Free kids' menu template for restaurants
Updated October 20, 2026
Open our free kids' menu template, add your kids' meals and prices, and download a print-ready PDF: it's the Food truck design in bright blue with a rounded Poppins heading and big price tags, four kids' meals that each come with a side and milk or water, and soda or juice only on request. No sign-up, no email and no watermark. It's a menu, not an activity sheet: there are no games or coloring pages. Below: the kids' menu rules that apply in the US, which the template already follows.
In short
- The template: Food truck layout, blue, Poppins heading; Kids' meals, Kids' sides, Kids' drinks.
- California (SB 1192, since January 1, 2019): a kids' meal with a drink must come with water, unflavored milk or a non-dairy milk of 130 calories or less by default.
- FDA Food Code 2026: undercooked ground meat may not be offered from a children's menu, so the mini burger is "cooked well done".
- Chains of 20+: may use a children's calorie statement (1,200 to 1,400 calories a day for ages 4 to 8).
What's in the kids' menu template
It opens as "Little Diners, for kids 12 and under".
| Section | Example items | Comes with |
|---|---|---|
| Kids' meals | Mac and cheese, Chicken tenders, Cheese quesadilla, Mini burger (cooked well done) | A fruit or vegetable side and milk or water |
| Kids' sides | Apple slices, Fries | Extra |
| Kids' drinks | Milk or water; juice box or soda on request | Milk or water is part of the meal |
Print it on its own, or add a kids' section to your main menu in the menu maker.
Kids' menu rules in the US
| Rule | Where | What the template does |
|---|---|---|
| Default drinks. The drink that comes with a kids' meal must be water (plain, sparkling or flavored with no added sweeteners), unflavored milk, or a non-dairy milk with no more than 130 calories a serving. Guests may still ask for another drink | California, SB 1192 (Cal Code Chapter 12.8), from January 1, 2019 | "Milk or water" comes with each meal; "juice box or soda, on request" is priced separately |
| Penalties | California | A notice of violation for the first violation, then fines of up to $250 for a second within five years, and no more than $300 a year (CDPH) |
| No undercooked ground meat on kids' menus. A raw or undercooked food may be served on request with a consumer advisory, but not ground (comminuted) meat from a children's menu | FDA Food Code 2026, § 3-401.11(D), adopted by state and local health departments | "Mini burger, cooked well done" |
| Children's calorie statement (instead of, or as well as, the 2,000-calorie one): "1,200 to 1,400 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice for children ages 4 to 8 years" | Chains with 20 or more locations (21 CFR 101.11) | Add it to the foot line if you're a covered chain |
Outside California, check with your city or county health department for local kids' meal rules. The FDA's reason for the burger rule: young children are at higher risk from E. coli O157:H7 in undercooked ground beef.
Worked example: costing a kids' meal
Kids' meals come with a side and a drink, so cost the whole plate.
| Chicken tenders meal | Example cost |
|---|---|
| 3 tenders | $1.05 |
| Carrot sticks | $0.20 |
| 8 oz milk | $0.30 |
| Dip and packaging | $0.15 |
| Total | $1.70 |
| Menu price | $8.00 |
| Food cost | 21.3% |
If a guest asks for soda instead of milk, the template charges $2 for it, so the default drink doesn't eat the margin. US chicken prices fell 0.6% and milk rose 2.3% in the 12 months to September 2026 (BLS). Cost your own with the recipe cost calculator.
Copy-ready kids' menu (Word or Google Docs)
KIDS' MENU · For kids [12] and under Every kids' meal comes with [a fruit or vegetable side] and milk or water.
[Meal] .......... $[ ] [Meal] .......... $[ ] Mini burger, cooked well done .......... $[ ]
SIDES · [Side] $[ ] · [Side] $[ ] DRINKS · Milk or water (included) · Juice or soda on request $[ ]
Tell your server about any food allergy before you order.
Allergies matter more on a kids' menu: milk, eggs, wheat and peanuts are among the FDA's 9 major allergens. Print a full chart for staff with the allergen chart maker.
Put the kids' menu online
Create your free ordering page and add a Kids' menu category, with each dish's allergens and calories shown (every plan). Free has 50 orders a month at 0% commission. For the chain calorie rules, see the FDA menu labeling guide.
FAQs
Is this kids' menu template free?
Yes. Edit it and download it as a PDF or an image for free, with no sign-up and no watermark. It's a menu layout; it doesn't include games or coloring pages.
What drinks can come with a kids' meal in California?
Under California's SB 1192, the default drink with a kids' meal must be water, sparkling or unsweetened flavored water, unflavored milk, or a non-dairy milk with no more than 130 calories a serving. Guests can still ask for a different drink.
Can a kids' menu have a burger cooked medium?
No. The FDA Food Code doesn't allow undercooked ground meat to be offered from a children's menu, so cook kids' burgers through.
Do kids' menus need calories?
Only for chains with 20 or more locations. They may use a children's statement: 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice for children ages 4 to 8 years.
Is there a kids' menu template with games?
Not here. Our template is a printable menu with meals, sides and drinks. You can print it on the back of an activity sheet you already use.
Sources (4)
- California Department of Public Health, SB 1192 Fact Sheet: Healthy by Default Children's Meal Beverage Law (effective January 1, 2019; default beverages; 130 calories; alternative on request; Cal Code § 114379.50 penalties). https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/SB1192FactSheet.aspx (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Food Code 2026, § 3-401.11(D)(2) (no comminuted meat from a children's menu when served raw or undercooked on request) and Annex 3 public health reason (children and E. coli O157:H7). https://www.fda.gov/food/fda-food-code/food-code-2026 (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- 21 CFR 101.11 (children's menu succinct statement, ages 4 to 8 and 9 to 13 options), Cornell LII. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/101.11 (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Table 2, September 2026: chicken −0.6%, milk +2.3%. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t02.htm (accessed 20 Oct 2026)