A kids tea party theme is definitely one of my top themes for ease of planning and guaranteed kid satisfaction.
If you have a little girl and you're not sure what theme to do, then this could be the one for you! I do admit that this is more a girls party but of course boys are always welcome!
This tea birthday party theme is simple, is fun and it always impresses the kids.
Your tea party invitations could go something like this:
I'm having a tea party and I'd like you to come
so please dress up nicely and come and have fun.
We'll have tea and biscuits and all things nice
and maybe a sugar lump and a pinch of spice.
We'll play lots of games and laugh and sing
so if you can join me please give me a ring.
Teapot Invitations
Make the invites on strong card using a teapot template. Decorate with lots of flower stickers. Cut out a piece of rectangular card (teabag shape) and attach a piece of thread to it. The teabag should not be larger than the tea pot body. Write the instructions on the teabag and then attach the thread to the back of the teapot with some scotch tape. Secure the teabag itself to the back of the teapot with a little blue tack.
Formal invitation
Using plain white postcards, hand write the party details using a calligraphy pen. Edge the postcards with a thin gold marker pen. Place in a gold envelope.
Photo invitation
Take a digital photo of the party child, all dressed up in hat and jewels and sipping tea. Using your computer, design a simple invitation and incorporate the photo.
Cake invitation
Take a plain white paper plate and draw/stick images of pretty cupcakes round the outer edge. Write the tea party details on s a small round paper doily and stick it to the middle of the plate.
Tea Party Costumes
Ask the kids to come dressed in their "Sunday Best" but do also have some accessories available for those who forget or just to add some more fun!
Garage and car boot sales are great places for picking up jewelry trinkets, beads, hats and lace gloves. Anything chiffon and floaty is sure to be popular.
If the weather is warm, an outdoor tea party under a canopy can be just perfect.
Decorate the canopy with lots of flowers (real or fake) and string balloons from the ceiling. Make the table the centerpiece and lay it up as though the queen was coming to tea!
If indoors dedicate one room for the tea party table. Clear it of clutter and go to town with flowers and lots of lace and pretty decorations.
Rummage round the thrift shops and boot sales for china cups and plates
Scatter rose petals over the table
Decorate each chair with a big paper bow
Make little name cards and use the words "Miss…" and "Master…"
At each place setting have a little organza bag filled with sugared almonds and tied with a ribbon.
Have some gentle music playing in the background
Don't be frightened to use real china cups and silver spoons. You'll be amazed at how grown up the kids will be no matter what age. (Well above the age of 4 years!).
For quick and easy tea party decorations, try these theme party ware boxes:
Shindigz.com - Party supplies for ALL occasions. Great value
Birthday Express - Lots of choice and lots of original products too.
Makesparties - One of the best party supplies stores for prices.
Birthday in a Box - One of my favorites for party theme packages and party favor ideas.
Buy Costumes - My favorite for party costumes for all ages and occasions.
Tea Party Food
Planning the food is my favorite part for this tea party theme. Basically it is up to you what you serve but whatever it is, make it look nice. Don't even think about getting out paper plates and plastic cups – this must be the real thing!!
Think of colors, flowers and foliage to decorate the serving plates, food served on pretty doilies, silver serving spoons and fancy serving bowls. Finger foods are best and make them small and dainty.
Why don't you dress up as a waitress and serve the kids just like in a posh restaurant.
Food ideas might include:
Jugs of peach or apple juice. Most kids will probably prefer that to real tea although some kids do like iced tea.
Finger sandwiches - Dainty sandwiches with the filling of your choice. Cut into triangles and of course cut the crusts cut off too!
Crudités and dips - Carrot and cucumber sticks are often popular. Serve with little bowls of mayonnaise or cream cheese to dip them in.
Savory canapés - Cheese biscuits topped with cream cheese and then bits of chopped ham, tomato or whatever the kids might like.
Stuffed cherry tomatoes - My youngest son just loves these. Scoop out the soft center of the cherry tomatoes and replace with cream cheese. Use an icing piping bag for this and they will look great when done.
Iced biscuits - Make or buy plain shortbread cookies and decorate with icing and sugared flowers.
Colored marshmallows and fruit kebabs - Skewer wooden bbq sticks with marshmallows and seasonal fruits. Have a little squirting cream ready too for dipping them in!
Chocolate fruit - Grapes and strawberries dipped in melted dark and white chocolate and then allowed to set
Doily Cake - Make 2 basic round cakes using a packet cake mix or my all-in-one cake recipe. Sandwich the cakes together with either cream and jam or a flavored filling. You could also add fruit but some kids will probably not eat it then. For the top of the cake place a paper doily on top and sprinkle over lots of icing sugar. Remove the doily and you should have a nice pattern. Decorate even more with sugar flowers secured in place with a blob of icing. DEEEELICIOUS!!
When the kids aren't sipping tea and nibbling cakes, they will need something to keep them busy.
Dressing up chest
My daughter is 13 and she still enjoys dressing up. To make it more fun, create a small boudoir and hang up dresses on a rail and have shoes neatly arranged. Lay out jewelry and accessories on a nice table and have a long full length mirror for the kids to admire themselves in. And have the camera ready.....
Napkin folding
This is probably better suited to the over 6's. Give the kids some simple napkin folding lessons and give a prize for the best one.
Hat decorating
Buy some cheap hats and a stack of silk flowers and colored ribbons. Let the children create their head master piece.
Find the biggest chair you can in our house and drape a sheet over it. Have a box of fancy dressing up clothes available and maybe a little lipstick and blusher. Take a photo of the kids looking all grown up and sitting in the big chair.
Make some bingo playing boards in the shape of a teapot. Randomly write some numbers on the teapot. Choose numbers appropriate for the age group. Give the kids reusable flower stickers to use as markers.
Table for Two
I bet that some of the kids don't know how to lay a table properly. Make it into a game by showing them how to do it first and then get them to race to see who can lay the perfect table for two. You could even include napkin folding as well.
Sugar and spoon race
Instead of the traditional egg and spoon race, use a sugar lump and spoon. Make it harder by giving the kids an obstacle course to go round as well.
Teabag toss
Make two teapots out of cardboard box. The easiest way is to cut out and decorate a teapot from a large piece of flat card. Then stick this to the side of a cardboard box so that the box is hidden. Split into teams and give each team several bean bags. Have them toss the bean bags into the tea pot and see who can get them in within the fastest time.
Hunt the thimble
Although not an original game, this was a really traditional parlor game probably loved by many grannies and one that I feel needs reviving as it is so simple yet such fun. One child leaves the room and the others choose a hiding place for the thimble. It should be at least partially in view. The seeker then returns to the room and has to try and find it. To make it more fun, the kids watching can shout out hot, warm(er), cold(er) as the seeker gets closer (hotter) or farther (colder) to the thimble.
Butlers relay
I love this game. Split the kids into teams and give each team a tray. The aim of the game is for each team member to run from one end of the room to the other, pick up an item such as a tea cup or spoon, place that item on the tray and run back to their team. The next team member goes and adds another item to the tray and so on. Thus the last person will be carrying a full tray so make sure they are strong! First team to have a full tray is the winner.
Did you know.....In Lewis Carroll's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter was actually know as the 'Hatter' and never as the 'Mad Hatter'. Thus the chapter called "A Mad Tea Party" is often erroneously called "The Mad Hatter's Tea Party".
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