Learn how to throw an adorable and fun children’s tea party!
For years I’ve hosted random tea party picnics for my kids and their friends. It’s one of my absolute favorite kinds of parties to throw—probably because the kids are just so darn stinkin’ cute, haha!
I’m going to share my methods for hosting a great (and simple—no exhausting prep or crazy expensive decorations) tea party for kids that everyone will enjoy!
Choose a location for your children’s tea party.
First, you need to choose where to have your tea party! I love having it at a local park that has great shade trees and lots of space for the kids to run around afterward.
If you don’t have a good outdoor area for a picnic, or if the weather just isn’t cooperating, or if you just simply don’t want to have it outside, you can always host it indoors.
I’ve thrown tea parties inside and outside, and to be honest, it’s actually easier to host a tea party inside because you can set everything up the night before, and you don’t have to transport anything to another location.
But I just love having it in a nice scenic place (plus I don’t have to clean my house first, haha), so it’s worth the extra work to transport everything and set up somewhere else to me.
Make your guest list.
You need to know how many people to plan for, so make a list of everyone you want to invite. Not everyone may be able to make it, but it’s better to plan for more food/supplies and have extra than for not enough and run out.
Invite your guests.
My general rule of thumb for inviting guests to parties is to invite them 2 weeks beforehand. However, if your tea party is for or around a popular holiday, like Easter, then invite your guests 3-4 weeks ahead of time.
I like to set up a Facebook event to invite our guests because it’s easy to keep track of everyone who can come and to announce a reminder when the tea party is a few days away.
But there are always some parents who don’t use Facebook or who you simply don’t know well enough to find on social media, so it’s a good idea to print off some physical invitations to hand out with a good RSVP phone number/email.
*Tip: I’ve found that if you specifically say that they can text you, they’re more likely to actually let you know if they can make it or not.
Get your supplies.
For a tea party picnic, you’ll need:
- a nice looking picnic blanket or an outdoor rug/mat (I use an old tablecloth)
- teacups and saucers — if you have time, I recommend checking out your local thrift store—it’s taken me a while, but I have quite the collection of all different styles of teacups; if you’re short on time or you just need to supplement your teacup collection, you can find some really cute ones here or some fun disposable ones here.
*Even though I only plan enough teacups and saucers for the kids, I always bring extra regular cups for any parents who may come.
- a teapot or two—I like to have 2, each with a different drink inside just for variety’s sake. See a couple of great teapots here and here.
- small vases or cups for the flower with glass pebbles to help weigh them down so they don’t fall over
Plan your tea party food!
Now the fun stuff: FOOD!
Something to keep in mind when you’re planning food for a tea party (or really any party) is to have an even mix of sweet and savory/salty foods.
Also, consider the common likes/dislikes of your guests. For example, since I’ve always thrown tea parties for younger kids, I always include small peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along with the traditional cucumber sandwiches.
See my recipe for delicious cucumber sandwiches here.
Other easy food ideas besides sandwiches are small cookies and cakes, cheese and crackers, pretzels, or fruits and veggies.
The main thing to remember is that you want all the food to be dainty— everything should be already individually portioned, and you shouldn’t need any utensils to eat the food politely.
Also, since my tea parties have always been for kids, I usually serve lemonade and light colored juice (I try to avoid any dark juices that may stain) instead of actual tea. It’s also a good idea, no matter what age your tea party is for, to have water on hand.
The day before your tea party…
Get all the food made and dishes prepped the day before your tea party. If you’re having the party at your house, you can even go ahead and set the table so that all you have to worry about on the day of the party is setting the food out.
If you’re transporting everything somewhere else, you’ll need to do a little more prep.
I use a big plastic tub and put all of my non-food/drink supplies in it. For the teacups, saucers, and teapots, I wrap them in shopping bags so they don’t chip.
The food that doesn’t need refrigeration just goes in a bag or box, ready to go. The rest of the food will need to stay in the fridge until you’re ready to leave. Be sure you have a cooler with plenty of ice ready so it doesn’t take you long to put it all together the next day when it’s time to go.
*Tip: A wagon will make toting everything to your location SO much easier! I love mine and use it all the time, not just for tea party picnics. 😉
The day of your children’s tea party…
I recommend getting to your location an hour early if you’re unfamiliar with it. If it’s a place you’re already comfortable at, a half-hour should be good to set up. Use your best judgment, of course. It’s better to be ready too early than to be late. 😊
Then you just set everything out, direct the children to the dress-up basket as they arrive, and let the fun and cuteness ensue!
Several of the tea parties I’ve hosted have been around Easter, so for those ones we like to include an egg hunt after the kids finish eating. It works out great because the kids are so focused on the tea party that they don’t even notice the parents hiding the eggs, haha!
I’ve also done a Valentine’s tea party that was really fun—that one got rained out, so we did end up having it indoors, but it was still a great time.
Do you like throwing tea parties, too? What are your favorite tips/ideas for a successful children’s tea party? Let me know in the comments!
