We had a Halloween party for my son when he was 7-ish. Parents and kids attended. My wife got pizzas and cookies. I made two 36" trays of vegetables and fruit. Very briefly steamed brocolli, carrots, cauliflower so they were slightly soft, then chilled them and served them cold with celery and I don't remember what else, other than some packaged onion dip. The other big tray had a mountain of cut up melon, orange sections, apples, etc., and a cup of toothpicks.
The (mostly overweight) parents attacked the pizza and sweets. The kids ignored them for the most part, and were all over the vegetables and fruit like little piranhas. There was absolutely nothing left. I suspect some of the parents learned something about their kids.
A supermarket that makes party platters will usually sell or give you an empty tray with transparent plastic lid. duct tape a rock to each lid. Serves as a handle, keeps it from blowing away. Put the dip in a larger bowl of ice and keep it refreshed every so often. Or, surround it with little blue ice packs. Tastes better cold, safer to eat if the weather's warm.
IIRC, I may have seen aluminum trays with lids in the section of the store where you find the disposable baking pans. Made by Hefty, maybe.
