What do you do when you’re staying with nieces and longing to create something special? You host a tea party! While my littles were at swim lessons, I got to work, pulling dress up clothes from around the house, making signs and menus, and setting a beautiful lunch. With special elements of surprise, from the time they met the door, it was a great memory and loads of fun for the afternoon.
Keep reading for the full party after the jump!
A Tea Party for Littles
The table:
No table is complete without a centerpiece. The heart behind this gathering was simple. It was time for a bit of normal and fun, to spend time with my nieces. I collected items from dress up, princess capes, tiaras, and mardi gras beads. This plus a couple of pinwheels from a craft project, created a fun and playful centerpiece down the middle of the table. I made quick handwritten menus with a tea pot stamp for each place setting. Around each plate, I added mardi gras beads for a bit of extra flare. To finish off the table, I drew a “Welcome to A Tea Party” sign and placed it on a clipboard to serve as a welcoming note to the table. Each of the girls place setting, had a headband on the chair and princess cape for dress up at the table. Their portion of the table was completed with a favorite play tea set. For waters and limemade, each glass was finished off with a sweet striped straw.
The food:
This menu was a balance of the practical for little ones and a bit of trying new things. To mirror the pinwheels on the table, we cut PB&J and Turkey and Cheese into triangles, making perfect bites for toddlers. With bowls of washed fruit, there were other healthy items for everyone to enjoy. To drink, I put together a sparkling limeade. This was a perfect refreshment for a hot summer day. For the adults at the table, we enjoyed a fresh BBQ chicken salad, highlighting grilling season and local summer produce. To finish out the meal, I made up peach scones with some peaches that were slightly overripe, but perfect for baking. To close out our tea, we used loose leaf Chai tea from MarketSpice at Pike Place Market.
Elements of surprise:
I prepped this tea party while little ones were away at swim lessons. The surprise started with a letter at the front door. As the girls arrived home, there was a letter explaining what I was up to with a tea kettle stamp functioning as the seal. From here, they ran to their rooms and put on their favorite party dresses. When they came to the table, we had a favorite playlist on, a tea kettle stamp as their entrance to the party, and gave them their headbands and capes to sit down tea eat. It was a fun day that reminded me of the beauty of play and the simplicity of making memories. (All the ingredients and items for the table we had on hand. A definite win for resourcefulness.)
The menu:
Bowls of fresh fruit
Turkey and cheese triangle sandwiches
PB & J sandwich triangle sandwiches
BBQ Chicken Salad with Peaches and Tomatoes
Sparkling Limeade
Peach Scones from King Arthur Flour
Market Spice Chai Tea
