While throwing a tea party can sound kind of scary, overwhelming or expensive, it really doesn’t have to be. Children, even older children, are pretty forgiving. Plus, they don’t know the rules, and can’t get picky about it :).
Here are a few tips I have learned along the way about making tea parties easy to do.
Tea Party Supplies
While there are many things it would be NICE to have, you don’t need them all. Your everyday cups & saucers are probably just fine. Mine almost never get used so they seem special. Special paper plates & napkins can work just as well.
Essentials
- Cups & Saucers
- Bread or Dessert plates
- Utensils
- Food
- Drink
- Napkins
Cheap Expansions
Teapot – I have one and we rarely use it even when we drink tea.
Creamer & Sugar – again, I have it & rarely use it..we don’t always drink tea.
Tray – it’s fun, but not essential. Resale shops are GREAT for these!
Tablecloths – if you don’t have any, it’s nice to add a touch of fancy
Cake plates – I have some of these made from plates glued to candlesticks that were a gift after throwing a tea for the Little Flowers group. I love them.
Doilies – doesn’t every estate sale have these?
Menu
Doesn’t that sound fancy? That’s as fancy as it needs to be! To make it enjoyable, I try to serve what the girls like as well as something new to try. It doesn’t have to be super fancy and i like to make it a luncheon. I plan the following:
Special Drink
This doesn’t need to be tea. We’ve done chai, hot chocolate, chocolate milk, smoothies, lemonade and more.
Sandwiches
This does not need to be super fancy. Cut the crusts off if you don’t normally. Maybe use a cookie cutter to cut fancy shapes. Or simply cut it into quarters. But try something new, too. A fun tea party seems to make little ones more willing to try new things :).
Dessert
Again, I typically have something they like and don’t normally get. And small, because teas are all about finger foods & dainty, right? I’ve used mini cupcakes, tiny sugar cookies, donut holes & more.
Fruit
I like to have some fruit, too, so it at least feels like they are getting something healthy.
And because its usually not protein heavy (unless your kids like egg salad or something), I plan for a protein-heavy second lunch. Our house has hobbits living in it and we need it after all that sugar!
Dress the Part
My girls are girly girls and still in the dress up stage, so they have boas and gloves, hats and purses all for the taking. If yours don’t, this post shows how fun hats made from a bowl, a plate, ribbon & flowers. I bought our hats from Sears on clearance at Easter and have also seen them in Target’s Dollar Spot around Easter. The dollar store may have them, too. Our list includes:
- hat with flowers or a fascinator
- Wrist gloves
- Pearls
- Dress
Again, none of these are essential, but they add to the fun. Read some Fancy Nancy for inspiration!
Making the tea party fun for children is really the point. Try not to stress about a Pinterest perfect party or about things you don’t have. Most of the time, I don’t even invite others. If you take a few minutes to assess what you have, you can have a perfectly fancy tea party in an hour or less.
How do you feel about tea parties?
