Have a holiday tea party
Plan a
holiday tea
Teatime!
Can't you just picture it? It's as if it's just part of being a girl ... hats,
little teacups, beads and bracelets. Little girls love tea parties... and big
girls do too.
There
are so many great reasons to join up with our friends across the Atlantic
and begin the tradition of afternoon tea EVERY day, but especially at the
holidays, creating the tradition of a special holiday tea will provide a fabulous
memory for our girls that will last a lifetime!
Some
of the benefits of planning a holiday tea:
1.
It's fun! As I said
above, girls of all ages LOVE the ritual of tea. Picture young ladies
dressed in their holiday finery... soft Christmas tunes playing in the
background. There is something about pouring the liquid out of the pot into
lovely cups... it's just a little slice of heaven.
2.
It's peaceful. Be honest! This
time of the year can be downright nutty at times and throughout most of the
holiday season life is anything but peaceful. Provide a respite from the
craziness of the holidays around a cup of tea. You'll see... peaceful....
ahhhhh, this is how the holidays should be!
3.
It's memory building. Think of years from now when your girls will be
recounting the fond memories of your holiday tea together. Better yet, imagine
seeing your girls start the same tradition with their girls.
4.
It's enriching. There is really no easier way to teach your young ladies
manners than at a lovely tea table. Opportunities abound in teatime to show
your little ladies how to be kind, quiet and caring, as well as how to use
a fork, sip without slurping, etc.
5.
It encourages conversation. What a great time to set aside and reminisce about
old family traditions and memories of the holidays. Talk about favorite Christmases past or memories of your
grandparents' visits for the holidays, etc.
Now
the last thing I want to do is create more stress for your holidays by throwing
something difficult on you.
Relaxing tea parties can be very simple and resources and books abound
on the topic. Here are some easy steps to plan your first holiday tea.
1. Keep it small. Invite only your
daughter's closest friends and limit it to just a few for this first tea. If you're inviting moms and daughters
and can enlarge your dining room table, plan for a comfortable space between
guests at the table.
2. Set your date. The typical English teatime is in the
afternoon but that doesn't have to be the rule for the holidays. Find a time that works best for you and
your guests, and limit the time to about a two-hour slot so the time in itself
doesn't create stress for your guests.
3. Plan your menu. Again, simple is best. Scones, cucumber sandwiches, and a nice
array of holiday cookies would make for the perfect tea menu. We always have
some back up peanut butter and jelly sandwiches too, just in case for the
younger ones.
4. Send your invites. Keep them simple as well. Print them out with a fancy font on
your computer and stamp with a poinsettia or other holiday image. Or use the
wonderful clip art available online.
Or, even better, if your girls enjoy drawing and you have time, make
handmade invitations.
5.
On the day of the tea, set an elegant table. This is the only part of our holiday tea where I'd say go
elaborate rather than simple. Use
your finest plates and teacups, cloth napkins and napkin rings if you have
them. Have your girls make up
place cards for each guest so as they come in they can be seated
immediately. Turn on the holiday
music and start the tea water to boiling as the guest arrive so it will be at
it's freshest when you all sit.
Most of all relax and enjoy the tea with your guests. This is not an event where you'll want
to be getting up and down. Pour
out and begin sharing your favorite holiday memories.
Start with
a holiday tea this year and you'll see... it will become an annual tradition
not to be missed!
10 Slam-Dunk Crafts for Little Kids -- And Bigger Kids Too - by Chris Yates
Crafting with young children really isn't about creating something in particular. Most young children don't have the foresight to see what a project is going to be.
For young children it's more important that they have the opportunity to play and experiment with art. Kids need to use as many of their senses as possible to get the most out of crafting. This allow them to try new sensory experiences, as well as learn causal relationships.
These are my 10 favorite crafts for little kids based on all that AND the 'fun factor.'
1. Finger painting: Finger painting is a wonderful activity for kids. It lets them 'feel' the craft as well as be creative. You don't have to have finger paints to do this activity with kids. You can finger paint with homemade paint, watercolors or even mud. You can also experiment with adding other things to the paint such as sand or glitter.
2. Yarn Painting: Dip pieces of string or yarn into paint and then drag it across the paper to paint with it. It's a good experience to paint with something other than a brush and you can just throw the yarn away when finished.
3. Q-Tip Painting: Use Q-tips to create a painting. There are lots of ways to use a Q-tip - scrub, dot, or use it like a brush. It's a good coordination exercise because Q-tips are small around, but it also provides a lot of interest for the child.
4. Glue Art: Draw squiggle lines on a piece of paper or let the child use their finger to make random glue spots or patterns on a piece of paper. Experiment with adding different objects to the glue. Sand, glitter, cotton, yarn, feathers, and tissue paper all work well.
5. Salt Dough Sculpture: Make a batch of salt dough and turn the kids loose with it. You don't have to worry about them eating it (it's safe and tastes terrible) and clean up is easier than play dough. If you want to keep their creations, let them dry overnight and then paint them the next day.
6. Toe Painting: If it's a warm summer day, put on the swimsuits, put some finger paint into pie tins, lay out large sheets of poster paper, and let them 'paint' all afternoon. They will have a ball and all you have to do is hose them off when they are done (that's my kids' favorite part actually!)
7. Found Object Art: This project is always a sure thing because kids love to 'discover' things. Let your child gather up leaves, sticks, flowers, etc. and then glue them onto a piece of paper. When they are done, let them tell you about their collection.
8. Peanut Pictures: Every kid loves to play with packing peanuts -- but it makes such a mess. Let them create pictures with them instead. Kids can draw on them, glue them to a sheet of paper, or glue the peanuts to each other to make a sculpture. The kids will love it!
9. Sticker Play: Turn your child loose with a bunch of stickers, markers, and a sheet of paper and let them create. It's good for little ones to work on their coordination, and it's fun!
10. Stamping: Kids love to use any kind of stamps. My favorites are the self-inking stamps or the double-sided markers with the stamps on one end. This may sound like pure play, but is also teaches young children cause and effect.
Chris Yates makes it Easy to craft with Little Kids and Create a little Magic Time with Hundreds of Project Ideas. Visit Little Kid Crafts Now!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/