A Mad Tea Party: Sara's 5th

I went overboard. It was so much fun, though. My opinionated and funky Sara knew she wanted an Alice in Wonderland party for her birthday more than 6 months ago. I ran with the theme! Pinterest helped with a few ideas, but most of them were my own. The place whose ideas I used the most was this one. 

Thank you to my silhouette, my favorite bakers twine, and a missing hubby (work trip) for wonderful invitations.

Guests knew they were in the right place when they found these signs!

Until most tea party guests had arrived, we kept the little ones busy with the caterpillar bubbles while the Alice Soundtrack played in the background. Oh, and this bubble maker was amazing!

Laura had given each guest a pair of bunny ears (purchased over Easter) when they arrived. So, our first real game was "Follow the White Rabbit" - our Alice-d version of follow the leader. They had a great time running, dancing, and going down the rabbit hole (slide). Each guest loved her turn being the leader.

When we finished with the ears we put them in individual "take me" bags that I labeled with their names. These bags kept all the little accouterments(ears, gloves, etc) divided and clear throughout the party and were a real lifesaver!

Then we divided the group in half to decorate hats or play croquet. I purchased the hats months ago when they were in the dollar section at Target and at the dollar store for Easter (yes, even the boy hat). We used ribbon, silk flowers, and tulle (attached with glue dots) to customize each hat.

While I was decorating, Jason took the little ones to the Queen's Croquet Grounds for a game. It was a bit tricky, so we were glad for a smaller group there. However, they loved selecting their mallet and trying to hit the balls.

Then we had the main event: the tea party! I had prepped most of the food the night before. We selected a kid-friendly menu of PB&H tea sandwiches cut into flower shapes and a selection of favorite fruit (apple slices, strawberries and grapes). Capri Suns in cups (to prevent squeezing spills) were our tea.

All but only the pickiest eater (yep, just one) found plenty that they enjoyed. The presentation was a favorite; they loved reading each little "eat me" or "drink me" sign, and checking out the flowers with faces. Jason as the Mad Hatter put on a bit of a show for the kids and they giggled, laughed and ate that up as well.

While I cleaned up the tea and readied the cake, Jason took the kids inside to do presents. (It was also a good chance for them to all cool down.) Sara was spoiled rotten and loved all the carefully chosen gifts, attention, and cards. It was PRECIOUS!

Then it was back outside for a game of "The Queen Says" (modified Simon Says) while Jason set up for cake and ice cream. We played non-competitively and had lots of laughs!

Costco did a wonderful job on the cake (following my instructions on the writing perfectly!) with roses that were painted red. I dressed it up with these Alice figurines and it came out just right! (And it was one less thing for me to have to make from scratch).

Sara sent each guest home with their bag of accessories, hat, and a marshmallow sucker. She wished them a "Very Merry Unbirthday" and asked me when we could do it again!

It was a smashing success and little Sara felt super loved! I saved all the party items to hopefully throw another mad tea party! How fun would it be for a shower or ladies party?!