Fun Friday activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard.
If you’re anything like us, you’ve eaten a fair amount of meals outside this summer. But have you had an outdoor tea party?
During our two-week stay in Yosemite last month, my dear friend and I hosted our first annual tea party in nature on the porch of our cabin. We prepped and served a ton of goodies one round at a time. On the menu:
- Salami & cheese on crackers
- Heartwiches (turkey sandwiches cut into heart shapes)
- Melon delight
- Vanilla berry cake
- Yogurt parfait
- Tea (cleverly disguised as fruit juice, which went over much better than actual tea would have)
Yes, we went a bit overboard. But the kids loved it.
We dressed the table up with my friend’s colorful tea set, adding wildflowers from the meadow as our centerpiece. On her advice, we even created characters for ourselves (hostess and server), allowing the kids to dine as real adults. They ate it up.
We made sure to leave the kids alone in between rounds of food (just as they would have been in an actual restaurant). I worried that The Little Explorer wouldn’t be able to sit still during the down times, but he proved me wrong.
I think the kids were drinking it all in – the yummy food, the good friends and the gorgeous surroundings.
The Big Explorer later described it as “the best tea party of his entire life.” Whoever said tea parties weren’t for boys hasn’t met this nature momma.
Take-Home Tips
- Consider getting into character. We had fun pretending to be real hostesses and servers from our very own tea house. The kids pretended to be adults. They loved every second of it.
- Prep food in advance. Instead of trying to prepare foods during the tea party, do as much as you can in advance. This way you can enjoy the party, too.
More Ideas for Summer Outdoor Fun
- Classify some backyard rocks, Relentlessly Educational, Deceptively Fun
- Design your own bug world
- Get your FREE copy of the Nature Rocks Summer Activity Guide
- Or check out Your A-to-Z Guide to Summer Backyard Nature Fun
