My daughter is always looking for a reason to wear her beautiful Strasburg dresses…an outdoor tea party has become one of her favorite excuses!
The longer days of summer lend themselves perfectly to setting up a simple tea party in a shady area or under a sun umbrella. While the typical setting is at home, this is also a great way to add some “quieter time” into a busy day of playgrounds, beach, etc. on family trips if there are little cousins together.
A tea party guest list is a very versatile thing – it’s a great “event” to share with parents, grandparents, friends, cousins, stuffed animals…even the occasional little brother if he’s tolerated.
Fortunately, they’re also relatively simple to set up. Start with a date, time, and guest list. Will it be fancy dresses or come as you are? A drawing by the guest of honor with a few details can be hand delivered to guests, mailed, or sent via text. An outdoor party always seems more fun until it rains, so be prepared with a plan B for setting up inside if weather doesn’t cooperate.
A creative menu doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. It’s amazing how lovely peanut butter and jelly sandwiches look when you use a cookie cutter to shape them. Cheese and fruit slices are more appealing with fancy toothpicks. Fruit snacks arranged on a plate in a fun pattern are fun to set up and to eat. Single serve applesauce containers look darling with a bow around them. The “tea” can be a favorite fruit juice, lemonade, or any favorite drink. Colorful silicone cups are great for single servings around the table…like goldfish to make sure all servings are equal. One note of caution: when planning the food, consider the safety of the dress if it’s a special one. Extra cheesy goldfish might be a favorite snack but the regular little guys won’t leave an orange trail across the dresses. Save the messy ones for play clothes.
Have fun setting the table with your little one/ones! Don’t forget a sturdy tablecloth and fresh flowers in a (stable) vase to set the mood. If you don’t have a kids table to use or the regular outdoor table seems too big, try a smaller outdoor table with pillows on the ground for seats. (I have the Crate & Barrel Table in a Bag that sits 15” off the ground…it goes everywhere with us). If you have a regular kids tea set, that’s great…if not, throw together something fun for them to drink from. A nice pitcher can pretend to be a tea pot for the occasion.
Once your guests have arrived and are seated, silence your phone and savor the time having (or watching ) “tea” and snacks, making memories with whoever is seated around the table.