the year. Gluten free, kosher, etc can all be purchased in major grocery stores now.

3) Many schools no longer allow anything to be brought in that's not prepackaged, storebought and well labeled. Check your child's school rules before planning.

4) Try to be there to help the teacher if possible. She's got her hands full and the extra excitement will be extra work for her :)

5) Don't bring anything that's so temperature sensitive that it might melt or not be warm enough to be food-safe because there's no guarantee the class will be in a position to drop what they're doing the moment you arrive, even if it's planned well in advance. These are five year olds and they're very unpredictable.

6) The biggest factor is to make it enjoyable and pleasant... and to give your child a "job" like to hand out the pencils or goodie bags with little school supply things in them... and to let him be involved in sharing his special day with his friends. He might like to hand out napkins etc...

Enjoy his special day!

Answer 5

TROPICAL FRUIT DIP WITH EQUAL

40% calorie reduction from traditional recipe.

1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Equal® Spoonful*
1/2 cup light Cool Whip, thawed
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pecan halves, if desired
Sliced fresh seasonal fruit for dipping

Beat cream cheese and Equal® on medium speed of mixer until combined. Mix in Cool Whip, coconut, nuts and vanilla until well blended. Refrigerate, covered, 1 to 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve garnished with pecan halves, if desired. Serve with sliced fresh seasonal fruit.
Makes about 2 cups.

* May substitute 12 packets Equal® sweetener.

Answer 6

Krispy Kremes were a HUGE hit when I was in grade school. Still considered a sweet? What about some hard candy (lollipops, Lemond Heads, etc.)? Otherwise, Fruit Gushers or Fruit Roll-Ups are fun for kids. :)

Happy Birthday to your son and good luck!

Answer 7

Oh for heaven's sake, no sweets? Craziness, really. Could you do a little mock cake out of a cream cheese dip, with a candle in it? This would go in the middle of the fruit. I might tell my kid we are going to celebrate on our own time, and take the requisite fruit platter.

Answer 8

If it is okay, create a pizza party or even a taco party. My cousin's school has the same policy. So, her mom & her teacher planned a pizza party during luch. Being that all kids enjoy pizza, it went really well. Then you can plan some other type of party that envolves cake on the weekends & invite the classmates over.

Answer 9

Trail Mix! My Girl Scout troop loves this:

Get the following:

(1) bag of peanuts
(1) box of raisins
(1) bag of almonds
(1) 1/2 bag of coconut flakes
(1) bga of MnMs (so what if its sweet! they won't NOT serve it if you bring it)
add in whatever else you think would taste good.

Set up each ingredient in a gladware or something along a table with a scoop for each item. Make signs that say "1 scoop per person", or "2...", you get the idea. the kids can scoop whatever ingredeints they like into a baggie, shake it up, and enjoy!

Answer 10

Make a trail mix using the low sugar cereals, mini pretzels, fruit snacks and ritz sandwiches. Place the mix in colorful bags or colored take out boxes. Add a 'prize' to each one - an eraser, spinning top, etc. Serve w/ juice boxes.

Answer 11

well,you have to be careful about allergies such as nuts or diseases such as diabetes or celiac-which is an intolerance to wheat and gluten.Also,some young kids are lactose intolerance.Juices would be fun,like little boxes of juice or capri suns.If the kids aren't allergic to them,then cheese crackers or peanut butter crackers would be fun.Or chocolate milk.Gummi bears would be fun,or pretzel sticks.Good luck!