Two of my daughters are having birthdays next week (turning 10 and 7). I would like to throw them a tea party birthday party. There are some moms who are incredibly creative with birthdays and manage clever cakes, activities, etc. Unfortunately, I am not one of those mothers. My niche is teen boy slumber parties, which only require: a PS2 or GameCube; cookie cake (preferably baked during the party from a tub of store-bought cookie dough); copious amounts of coke and chips; hot dogs and burgers or pizza.
Although I love hot tea and my girls will drink it, too, I’m thinking Russian Tea might be a safer bet with kids this age. Chloe wants us to make muffins. I’m also thinking about making a big batch of cookie-cutter cookies – gingerbread and sugar – and letting them ice and decorate them. This is the point where I run out of inspiration. Has anyone ever done this or have any great ideas or suggestions? 
A few years ago, I did something similar for Cori – I spent a few days scoping through Good Will and Salvation Army and bought a bunch of old prom dresses, purses and gloves and a hats if you can find them. We all dressed up – I actually had a friend who did Mary Kay come and do the make-up and hair just for fun – but then we all brought our favorite stuffed friend for just a spot of tea! Don’t have digitals of the event, but it was way cool. All the girls left with a “vintage” dress, purse or gloves as their loving parting gift!
hey, if you go the “dress-up” route, you could even ask that the girls come already dressed-up! Also, you could set up a make-up shop and “do-up” the girlies to go with the beautiful outfits… Then maybe have a little fashion show after tea…pictures, run-way, etc…my girls did this once and it was SOOOO fun for kids and Moms to watch! I know it will be FABULOUS, whatever you end up doing…we can’t wait!
Last year I helped with a tea party for my cousin, age 8. The invites said, “Tea party dress” and all the girls came in sweet little dresses. We bought dollar store wide brimmed straw hats and fake flowers, and they decorated their own hat in very glamorous style first thing. Then they played pin the handle on the tea pot. And since it was outside, a round of croquet. Very cute. All the while, princess tea music was playing. We had a spread of simple finger sandwiches, cucumbers with the tiniest dollup of chicken salad on them, and a selection of cream puffs (ala Costco freezer section) and little square cakes in pastel colors (easy with the new warm and pour frosting). When it came time for them to “come to tea” after the game(s), they were introduced one at a time by the birthday girl’s dad, much like they were entering a formal dining room. They all acted very grown-up and enjoyed themselves. Oh – the tea was strawberry jam dollops in boiling water (I got it a lot in Ukraine). And sugar cubes, of course.
For party favors, (beside the hat) the girls each took home a tea cup (inexpensive at thrift stores – she found hers in a set at a department store clearance sale) filled with a candy necklace, a ring pop, and a couple other sweet treats.
Seems like there was another activity or two..I’ll get back to you. 🙂
http://www.sippingtea.com/4childteas.html Here’s a site that may help. I’ll send some more via email. What an exciting party idea!
The blogger monster just made me mad. I typed pretty much a WHOLE POST and it said there was an error. Yeah. There is an error alright. :>)
I thought that maybe you could use the Alice in WOnderland route. Read that part of the story and have tea.
Also- make finger sandwichs of PB and J. Use cookie cutters to make them pretty. You can use apple juice for tea. Grapes and strawberries add color.
You and your daughters could make the muffins or some cookies to send home as favors. Put them in a little baggie and add a string of beads (Dollar Tree) that they can wear home, or maybe a hair ribbon. Or something from the ALice In Wonderland story. I LOVE THIS GIRLIE STUFF! :>)
Looks like all my ideas have already been stated. Are you planning to post pictures for us all?
How very fun, sweet, and girly this will be!!
My thoughts exactly, MomRN2. These are all such great ideas you should be able to do an amazing tea party. What I’m looking forward to is the photos. If blogger will let me view them. Sigh.
I’m so glad there are so many talented mom out there. I’d be of no help on this whatsoever, and I’m not kidding either.
They are turning 7 & 10 in the same week? how fun is that!
We made tea party hats. I bought some lace curtains at Goodwill (cheaper than new lace fabric), cut out a big circle, and I draped it over a bowl and sprayed with fabric stiffener. I had fake flowers (cut off the stem) from the dollar store and bought netting in different colors and cut it into strips to make gauzy ribbons. The girls glued the flowers on the hats.
For favors, I bought a pack of little white boxes for wedding favors (dollar store again), glued some tiny purple flowers to the front, and put candy necklace, flower stickers, and minibubbles (wedding aisle at dollar store again!) inside.
I cut out the sandwiches with a butterfly cookie cutter and made mini muffins.
We had red zinger tea, orange spice tea, and hot chocolate. I also got actual sugar cubes, which most of the girls had never seen before and thought was so cool! I used little ice tongs for the cubes.
Here’s some links:
http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/article_2260.shtml
http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/teaideas.html
http://www.he-and-she.com/TeaParty/Cteaparty.html
Have fun!