Tips to Organize a Japanese Tea Party for Your Kids

Japanese tea party is a very interesting theme. This theme can help your children learn about a new culture while having fun at the same time.
You can make this theme for your children's birthday or just a regular party.

Decorations

Since this is a Japanese tea party, you can find something that's unique of Japan. There are 4 things: Panda, Bamboo sticks, rice cakes, and cherry blossoms. So if you want to stay in theme, you can find things that have these decorations.

You can also buy a paper Japanese lantern and glue it on the ceiling, in the middle of the table. If that's too difficult, you can just place them near the corner of the table.

If you have a low coffee table for this Japanese tea party, it would be superb. If you have seen OR read about Japanese tea ceremonies, they always sit on the floor. It's actually kneel-sitting. It means you would kneel first then follow the motion and sit down.

This Japanese tea party requires peace and quiet, so you should place the table where the children will not be disturbed by other people or other noises and music.You can buy some cheery blossom if they are available. If they aren't, you can make your own flowers with your children. It can be a fun activity for the family.

How to make cherry blossoms?

To make your own cherry blossom, you would need small long twigs, pink napkins, tapes or pipe cleaners. There are 2 easy steps:

1) Curl your thumb and index finger into a well. Place a napkin on the well. Using the other hand, gently and slowly push the napkins through the well. When it looks like a flower, stop.

2) Twist the part that under the well and tape around it. Take a pipe cleaner and twist around the middle of the flowers. The other end twist around the branch twigs. Limit a few flowers for one branch. In Japanese tea party, simplicity is the key.

You can place some branches on the table or at the door. It will be a nice addition to the tea party.For invitations, you can buy cards with panda or bamboo decorations. Or you can help your children make their invitations. Use pink construction paper and draw a few flowers inside. Glue a paper cherry blossom on the cover. There, you have nice and very Japanese tea party invitations.

Costumes and accessories

This theme of a tea party is often for girls. So you can buy the Japanese costumes at the store or online. If there is just a few friends in the party, you can make the children 's customs.

The children can wear long and simple-color robes. Choose a nice and pleasant color. Don't choose flashy and colorful robes. It kind of defeats the whole purpose of simplicity. Close the robes diagonally in the front. Take the bell and make it into a bow in the back. You should buy some white socks and sandals so the children can wear the sock when they are enjoying the tea. If they want to go around, they can use the sandals. This is very Japanese.

Girls with short hair can wear simple hair accessories. With long hair, you can make it into a bun and add 1-2 hair accessories.

If you want to go 1 step further, you can buy long hair-accessories sticks and decorate the hair bun. If you want simple, you can use the ice cream sticks.Japanese fans are also a nice accessory. You can certainly buy them at dollar stores or online. Or you can make them at home. To make a fan, take a piece of construction paper. The children can draw Panda, bamboo, or flowers on both sides of the paper.

Start from the longer side of the paper, you carefully fold the paper like a accordion. Then fold the paper accordion in half. Tape 2 sides together.
If you buy the fans, there are some really nice designs. If you make them, it will be a fun activity for the children.

The foods and drink

In Japanese tea parties, you would probable need a Japanese tea set. You can find them online or at the toy store. If you can't, any tea set would be fine.
There are 3 kinds of foods that are unique to Japanese are sushi, noodle, and rice cake. The children probably didn't get used to sushi so it's probably not a good idea.

But if your children like sushi, you can buy some in the store and place them in a nice China plates. You can also buy rice cakes at the store. There is a wide selection for you to choose.

Noodle is easier to make. But noodle gets cold very easily and absorbs water quite fast. So only make noodle when the children are ready to eat, it tastes better when it's hot.

The children can use chopsticks to eat the noodle, sushi, and rice cakes. This can be a fun experience especially when they are so used with forks and spoons.
Tea in Japanese is often green. You can use decaf green tea for the children but sometimes they don't like the taste. Thus you should buy some fruit juice that is green. Or you can make green Cool-Aid. Pour them into a tea cup and it just looks like Japanese's Matcha tea.

In this Japanese tea party, the girls often talk and play board games or chess. There aren't many actions in this kind of party because the theme reflect peace and serenity.