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Kids' party drinks
Colorful, fun drinks kids get excited about, with a lot less sugar than soda. Easy to make in a big batch and easy to clean up.
Make it fun, not sugary
Kids care more about color, fizz, and fun garnishes than about sweetness. Use these tricks:
- Cut juice with sparkling water. Half juice, half sparkling water halves the sugar and adds fizz.
- Freeze fruit into ice cubes. Berries or citrus pieces frozen in ice look like magic in a clear cup.
- Use fun straws and cups. They do more for excitement than sugar does.
- Name the drinks. "Dragon fizz" sells a lot better than "juice."
Recipes that work for kids
The cranberry orange mule works for kids if you use ginger ale instead of ginger beer, which is too spicy for most young kids. Serve it in fun cups without the copper mugs.
Cranberry orange muleHoliday favorite with ginger fizzSpiced apple cider punchServe warm from a slow cooker
Safety and cleanup
- For kids under 4, skip whole round garnishes like cranberries or grapes, which can be choking hazards. Cut them up or leave them off.
- Use unbreakable cups and write names on them with a marker.
- Set the drink table on a washable tablecloth or outdoors. Spills will happen.
- Serve water alongside, especially at active or outdoor parties.
Let kids build their own. Set out a base drink, a bucket of sparkling water, and bowls of cut fruit. Making their own drink becomes part of the party.
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