"Then it was time for cake and ice cream and opening gifts. Following this, we played musical chairs, and finally the dress-up race game, where the kids re-dressed in their dress up clothes as fast as they could. The fastest boy and fastest girl won a prize. Then the favor bags of candy and trinkets were given and the party was over," Beth continued.

Tea Time Tips
Once you've narrowed down a theme, it's time to decide what refreshments to serve. Of course, you'll want to have tea, but the kids may prefer to drink iced tea instead of hot tea. Depending on their ages, serving hot tea could be hazardous. Try different flavors. Apricot tea is especially good served cold. It's practical to also provide juices, gingerale or sodas in case someone doesn't want tea.

Along with the beverage, offer fancy cookies and small cakes. Use cookie cutters to cut out heart or diamond shaped finger sandwiches. Other food ideas include fresh fruit and assorted muffins. If the party is in honor of the child's birthday, then a birthday cake, candles, and ice cream are in order.

Make the tables pretty with bouquets of fresh flowers and doilies. Don't forget to bring out the camcorder or camera. You'll want to capture this special teatime event forever.

Best Behavior
Tea parties are a good way to teach children table manners and party etiquette. "I had a class of totally blind children who were mostly Hispanic and didn't know what a tea party was," said Betty Keller. "We made the tea and goodies together for our party. With only seven kids in my class this was fairly easy. Many had never been allowed to cook at home and weren't familiar with measuring, mixing, and baking things."

Keller also taught her students how to set the table, arrange a centerpiece and prepare for the tea party. They sent invitations to their parents. "We had china tea pots and china tea cups and cream pitchers and sugar bowls with tongs for obtaining the lumps of sugar," said Keller. "I taught them manners before the party and was proud of their behavior while sitting with their parents at the party."

About the author: Marla Hardee Milling is a freelance writer in Asheville, North Carolina. Her articles have appeared in Cooking Smart, LowCarb Energy, Healthgate, Pinnacle Living, Blue Ridge Country, Charleston Magazine, Smart Computing's PC Today, The Christian Science Monitor and various pregnancy and health/fitness publications, among others. To read more from Marla, click here.

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