I have fond memories of Kayla’s 5th Birthday Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. It looked elegant – at least to the kids – but it was cheap and simple to prepare.
Five Year Old Birthday – A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
Per our Two Month Rule, Kayla had to keep all her suggestions bottled up. Otherwise, the party theme would’ve changed at least ten times. When I was ready to listen, Kayla’s favorite video was Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, making the tea party an obvious choice.
Since it was a Spring birthday party, it was easy to find nearly everything we needed at the Dollar Store:
Decorations – We picked up lace table cloths to cover the purple plastic liners and silk flowers for the centerpieces, and to decorate the stairway rail in the foyer. With the addition of pink tulle, this created an attractive backdrop for the butterfly piñata.
Party Favors – Each child received a small, straw bag (filled with seasonal items from Oriental Trading Company) and a straw hat (that they decorated during the party.) They also got to keep their own ceramic tea pot (used to pour strawberry or chocolate milk at the tea party.)
The party itself was a breeze:
1. As they arrived, the kids went to the craft table to decorated their hat. The craft table was set up in the basement, next to the play area, so they could enjoy the toys while waiting for others.
2. When all the hats were finished, everyone went to the tea room for a spot of “tea”, finger foods, and flower-topped cupcakes.
3. After a big dose of sugar, the kids were ready to run around outside. Our backyard woods and the creek provided plenty of entertainment, but the kids could also pull out the bubble-makers and mini-Frisbee in their favor bags.
4. Then, they gathered for a hat parade before the traditional party closer: whacking the piñata.
Keep It Simple
This was the first birthday party where I was able to relax and enjoy the occasion. Partly, this was because I had a lot of assistance. Lauren, our babysitter, came in before the party to help with the decorations and to assemble the party favors. Dave was the photographer. And all the parents stayed and helped.
Mostly, it was a stress-free party because I kept the work to a minimum. We didn’t serve any prepared foods – except for a fruit salad. And, we didn’t have to supervise activities since there were hardly any.
Creative, happy children entertain themselves!
More Birthday Party Articles:
Learn more about our party traditions on Birthday Celebrations.
Baby Parties: Baby To Preschool.
4th Birthday: Ariel’s Caribbean Luau and our Piñata Tradition.
5th Birthday: A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
6th Birthday: The Art Party.
7th Birthday: A Pokémon Party.
8th Birthday: A Harry Potter Party.
9th Birthday: Tween Spa Party.
10th Birthday: Chocolate Dreams Slumber Party.
11th Birthday: The Last Dance Tween Disco Party.
12th Birthday: A Girl-Led Tween Roller Skating Party.
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