Pinkies Up: 5 Steps for Hosting a Tea Party for Your Child
Posted by Jeffrey B on 24th Oct 2022
High teas are fancy, sophisticated, and fun for kids. There’s a reason why this event commands top dollar at upper end restaurants; it’s not just a light meal, it’s an experience!
Attending a high tea with your child can set you back a pretty penny, but hosting a tea party at home will be much more affordable and certainly more fun . By having it at home you can customize your tea party to any theme and with exactly the treats your child desires.
Below are five steps to ensure you have the best tea party ever.
Choose a Theme
The first step to hosting a tea party is to choose a theme. This can be anything from Alice in Wonderland to pirates. Much like a birthday party, a tea party can be whatever you want it to be. Does your child like Disney princesses? Racecars? Aliens? Maybe even Star Wars?
Tea parties aren’t just for girls, you can take the idea and make something perfect for any child and what they love.. .Include a dress code for your party to guide your partygoers with some helpful examples; is this a traditional tea party with formal attire or are superhero costumes the encouraged dress?
Any theme can come to life with some care and a little planning. . If you need a little help nailing down a theme, check out this list of ideas:
Send Out Invitations
The next step is to send out invitations.Find the right paper, address the envelopes, and put stamps on them. Consider whether you want to handwrite the invitations or print them onto stationery; if your handwriting is more chicken-scratch than calligraphy, an inkjet printer is your friend. You may be able to find invitations or stationery that fit the theme you want, but if you can't find any, make them! Making your own using clip art, images you find online, and a little graphic design can be a lot of fun.
Most party stores sell blank invitations that can be adorned with stickers, but creating invites from scratch allows you to completely customize the design to suit your party. Mail the invites or simply hand deliver to see the excitement of the recipient (just be mindful of other kids being nearby that may be disappointed to see they didn’t get an invite).
Make the Food
As popular as typical British high tea’s food is for adults, kids will likely turn their nose up at the bulk of them. Swap out the traditional pickled fish and potatoes with finger sandwiches, cookies, cake, and rice crispy treats. If you’re feeling extra creative, give the food and drinks on-theme names or looks, like if you’re having a Star Wars tea party, add a few drops of blue food coloring to milk and have “blue milk” or with a Marvel theme serve “Super Soldier Serum” lemonade
Not all kids are tea drinkers and most likely won’t like it unless it’s full of sugar or honey. Offer more kid-appropriate drinks such as hot chocolate, juice, or milk for non-tea drinkers. You can also offer flavored teas that are much more kid-friendly than Earl Grey like some sweet teas (Arizona, Nestea, or Brisk). For those that want to use traditional tea, be sure to have sugar cubes and milk available. Check out this link for tea party food and drink ideas if you’re interested in some awesome ideas.
Set the Table
Set a table to impress. Put down a tablecloth, and set out the plates, napkins, and cups before putting out the food.
Much like the invitations, nicely setting the table doesn’t mean that you have to run out and buy expensive accessories. Use what you have at home or get some cheap plastic teacups from the party store. . You can also make some of your own accessories. A blank white tablecloth from the dollar store can be decorated with stickers and magic markers. You can even have this as an activity for your child and their guests before the table is even set.
Serve Your Guests
Have everyone sit and serve them their tea or alternate beverage. Tea time is a great time to have children use their best manners. “Please” and “thank you” should be encouraged at every turn. Even older siblings can participate by being the waitstaff and joining in.
Putting together a high tea for your child and their friends isn’t difficult or expensive. Pick a date, choose a theme, gather needed supplies, and get ready for the fun!