Tea Etiquette

What You Need:

• Tablecloth or placemats
• Napkins
• Teapot
• Herbal tea
• Cream and sugar
• Teacups and saucers
• Stirring spoons
• Finger sandwiches
• Platter or serving tray (optional)

What You Do:

1. Invite your child to help set the table for the tea party with a tablecloth or festive placemats. While getting ready for the etiquette tea party, take a couple of minutes to talk about what etiquette is and how your child can use etiquette in every day life–not just fun tea parties!
2. Now your child can help make the tea for the tea party by placing an herbal tea bag in the teapot for each guest that will be attending the etiquette tea party. An adult can help by boiling the water and pouring it over the tea.
3. While the tea is steeping and cooling, invite your child to place the teacups and saucers, along with napkins, spoons, and cream and sugar, on the table.
4. Invite your child to share a book together about etiquette such as Whoopi’s Big Book of MannersBy Whoopi Goldberg. Not only is your child learning more about proper etiquette, but she's honing her reading skills, too.
5. Now it's time for tea! Enjoy the tea party with finger sandwiches, such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into small bites, which have been decoratively placed on a platter along with the herbal tea.
6. Encourage your child to use proper etiquette while enjoying her tea party–please!

Just for fun:

Plan an etiquette tea party with your child for her and her favorite friends! Invite your child to create invitations to send to her friends inviting them to afternoon tea! This way your child, and all her friends, can enjoy being polite together!