How to Hold a Mother's Day Tea in a Classroom

Mother's Day is a special holiday for elementary students and their mothers. However, it can get tiring trying to think of a way to have your students make an inexpensive yet special gift for their mothers. Why not do something different this year and, instead of devoting a lot of time to making a Mother's day present, use that time instead to host a Mother's Day tea? The mothers will be delighted, and great memories will be created.

Things You'll Need

• Tea
• Lemonade
• Water
• Cups
• Plates
• Napkins
• Foods of your choice.
• Tableclothes
• Flowers
• Craft supplies of your choice (optional for making a present).
• Supplies to make invitations

Instructions

1. Secure permission from your administrator to hold the tea. Decide on a date and time. The Friday before Mother's Day is a good day to hold it. While lunchtime may be a good time for mothers to be able to take some time off work, afternoon may be better to give mothers and their children time to linger and visit over their tea.

2. Create invitations. Have the students hand-make invitations to invite their mothers to the tea. These can be as simple or as formal as you like. If you wish, ask each mother to bring a special teacup and saucer from home. If your school allows it, have the office mail these to the students' home addresses. This way you can be assured that they will arrive, and it makes the event a bit more formal.

3. Plan a menu with the students. Include tea and also lemonade and water for the students to drink. Include appetizers that the students can prepare in the classroom before the tea, such as whole-wheat crackers and cheese. Small pastries are always fun too, if you can afford them. Ask your administrator if you can use your classroom budget to supply food and drink for the tea. If not, your room parent might be willing to help, but tread lightly as this is supposed to be a gift to the mothers.

4. Plan entertainment. Have each student write down what they love about their mom. During the tea, ask each student to stand up and read the list aloud to their mother. Alternately, you may wish to read them a book about a mother and child, or some Mother's Day poems.

5. 

   Arrange the room. Place desks together to make tables, and cover with a simple, pretty tablecloth. If you have access to flowers, pick some and place them in the middle of each table. If you wish to purchase flowers, Daffodils are inexpensive and pretty. Alternately, if you have the time, you can have the children make flowers out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners.

Tips & Warnings

• If space is an issue, consider having a "Mother's Day picnic" outside instead, if weather allows.

• If time allows, have the students create a Mother's Day gift and present it to them at the tea.

• Iced tea might be a better choice than hot tea, if you have young students.

Resources

• Mother's Day crafts students can do