5 “Tea”riffic Ideas for a Teddy Bear Tea Party! Kids love it when they feel grown-up and fancy – what could be more fun than a teddy bear tea party? And Trailer Booth Photography is loved by people of all ages, so what better way to capture your child's special day than with your Austin, Texas, photo booth? Here are some suggestions to make your party “tea”riffic!
1. Kids create their own photo booth props – A tea party is a great opportunity for kids to use their imaginations and be creative! Give each child a sheet of plain paper and a selection of crayons, markers, stickers, sequins, glue, and other items to decorate a fancy fan. You may want to draw a line across each paper, about two or three inches from the bottom edge, and ask little ones not to decorate below that line, since that part of the paper will become the handle. Fold each decorated page accordion-style, pinch the bottom closed to make a handle, and secure it with colorful washi tape. And so the teddy bears aren't left out, have guests make bear-sized beaded necklaces. Everyone will look so fancy in Trailer Booth Photography's beautiful photos with their custom fans and their dressed-up teddy bears! Consider some other themed photo props as well, such as fancy hats, long gloves, feather boas, and faux-pearl necklaces. 2. Teddy bear party games – Teddy bears may not be able to play games along with their human friends, but you can theme your activities around them. Draw or trace a large bear in a sitting or standing position on a poster board and hang it on the wall, and draw or trace enough paper or cardboard bow ties for each party-goer. Then all you need is a blindfold and a piece of tape for each bow tie, and you're all set to play Pin the Bow on the Bear! You can also tie in the tea party theme with a teaspoon race! You'll need a few teaspoons (you can let each child compete individually or divide the group into teams) and some tiny teddy bears – look for miniature stuffed ones or hard plastic ones with flocked fur at craft stores or online. Mark a starting line
and a finish line, and have a race to see who can carry their bear on their teaspoon the fastest without dropping it! 3. Tea! (and other beverages) – It's a tea party, so of course you'll want to offer a few flavors of tea! For children, stick with teas that are light and fruit-flavored – consider both green tea and black tea, and be sure to check the caffeine content! A lot of American kids are unfamiliar with tea these days, so pour just a little bit at first to let each child have a taste and see if they like it. For anyone who doesn't want tea, apple juice is a good substitute because it looks like tea, or you can offer lemonade, other fruit juice, or any kind of punch (just think ahead about what colors may stain if spilled). If your guests are older, they may be interested in experimenting with adding milk, sugar, cream, or lemon to their tea, but this may be too messy for very young kids. 4. Fancy but kid-friendly food – Finger sandwiches are definitely the way to go for a tea party! For adults you might serve smoked salmon or cucumber and dill, but those may not go over so well with the younger crowd. Try peanut butter and jelly (ask about allergies first!) or cream cheese and jelly, one or more kid-friendly cheeses, and chicken or egg salad. Cut off the crusts and cut them into tiny triangles, or use cookie cutters to make fun shapes. For sweet things, cupcakes and petit fours (bite-size cube-shaped cakes) can be purchased or bought, or if you're feeling ambitious, there are many designs online for teapot-shaped cakes. Fresh fruit and veggies, cookies, pretzels, and small candies are also great ideas. 5. Teacups filled with favors – Find teacups and saucers at resale shops, thrift stores, and antique stores – don't worry about trying to match colors and patterns. Fill the cups with small, fancy items, such as plastic jewelry, ring pops, tea bags in kid-friendly flavors, stickers, or hair accessories. If you found tiny teddy bears in bulk for the teaspoon game, consider putting one in each teacup. Place each cup on a saucer and place each saucer on a large square of tulle or netting. Pull the fabric up and gather it above the cup, then tie with a pretty ribbon. If your guests are too young to reliably carry delicate china, wait to pass out the favors until parents come to pick them up, or look for plastic teacups and saucers.