How to Have Tea Party for Moms AND Kids
When my best friend’s daughter requested a Tea Party Birthday Party on the same weekend as my own birthday, I wondered if there would be a way to combine the two events. Could we create a Tea Party that was fun for the kids, but gave the moms a chance to chat and relax as well? Turns out, by keeping things simple, the answer is yes!
What I loved about this event was that it was a party where both moms and kids had a good time. Moms got a chance to connect and kids got a chance to play. Not only that, it was an environmentally friendly way to have a party too.
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Pause- Eco Friendly Tea party?This party also needed to be an Eco Friendly Tea Party, because Glad had sent me a One Bag Party Kit asking me to have a party where all the trash from the party could be cleaned up in just on garbage bag. The kit included bamboo flatware, compostable paper plates, cloth bags, an eco friendly cleaner and Glad trash bags. It turns out a tea party is perfect for an eco friendly celebration. At the end of it we literally had only a handful of trash and a bowl full of compost scraps. Because it's a tea party, as the host you are naturally motivated to use your own dishes and to use porcelain tea cups (we found ours at a thrift store for about a quarter each!). We decorated the table by “clouding” our table cloths around the centerpiece and served mostly finger foods so guests didn't need more than one plate. Learn more about Glad's work to better the environment at: Glad to Waste Less |
I already use Glad trash bags, so I have to admit, I've been tickled that a product I like is moving more in line with my values and doing this push towards environmentally friendly living (I did a post last month about turning trash into treasure and we made DIY Treasure Hunt Pictures– very fun project.)
How to Have a Tea Party for Moms AND Kids:
Start off by narrowing down the guest list. Our party included 5 moms and 8 kids (3 of which were mine.) The smaller number of guests allowed for a cozy atmosphere because we could all fit together and we didn't have to worry too much about finding activities for lots of different ages. We focused on things 5 year olds would like.
We knew that we wanted to start out by doing something that kids could do with their moms right away. The idea was to connect with the kids at the beginning of the party, to “fill their cups” so that later they would be more willing to play independently and the moms would get a chance to chat.
Our Tea Party Plan:
- Guests arrive and food and tea cups are already set out.
- Kids decorate tea cup with their moms.
- We read I'm a Little Tea Pot.
- Kids and moms can dress up and have a picture taken.
- We have a “Movie Theater” set up so kids can watch a Tea Party movie while grown ups chat.
Tea Party Activities
Here's how this Tea Party really went:
The first activity that we set out, which was putting stickers on tea cups, was so popular that it lasted for nearly 45 minutes. We grown ups had no idea this would be so much fun for the kids. They were intent on their cups, only occasionally stopping the stickering to grab little bites of snack. One friend said, “OK, the stickers on the tea cups are such a hit that they should be a blog post all by themselves.”
Such a simple activity. I just bought plain looking tea cups at a local thrift store and some sparkly foam stickers, enough for all the kids to have a couple sheets. The kids got to take their decorated cups home at the end of the party. Not dishwasher safe, but these decorated cups had the benefit of being instantly usable for tea at the party, whereas if we'd bought Porcelain Paint Markers
(the other option we considered) it would have taken the cups too long to set in the oven.
Tea Party Showtime
By the time kids finished decorating tea cups, sipping a little tea, and snacking, my seven year old had already wandered into the “movie theater” room to watch a show, and the younger kids followed him as they finished up.
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Of course, when you are five, have a new kid-friendly spot to play in, and are surrounded by friends; who needs a movie to stay entertained? This troop happily played “lions” as the moms chatted in the next room.
Tea Party Dress Up
As the lions came out of their den, we showed them the dress up bin. Nobody cared to stay still for a photo, but I think every body tried on every thing at least once!
Satisfied with their finery, they headed out front and the moms blew bubbles. We said our goodbyes and agreed that this had been a splendid way to have a tea party!
What worked so everyone could have fun:
- We started out focused on the kids.
- We didn't have a huge crowd; this would have been much harder if everyone's siblings were here.
- We allowed for flexibility so that the plan could change.
- We didn't plan too much, but had a couple just-in-case activities in mind (like the bubbles.)
- We served a range of foods, all pretty simple (think fruit on a toothpick) so that there was at least one thing each person liked.
I definitely want to do another one of these, maybe out in a park in warmer weather. Do you know of other fun books with stories about tea parties, or ideas about how to have a tea party that I should take a look at? Leave me a comment and let me know!
I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Glad and received a One Bag kit to facilitate my review, a kit to give away, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.
Alissa Zorn is an author, and founder of the website Overthought This. She's a coach and cartoonist passionate about helping people overcome perfectionism and shame to build authentic, joyful lives. Alissa is certified through the International Coach Federation and got her Trauma-Informed Coaching certification from Moving the Human Spirit. She wrote Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection, Not Perfection, and is always following curiosity to find her next creative endeavor.