Fun and crazy birthday idea for kids, tweens and teens!  The guests are served dinner - but don't know what they have ordered until the food arrives. 

First - make a list of the food that you will be serving.  When we do this we usually serve - 2 kinds of pizza, 2 - 3 kinds of soda, chips, dip, goldfish crackers, and salad.  Give each item a crazy name - cheese pizza = round moo, pepperoni pizza = dotted round moo, coke = bubble brownie, sprite = light sparkle , chips = flat crunchy, goldfish crackers = swimmers etc.  Include the fork (spear), spoon (dipper), and napkin (thin square).  Make up a menu for each tween using only the made up names.  Place three boxes on each side of the items (you'll be giving them back their menus three times)  so that they can check off what they want each time.  Tell them they can only check off three items each time. 

Don't give guests any clues to what the menu items mean.  The fun is to see them slowly (usually after the second round) figure out what to order by laughing and asking what everyone else ordered. 

Keep the food hidden in the kitchen so they can't see it before or during the dinner.   Be creative - this idea works with any menu (taco's, hamburgers & fries, hotdogs) and with any number of food items.  Tips:  Write the guests names on their menus so they can order from the same menu 3 times.  Grab some helpers (older or younger children) to help deliver the food and turn in orders.

Mystery Food Dinner Sample Menu

This is the sample menu for the Mystery Food Dinner listed in our party food ideas section.

#1	#2	#3		Menu Items	Translation - Don't print this on the menu!
				swimmers	Goldfish crackers
				thin square	napkin
				round moo	cheese pizza
				bubble brownie	cola
				dipper	spoon
				dotted round moo	pepperoni pizza
				spear	fork
				light sparkle	sprite
				flat crunchy	chips
				green toss	salad
				slimy brown	chocolate pudding
				little blocks	croutons
				pants and shirts	dressing
				red section	tomato slice
				orange flats	nachos
				formal toss	bow tie pasta salad