I recently watched Tim Burton’s recreation of the classic fairy tale Alice in Wonderland and it had me all giddy, even more so than my kids which is why I am excited to share Tips to enjoy a TEA-LICIOUS Mad Hatter Tea party with your kids. There’s something positively magical and lush about the landscapes and worlds Mr. Burton breathes life into in his movies and with a cast featuring deliciously devilish characters like the Queen of Hearts, the anxiety-prone white rabbit and the sweet and all-too-curious Alice, well, he’s got his work cut out for him.
But the best part about this re-imagined Alice in Wonderland is the opportunity to get my kids interested in sipping and enjoying a spot of tea the idea that we can recreate our very own Mad Hatter tea party either at home and for those precious moments in time, live out our own fairytale-like experiences. I’ve always been the kind of mom who likes concocting schemes to keep my kids still firmly believing in whimsical characters like the Tooth Fairy (to whom my son penned many a lengthy note asking for more money) and who also believed actual superheroes walked among us on this planet. That’s why these Tips to enjoy a TEA-LICIOUS Mad Hatter Tea party with your kids is right up my alley!
Can you really fault me for telling a few white lies? Maybe you can, but I’m convinced if white lies like believing in a magic rabbit hole will encourage my kids to don silly hats and boas and indulge in heart-shaped peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, well it’s a risk to my integrity I’m willing to take.
For some Tips to enjoy a TEA-LICIOUS Mad Hatter Tea party with your kids, keep reading.
Tips to enjoy a TEA-LICIOUS Mad Hatter Tea party with your kids
Vanessa Valencia, a Tucson, Ariz.-based artist, writer and photographer and blogger, who hosts a yearly everyone is invited virtual Mad Hatter tea party every June, says the sky is the limit when hosting your own tea party.
Decorations
She suggests asking your children to help you decorate for the event. Their eye may have a perfect mad flair. Of course you MUST have an assortment of Alice in Wonderland books! Like This beautiful coloring book, based on the original drawings by John Tenniel for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, invites you to draw and bring color to Wonderland as you read along with some of your favorite characters! Vegan leather-wrapped cover
This Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Book is perfect for the toddler crowd
Use everyday items in your home as props to create that Mad Hatter ambiance. Clustered together on a table, they might be quite mad. Use anything from toy pianos and statues, to lamps and trays and mismatched tea sets and silverware and bits of fabric and ribbons to toss around and hang from your chandelier for a colorful effect.
Tiered cake stands and toys are a nice touch. Have your kids take a basket and go hunting around your home, gathering things to use on their table for decoration. Liquid bubbles for blowing on hand.
Mismatched table cloths and napkins work wonders, too. Check thrift stores for wacky inexpensive props and tea supplies, too. Keep a copy of Alice in Wonderland on hand, and let the kids flip through it.
Of course if you want to go full out and buy a few tealicious items- here are some really cute ones!
Precious and ready for pretend, this Rainbow Unicorn Tea Set has everything they need to host a magical tea party.
Foods
Cupcakes and bowls of maraschino cherries are always a hit. You can serve dark-colored soft drinks instead of tea to the children, but still served in tea cups.
Fill large bowls and glass jars with gum balls and jelly beans, or fancy pastel candied licorice. Make fruit kabobs with kiwi, strawberries, maraschino cherries and pineapple.
Serve little sandwiches cut in funky shapes with cookie cutters, like rabbits and hearts and stars. Tea sets: Let them be mismatched, and use the ones you won’t be sad about breaking; check thrift stores for inexpensive china. You can use plastic colorful tea cups for younger children.
Featuring cute bug designs, this Schylling Summer Bug tin tea set is perfect for every tea party.
Just make sure to use safe, age-appropriate place settings.
Costumes
Boys can wear a T-shirt with a suit vest and dress pants and big tennis shoes and a hat, and the little girls can dress in ruffled dresses with ribbons, gloves and hats. Adults usually wear fun outfits, too, by wearing funky clothes and shoes. Send the kids to their rooms and ask them to come out in their own choice for a Mad Hatter tea party. Bet they will surprise you on their own. Here are a few costume ideas to get you in a Mad hatter mood!
How cute is this Alice in Wonderland Mad hatters costume?!
Overall
With these Tips to enjoy a TEA-LICIOUS Mad Hatter Tea party with your kids you can create a Mad Hatter tea party with a sense of wild abandon and let anyone in the family participate in an anything goes adventure can bring more joy to a family than imagined. You step outside of technology and outside of a theme in a way because a Mad Hatter tea party truly has no boundaries.
Children and parents have an equally lovely time, and using things you already own for costumes and props creates an inexpensive journey to Wonderland, from the privacy of your own home. What more could you ask for?
What a fun idea to have a Mad Hater tea party.
This would be a ton of fun! I might have to do this with my kids since we’re stuck indoors.
A Mad Hatter tea party sounds like a lot of fun and you’ve shared a lot of great ideas!
If only I had a daughter – hahha! I doubt my son would sit still for this! lol
These are all wonderful ideas. This would be something great to do with my nieces the next time you come over.
What a fun plan. I would definitely enjoy doing this with my girls. Love all your creative ideas!
Oh wow! This sounds really fun and exciting! I’m sure kids will enjoy this tea party so much! I can’t wait to share this with my wife.
Love the idea to organize a tea party with my kids. It will be a beautiful experience. Thanks for the idea!
I would love to have a Mad Hatter Tea Party! These are great tips!
This is such a wonderful idea. With everything going on now, this would be perfect for my daughters. I know they’d really enjoy it.
This looks like so much fun to me. I am a huge tea fan in general and the kids love to have a tea party. What great tips here!!
Now that is a great idea! My daughter would love to have a tea party. Thanks for the tips.
These are wonderful idea for tea party. I love good tea and enjoying some finger food along with it. These post has lot of idea.
What a fun idea! I remember my mom getting out her miniature-sized tea set when I was a kid, and how much fun it was to have a tea party. I don’t know why I never do it with my kids, but that needs to change!