Things You'll Need:
- A date for the party
- A location for the party
- A list of friends the child wants to invite
- Invitations or supplies to make your own
- A menu of food and drinks other than tea
- Party supplies
- A budget for the party
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Step 1
Decide on a date for the tea party. Be sure to choose an alternative date in the event that your child's friends can't come on the original date or there is inclement weather.
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Step 2
Decide where you want to hold the party. It could be inside your home, in your garage or back yard, at a community center or any other place that can be rented or used for parties of this kind. This could include local parks, farms or other children's centers.
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Step 3
Help your child develop a list of friends that he wants to invite to the party. The number of friends chosen will likely be dependent upon the location for the party and your budget.
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Step 4
Prepare invitations for the party. You can purchase stock invitations at a local store or make your own on the computer or by hand. Choose something with a tea party, bear theme or both to tie everything together. Stock invitations can be purchased at local discount department stores, card and gift shops and party supply stores. Invitations can be printed through computer desktop publishing programs to allow you to personalize each invitation to the child being invited to the party. Handmade invitations can also be fun, especially if you involved your child in making them. Be sure that the invitations outline who is invited (child and their favorite teddy or other stuffed animal), the type of party (a tea party), when the party is being held (day, date and time), where the party is to be held (location), and why the party is being held (for birthday, just because or other reason). For your own purposes, outline a timetable for the event which outlines how much time will be spent eating, playing,or doing other events planned for the party. You may wish to allow parents to attend or invite a certain number of adults to help provide the party with sufficient adult supervision. Don't forget to include a R.S.V.P. date on the invitation so that you can make food and supply purchases based upon the actual number of children and/or parents attending the party. If there is to be a "rain" date, include that somewhere on the invitation as well and a list of circumstances under which that date might become active.
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Step 5
Involve your child in preparing the menu for the party. Be sure to include drinks other than tea. Juice or punch is a good alternative and both can be served in tea cups just like tea. Keep menu items simple as well as light and children-friendly. Choose things that don't require a lot of cooking or cooling. Consider foods that most children like such as peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken fingers or wings. If you opt to serve chips, serve two or three different kinds to be certain to suit the taste of at least the majority of the party attendees. Also include healthy foods such as a veggie or fruit tray. Keep sweets to a minimum. Keep your budget in mind in choosing food items.
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Step 6
Let your child help you decide how to decorate for the party. Keep it simple, using items you already have on hand, can purchase inexpensively, or can make. Use your child's stuffed animals as part of the decor; for table decoration; or to hold other decorations. Consider using simple things such as streamers and balloons in colors that carry out those from the invitation or that blend in with the location. If you decide to use some, or all, paper supplies, be sure to match those choices with the other decor. To keep the party authentic, consider purchasing tea party sets from the local dollar or toy store and incorporate that either into the decor or as part of the serving pieces. Don't go overboard. Keep everything as simple as possible. Keep your budget in mind in choosing party supplies.
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Step 7
Decide the activities that will take place at the party like games or crafts. Keep it simple and confine it to activities that children like to take part in. One idea would be to have a box of old clothes for the kids to use to dress up; perhaps including some that they could use to dress teddy as well. Old hats, gloves, handbags, and scarves or boas as well as old jewelry will be popular with young girls. Old hats, suit jackets, ties, gloves, umbrellas and brief cases will be popular with young men. Such items can easily be picked up at a local thrift and/or dollar store. You can even include things such as children's makeup and fake mustaches for the boys. Or try simple games like musical chairs, drop the clothespin, magnetic darts or yard games such as horsehoes, croquet or races. Another option would be to have play dough or clay for sculpting; finger paints or crayons for drawing; or sand for making sand for making castles and other items. Don't plan too many activities as the children will want to develop some of their own fun stuff.
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Step 8
If you plan to have gift bags for the party attendees, determine what you want to include within the bag. For example, you could include toys such as yoyos or bubble makers; candy or snacks like peanut butter crackers or fruit roll-ups; or personalized gifts for each child. Keep your party budget in mind as you make this decision. That may be the ultimate determining factor as to whether or not you can do this or with regard to what you can afford to put into the bag. Dollar stores and discount department stores, as well as party supply stores, generally have packages of these types of items for purchase. Some are generic (for either boy or girl) while others are geared more to specific genders. This will give you multiple options for preparing your gift bags if you opt to use them.
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Step 9
When you set up for the party, don't forget the teddy bears. There should be place cards for each bear just like there is for each child. While the bears may sit on the table next to their child, each teddy should get his own teacup and/or plate and food. For example, you can purchase toy teasetr at dollar stores or discount department stores that are just the right side for teddy bears. Often you can even purchase plastic food for each bear. Children will take the tea party seriously so you should as well. To do anything less will spoil all the fun for the children.
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Step 10
The day of the party, involve you child in all aspects of its final preparation--decorating, preparing food and hosting.
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Step 11
When the party is over, involve your child in cleanup as well. Adjust duties according to age. This will help your child understand everything that goes into planning a party and help him or her develop a healthy respect for everything you do.
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Step 12
Follow-up after the party to find out what the kids liked and didn't like so that you can adjust future parties accordingly. Don't forget to check with your own child as well. Also determine how well you did with regard to your budget so that you can adjust that accordingly for future events.
