Parenting Life and Style: How to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest with a toddler

by Lucy Moore | 11 May 2022

If you want to throw a party this Saturday (14th May) and you have a little one in tow, you might be thinking that it’s an impossible feat, given how long the show goes on for and because it’s not necessarily geared towards toddlers, but here are a few tips to make it more appealing to your child/children if you don’t want to miss out.

Credit: Frank May/DPA/PA Images

Toddler friendly snacks and drinks: The supermarkets are gearing up for the celebration so there will be plenty of Union Jack emblazoned food to go around. Pay yours a visit a few days before and get in some appropriately coloured snacks and drinks that you can spread out on your dining room table for them to pick at throughout the beginning of the show. If your budget is tight, just choose things that are already that colour such as:

Sliced red peppers
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced boiled eggs
Sliced red apples
Sliced strawberries
Sugar free red squash
Blueberries
Crustless sandwiches made with white bread
White rice
White pasta with tomato sauce
Red/blue jelly

And make sure you invest in a red, white and blue table cloth, paper cups and plates for an even more authentic experience!

Dance: If there’s one thing toddlers love- that’s dancing, so when each song comes on, get them up and have a dance to each new artist’s offering. This will tire them out before bedtime too so they will sleep well when you decide to put them down and you can go back downstairs and watch the rest of the show.

Dress up: Depending on how patriotic you are- you could always invest in some Union Jack themed clothing that match one another or each choose a colour from the flag. If you prefer a song from another country this year, you could always choose the corresponding colours instead. Your toddler won’t mind either way- they will just be glad to be in something bright and different to their usual outfits.

PJs: As the show starts close to their bedtime, you could always invest in some Union Jack PJs for the entire family if you’re not expecting any guests. That way your toddler will be ready for bed once they have crashed after all the dancing and sugar has worn off and you can take them upstairs and tuck them up with little effort.

Decorate: You can get full sets of Union Jack themed party decorations online to dress up your living room with bunting and balloons so why not get your little one involved in putting them all up? Chances are they will help you for all of around five minutes before playing with the balloons, but they will have fun throwing them up in the air while you get to work!

Games: Check out the Union Jack chocolates that you can buy in bulk online and hide these around your living area for your toddler to find like a Eurovision themed Easter Egg Hunt. Give them a little cup from your buffet table to collect them in and once they’ve found them all- allow them to eat a few!

Bake: Order some red, white and blue icing and some Union Jack cake toppers ahead of the day and get your bake on when Saturday finally comes around! Earlier in the day, get out all your baking ingredients and decorations and encourage your toddler to help you make some cupcakes or cookies that can be displayed proudly on your buffet table for when it all kicks off! They may eat a few before 8pm, so make sure you do a big batch so you can enjoy them as a family all weekend.