While some kids want their party to be as big, bad and exciting as possible, some kids prefer the quieter side life, sitting in a corner with a nice drink and a good book. If your child is a little introverted, yet they still want to host a good birthday party for their friends, why not consider hosting a tea party for them?
Not everybody is cut out for spending an action-packed day at the beach or at the nearest theme park. If your child prefers less excitement rather than more, a tea party could be the perfect solution for a fun birthday. They will get to enjoy time with friends in a calm and creative setting, just the way they like it. A garden party is a perfect location for your tea-themed afternoon or evening, so you don’t even need to book a venue in advance. Read on for 6 themed tea party ideas that your kids will love.
1. Vintage Tea Party
A vintage tea party is one of the easiest tea party ideas out there, whether you are trying to go for a 1940’s tea party look, or something a little older, such as a Victorian-themed tea party. Kids will have a fantastic time trying to talk as if they were from the Victorian era, and everybody likes dressing up so getting a few old-timey costumes from your local fancy dress store is as easy as 1,2,3. Try out a few classic cake recipes! A Victorian sponge is a class, family favourite – or you can make a few hot butter scones for the kids to munch on while they play.
When planning your party, why not tea stain your invitations to add some creative flair? There are also teapot and teabag shaped cards available, so there are plenty of options to consider when organising the party for your child.
2. Teddy Bears Picnic
Didn’t you ever take your favourite bear to infant school for a teddy bears picnic? Younger children will love the idea of creating a garden party just for their dolls and teddy bears. You can create miniature scones and biscuits for the teddies to ‘enjoy’ and help the little ones practise their etiquette and table manners. If you have very young children, the idea of a pretend tea party will work just as well as a real one, and you won’t have to worry about cleaning up real messes!
3. Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
Every child who has read, or even heard of Lewis Carroll’s most famous book ‘Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland’ will know that the Mad Hatter is a character most well known for his unique brand of madness and his equally unique love of tea. From his iconic 10/6 hat to his use of teapots in every shape and size, children and adults alike will have a lot of fun re-creating the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party right in their back garden.
Looking for more ways to inject fun into the party? Why not make it a costume party? The ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme is a great way for kids to come in costume, as there are so many different characters to choose from. Whether they like the Red Queen more, or they want to do a stylised version of the Jabberwocky, adding a costume element can turn a good party into a great one.
4. Sherlock/Mystery Tea Party
As a quintessentially British mastermind, Benedict Cumberbatch unintentionally sparked immense popularity for a particular type of teapot in 2012 when he poured a cup for his nemesis in one episode of the BBC show. The teapot was flying off the shelves, so it should come as no surprise to you that detective stories and tea go hand in hand. The idea of the private detective poring over case files often goes hand in hand with a hot cup of tea or coffee, so a mystery tea party is perfect for a birthday or other celebration.
Young adults and children in their early teens love a good murder mystery, and you can hide clues and hints all over the house which they can look for at their own pace. Throughout the afternoon, you can serve snacks and themed cakes to help them along with the investigation. Elementary, my dear Watson!
5. ‘Out of this World’ Tea Party
While Captain Jean-Luc Picard made his fondness for Earl Grey tea pretty clear, and Arthur Dent (Hitchhiker’s Guide) searches the galaxy for that perfect cup of tea, why not organise a space themed ‘out of this world’ tea party for the kids? Decorate some biscuits as flying saucers, or as aliens, to go with your tea, and turn your back garden into a galaxy far, far away with a bit of imagination and a little help from your nearby party planner. Some companies even specialise in designing an event for you, all you need to do is give them a brief and what you’d like to see, and they’ll get to it. What a wonderful way of bringing your child’s party to life.
6. Middle Eastern Tea Party
Looking for something a little more exotic? Try a tea-tasting session that samples artisan teas across the Middle East! With so many different flavour combinations available out there, it is a great way to get the taste buds tingling and to get your kids trying something new. You could even set it out like a traditional Japanese tea-house, with tatami mats and little pillows to sit on, or you could lay it out like an examination room, where the kids wear lab coats and rate their teas on things like taste, smell and appearance. Tea doesn’t just have to be about ‘English Breakfast’ tea, there are hundreds of different flavours available, so getting the kids to try a few different types should be a lot of fun.
Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer working together with Arabian Tents.