Tea for You
Birthday Party Planning Guide
Exclusively at BirthdayExpress.com
The Tea For You design is perfect for honoring your little member of high society. Our party planning guide features a menu of fancy favorites and parlor games that will impress even the most discerning ladies-who-lunch. With this sweet theme, you'll soon know why there's always room for tea!
Activities
Spoonful of Sugar Relay Race
Supplies:
- Plastic spoons
- 2 tea cups
- Table
- Sugar cubes
Get your tea party started with a teaspoon race! Split your guests up into two teams and give each child a plastic spoon. At the end of the relay course, set up a table with two tea cups (one for each team). Each person gets a turn at taking a spoon full of sugar cubes down the course and placing them in the tea cup. The team that fills the tea cup with sugar cubes the fastest, wins a prize!
Musical Chairs
Being seated for a long time can prove to be challenging after drinking lots of sweet tea! This classic party game helps burn off some of that extra energy! Start by removing one chair from the table. Then, queue the classical music and instruct the players to walk around the table. Once the music stops, have everyone find an empty chair. The player without a place to sit leaves the game. Remove one more chair and repeat. The last player with a chair wins a prize!
Fan Appreciation
Supplies:
It gets warm under those layers of ribbons and pearls! Bring on the breeze with these fancy favors! Set up a craft table in the party area. Instruct your little ladies to decorate each side of the paper to their liking. After their masterpieces have been created, fold the paper accordion-style. Fasten one end of the fan with tape to create a handle. What a beautiful way to keep cool under the collar!
Make an Entrance
Supplies:
You don't just drink tea, you dress for it! When your guests arrive, set up a dress-up station outside of the party area. Let the girls pick their pretties and get them ready to make an entrance! Have a parent (or another super fun adult) announce the presence of each "little lady". Make the introductions grand! For example: "Lady Elizabeth has arrived! She's pretty in pink and dressed to impress!" Be sure to save the birthday girl for last!
Recipes
Tea Party Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 box cake mix (your choice of flavor)
- 1 container of vanilla frosting
- 1 can of pink decorating frosting
Supplies:
Bake the cake, as directed on the package, in a non-stick baking pan. Cool completely and remove the cake from the pan. Frost the entire cake with vanilla frosting. Using the pink decorating frosting, pipe a border around the top and bottom edge of the cake. Place the Tea For You Candles in the center of the cake. Makes a great centerpiece for your table of delicate delicacies!
Cucumber Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- Wheat cocktail bread slices
- 2 – Cucumbers
- Pepper (optional)
- 1 – 8 oz. tub of cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 - Italian dressing mix packet
Prepare the cream cheese mixture the night before the party (allowing the mixture to chill overnight will help develop the seasoning flavors). In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, dill and Italian dressing mix. Chill for at least 4 hours. On the day of the party, begin by prepping the cucumbers. Wash your cucumbers and run a fork down the skins, creating a scalloped edge. Cut the cucumbers into very thin slices. Set the cucumbers aside (Pro-planner Tip: While setting up the sandwich foundations, place the cucumbers on a sheet of paper towel to soak up the excess moisture). Lay down your cocktail bread slices (2 for each sandwich) and begin spreading a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture over each one. Next, add one or two slices of cucumbers to half of the slices. Sprinkle black pepper over the tops of the cucumbers and assemble the sandwiches. Serve on a pretty pink tray!
Sophisticated Sweet-tarts
Ingredients:
- 1 – Roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough
- 1 – Package (8 oz.) of cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup quartered strawberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- ½ cup of peach preserves
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Form the tart crust by pressing pieces of the refrigerated cookie dough into the pan, Once you have created an even layer, bake for 16-19 minutes (until golden). Let the crust cool completely. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of the cooled crust, adding the fruit on top. Brush the top of the fruit with the peach preserves. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Sugar and Spice Sweet Tea
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of boiling water
- 6 tea bags
- 6 cups of cold water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- A pinch of baking soda
In a glass pitcher, add a pinch of baking soda to the boiling water. Next, combine the tea bags and cinnamon sticks to the water. Cover the pitcher and let the contents steep for 15 minutes. Discard the used tea bags and stir in the sugar. Once all of the sugar has dissolved, add the cold water. Serve in tall glasses with lots of ice and fruit garnish.
Glance through the list below to see if you're missing any important items. Many can be found on the party theme page.