Smart, low-stress entertaining with kids tips from Stacey Green of Stacey Green Living and ParentsCanada editor-in-chief Katie Dupuis.

Holiday entertaining with kids has its own special energy: chaotic, loud, snack-happy and somehow sticky within five minutes. In our chat with Stacey Green of Stacey Green Living, the big theme was clear: You don’t need a picture-perfect spread or a jam-packed itinerary to create a kid-friendly visit with friends. You need a few “always works” foods, a couple of back pocket activities and a plan for keeping screens from taking over the whole hang.

Here are the best, most practical takeaways from the conversation.

1. Keep one “emergency hosting” dough in the fridge.

Stacey’s MVP: Pillsbury puff pastry or crescent rolls.

Why it works: It can become almost anything, fast.

  • Garlic bread twists
  • Mini Brie and jam triangles
  • Cheese-filled bites
  • Quick crescent rolls
  • Pigs in a blanket
  • Quick cinnamon rolls

This is the kind of shortcut that makes you look like you planned ahead, even when you didn’t.

2. Stock one snack-tivity you can hand off and walk away.

Katie’s top “I need you to be busy right now” move: a store-bought gingerbread house or cookie decorating kit.

It’s not about gourmet cookies. It’s about buying yourself 30 to 60 minutes of adult conversation.

It’s festive, low-effort and feels like an event.

3. Eggs and frozen pie crusts = instant “host food”

For when you need something that counts as a real offering: eggs + frozen pie crust.

A quick quiche and a bagged salad? Done.

This is one of those quietly genius “I can feed anyone at any time” combos.

4. Lean into a kid-friendly charcuterie.

Call it charcuterie, antipasto, snack plates, picnic supper, deconstructed dinner — the point is the same: Put a bunch of ready-to-eat things on a board and let people graze.

Your “board” can be:

  • Cheese you already have
  • Lunch meat or salami
  • Crackers, Goldfish, pretzels
  • Pickles, olives
  • Fruit or veg on the side

It doesn’t have to be fancy to be a hit. It just has to be easy to grab.

5. Make melty cheese your party trick.

Both Stacey and Katie agreed: Warm cheese is the undefeated champion of entertaining.

A baked Brie is wildly simple and works even with picky kids. Adults can go for the “toppings” version while kids can stick to crackers + cheese and still feel included.

6. Keep frozen meatballs in the freezer at all times.

Frozen meatballs are one of those “feeds everyone” versatile ingredients:

As an appetizer, tossed in sauce

As dinner, over pasta

As the cozy option, Swedish-style

As a sweet-and-savoury throwback (yes, the grape jelly one)

They’re fast, flexible and feel more substantial than chips and dip when people drop in near dinner.

7. Add one crunchy base for “top-your-own” snacks.

A fun idea from Katie and ParentsCanada: homemade crostini-style baguette slices.

They’re basically big, crunchy bread slices you can top with whatever you’ve got. You can use anything in the fridge, honestly. It’s like fancy DIY pizza, but faster.

8. Boursin is a surprisingly smart staple.

Why it earns a spot:

  • Put it out with crackers and it disappears
  • Stir it into pasta
  • Toss it on potatoes
  • Add it to anything that needs a flavour upgrade

It’s low effort, high impact and always feels like a treat.

9. When kids are over, send them outside first.

This is less “menu” and more “survival strategy.” If you can, get kids out the door.

Even 20 minutes of park time buys you time to throw together a charcuterie board, a calmer indoor reset and time to visit with the other adults.

10. Have one game that always lands.

For when you need an easy, inclusive activity, hit up one of these fun interactive ideas:

  • Pictionary
  • Heads Up
  • A new board game opened early “for the holiday week”
  • Retro games to make parents nostalgic while introducing their kids to a piece of their childhood

11. Tortillas can seriously come to the rescue.

Think quesadillas, pinwheels, tortilla pizzas, DIY chips and more. They also freeze well, which makes them a pantry win.

12. Popcorn is the easiest end-of-night crowd pleaser.

When the adults want to exhale and the kids need a wind-down the answer is a movie and popcorn. Dress it up with whatever you’ve got:

  • Parmesan
  • Seasoning salt
  • Everything bagel seasoning
  • Ranch seasoning
  • Cinnamon sugar

It’s cheap, quick and always feels like a treat.

The overall vibe: Make it easy, make it festive, make it doable.

The best advice from ParentsCanada and Stacey Green Living wasn’t about impressing anyone. It was about having a few reliable staples and activities ready so you can say “sure, come on over” without spiralling.

If you can stock a couple of shortcut foods, one snack-activity and one “everybody can play” game, you’re basically holiday-hosting proof.