How to Host a Pretty Tea Party for Your Daughter’s 10th Birthday

Your daughter’s tenth birthday is a priceless moment. She’s no longer a baby, but not quite a young lady. Mark that special time with a celebration inspired by warm childhood memories of her favorite toy tea set and the pretend tea parties she and her playmates used to have. This time, though, the party takes on all the trimmings of proper English tea time—with a sweet and girly air.

This party concept is a great way to introduce your pre-teener and her guests to the social graces appropriate at a tea party (and at any formal event). It also provides a fun excuse to get them all dolled up in party dresses—before these are abandoned altogether for the “cooler” attire of the coming teen years. In the meantime, happy 10th birthday, little lady! (*this post contains affiliate links)

Display Elegant Tea Party Decorations

When decorating this girl’s birthday tea party, you can still use pink as the base color for a party palette of soft pastels and ivory. But add an elegant note with touches of gold. For the table display, for instance, set out a rich brocade tablecloth in powder blue and gold. Then, select a set of porcelain dinnerware and tea cups in a vintage floral pattern.

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Party tip: You may hesitate at setting out your family heirloom china. This is a children’s party after all! But do make the young guests feel special and grownup, by using a pretty set that’s actually breakable—not the usual child-proof plastic.

For the other table accents, use pink taper candles to add a sophisticated yet still sweet look, standing in powder blue painted urns filled with strands of crystal beads. Use easy centerpieces made of budget-friendly blooms.

Other table decor ideas:

  • Plan the food presentation to serve as part of the party table decor. For instance, set out dainty tea cookies and pastries on saucers balanced atop small crystal bowls, or offer finger sandwiches on decorative tiered stands.
  • Assemble a grouping of quaint teapots found at a flea market or thrift shop and fill them with pink carnations. Voila! You have an utterly charming centerpiece.
  • Craft delightful tabletop topiaries made with little flowers and finished with pink ribbons. Or create unique edible ones made with cookies!

Serve Up Pretty Food and Real Tea!

As in a proper tea party, choose food items that are as pretty as they are scrumptious. Keep them bite-size, too, for no-fuss serving and for easy handling by little hands. Think sweet breads like mini scones, macarons, lady fingers, butter cookies, and Danish pastries; as well as finger sandwiches with a variety of fillings like tuna or chicken salad, sliced cheese, and minced cucumber.

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For the celebrant’s birthday cake, prepare an adorable creation in the shape of a teapot! Then, have matching little cupcakes frosted with teacup designs in different pastel colors.

Oh, and what would this tea party be without actual tea? Thrill the young guests by serving them their own cups of tea, with the most charming pastel-hued sugar cubes in the shape of hearts, shells, or flowers on the side. Set out tea bags, each trimmed with a sweet little bow, and show the children how to “steep” these in the water you will pour from a teapot.

Party tip: You may also opt to pre-steep the tea in the teapot and serve it ready to enjoy. But whether in bags or straight from the pot, be sure to choose caffeine-free tea! Also, do check that the water or tea has cooled down to lukewarm when served, and is not piping hot.

Have Tea Time Activities with a Learning Component

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Every children’s party has its games and activities. To make this tea party not just pretty but fun, plan something special and educational, too! Here are some great ideas:

Stage an on-the-spot painting exhibit – Set up a separate table to one side of the party venue. Provide each child with a miniature blank canvas or sheets from a large artist’s sketchbook. Bring out pots of different colored paints on a tray and some plastic craft aprons or child-size artist’s smocks. (Hint: These items are all available at any art supply store. You can even keep the aprons or smocks for future children’s parties or crafting projects.)

Then have each guest paint a scene inspired by a tea party. Encourage them to be as imaginative as possible, and to “sign” their work with a personal greeting to the celebrant. Before the party ends, display these masterpieces by pinning them to a length of ribbon with pastel-painted clothespins. What a treat for the birthday girl!

Hold a cookie decorating session – Pre-bake plain sugar cookies in the shape of little tea cups. Prepare several icing bags containing different colors of frosting, and set these out on the activity table. (Hint: You may get lucky and find the right shape cookie cutter in a baking supply outlet. But if not, you can always make your own tea cup cutout guide from cardboard, and trim the cookie dough around it with a knife! For the icing bags, these are also available in all baking supply stores. You may, however, substitute wax paper sheets rolled up into cones. Simply spoon some icing into the cone, fold over the open end to seal the icing in, and snip off the very tip of the cone’s narrow end.)

Bring out the little aprons and small plastic trays for each child to work on. Demonstrate how to create designs on the cookies by “drawing” with the icing bags. Then, it’s the kids’ turn! Once done, have them decide which cookies are the cutest or the funniest.

Have a “tea time etiquette” contest – Share with the children the basics of how to be a good party guest through a fun Q&A contest! Pick out question cards from a basket, and see who can answer them correctly. The guest with the most correct answers wins a special prize. Then, give each little lady a card to take home with the “Top Five Mealtime Etiquette Tips for Children,” as mentioned in Tea Party Girl’s blog. (Hint: Parents, you may even want to check out Emily Post’s The Guide to Good Manners for Kids as a great family reference.)

Party tip:  You don’t have to present an activity that is tedious to put together! Think simple and fun with a “make and take” approach so guests can take home something special from the party that they made themselves.
Give Tea Inspired Party Favors For Young Ladies

Now, for the take-home favors from this tenth birthday tea party! Plan them to also reflect a blend of the child and young lady in each little guest. Here are favor ideas that do just that:

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Photo holders – Bring back memories of dressing up their dolls by giving miniature dress photo holders. Personalize each one with a fancy gold favor tag, and fill the pouch hidden in the gown’s skirt with candies.

Dainty pocketbooks – Fill pretty lace-trimmed tulle pocketbooks with tea time treats such as buttery Danish cookies, vanilla-flavored cookies, or oatmeal cookies. Be sure to personalize every bag with a guest’s name to make each little girl feel special!

Porcelain shoes in gift boxes – Make them feel really grownup by presenting porcelain keepsake boxes as favors. Simply attach a teapot-shaped tag with each child’s name printed out by the celebrant herself.

Other ideas:

Treats in bundles – Bundle up pink foil-wrapped chocolates in sugar pink organza wraps. And add a favor tag saying, “So sweet of you to come to my tea party!”

Tea time supplies – Allow each little girl to recreate her own tea party at home by presenting the needed supplies as favors! Tuck three tea bags, a cello bag of shaped and colored sugar cubes, and a fancy teaspoon in an embroidered rose organza bag. (Hint: You could even have the guests’ names engraved on the spoon handles for something extra special!) They just need to add cups!

Party tip: Give dainty favors that are practical and don’t require much assembly such as photo holders, keepsake boxes, and treats in bundles.

This post contains affiliate links and Bellenza, Inc. will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking the affiliate links. You can find our disclosure statement here.

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