tea party magic

Creating summer memories they’ll never forget

Princesses, dollies

and dress-up. These are just a few of the things that come to mind when I think of having some sweet imaginative play. When Mama is asked to participate, my go to suggestion is to have a tea party.

I adore watching kids in imaginative play. Seeing their creative minds at work. Hearing their little voices change when playing characters. That makes a top five list of my favorite sounds. As Mom I can help add just a little sparkle to that beaming shine of make-believe magic. Certainly not reinventing the wheel, however I hope this article helps spur a little creativity in ways that add a pinch of pixie dust to make the memories stand the test of time.

For six summers I’ve established a tradition with my girls, hosting “fancy” tea parties in our rose garden. Fancy is in the eye of the beholder, no doubt. Our little garden with rose bushes has many other varieties of flowers so we’ve never needed the roses to be blooming to play in there. My oldest son used to join me while I futzed around gardening as he’d show off his massive Lego creations. And my other son would often “crash” the fancy tea party, knees covered in dirt and holstering a squirt gun. So, I say the more the merrier in hosting whatever kind of party you’d like. Degree of fancy is your preference.

Here are some of our favorite “inspo” pieces to up the party potential.

Refreshments:

Substitute the imaginary tea and cookies for the real deal. Fan favorites in our party are macaroons and lemonade.

Table Scape: e Tea cups and saucers. Will they chip or get broken? Maybe. But this is where I come in with my money-saving hack. Thrift shopping is excellent for finding the pretty china that your grandma displayed with strict no-touch rules. For pennies on the dollar you can simply not stress and just enjoy the fun. e Table clothes and blankets. We love to go picnic style when we do our parties. So we lay down blankets, use table tops or stools as our tables and cover in table runners or doilies. Many of these you can also thrift. Bonus points for not having to worry about staining or ruining things. e Flowers. If you do or don’t have a flower garden, I suggest adding some fresh stems of your favorites to the table. e Napkins. Cloth or fancy paper napkins are so fun to include. My new detail this year included personalized napkins.

Wardrobe:

Let them be fancy! The Easter dress that was only worn for a few hours. The flower girl dress that still hangs in the closet. Say yes to the dress! Fancy headbands, hats and bows up the ante. For a splash of glamour, add gloves and jewelry, maybe even lipstick.

And, finally, take pictures and video. I hope whatever fancy party you create will be like fireflies in your memory bank. Have fun and cheers!