How to Host a Garden/Tea Party for Your Kids This Summer

 

How To Host a Garden/Tea Party with Your Kids

Summer is here! The weather is warm and perfect for hosting outdoor events. So, use the warm weather and beautiful outdoors to help keep you and your kids entertained this summer. And, if there’s one thing that we southerners know how to do, it’s get together with our family and friends for an outdoors event. So, this summer plan a fun, Garden/Tea Party with your kids.

What is a Garden/Tea Party?

Most of us have heard of a “Garden/Tea Party”. And, in your mind, you might think about little girls and their dolls. However, this is not that type of party. A Garden/Tea Party is an outdoor gathering that includes actually guests and not dolls. It is typically held near a garden.

This party does not have to be in or near a vegetable garden. It can be hosted near a flower garden as well. In truth, you don’t even have to be technically “outside” to host a garden party. All you need are some guests and warm weather.

Choose the Style

You will need to decide what type of party you are hosting. There are a variety of options. Here are a few:

*Casual

You can choose to host a picnic style Garden/Tea Party with basket lunches and nice, sturdy paper plates or you can do something simple but elegant for your young guests. The dress code is casual. Shorts or jeans and t-shirts are appropriate. Sundress and other comfy, cozy clothes may be worn.

*Semi-formal

Everyone can get dressed up in semi-formal attire and make it a real “social event”. In this incidents, you and your kids will wear clothes that weren’t too dressy but that go beyond your basic shorts and t-shirts. Sundresses are still appropriate as long as you elevate them by adding some nice jewelry and shoes. This type of garden party is more along the lines of an actual “ Southern Tea Party”.

*Formal

Let’s get dressed up! If you decide to go formal, then you’ll want to let your guests know that the garden party is a formal gathering. This  way your child’s friends will know to come in their best dresses and not just every day clothes. This type of garden party is more common with wedding, engagements, and other important social events where the participants dress very formal and the decorations for this party follows strict guidelines.

Choose a Theme

Okay, themes can be optional especially when planning a “Garden/Tea Party for your kids and their friends. Your kids will be more excited about getting to hang out with their friends outside than picking a theme for the party. However, if you want to scale things up a notch and teach your kids about planning and budgeting, you can choose a theme for your party.

*Americana

If you want, you can go “All American”. You can add a touch of Americana by using foods that are commonly associated with picnics like hot dogs, hamburgers, water, and soda. Of course, if you’re doing the Americana theme, you’ll want to use red, white, and blue as your party colors. These are great for around holidays like Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, and Independence Day.

Seasonal

It may be summer, but you can host a Garden/Tea Party during at least three season out of the year: spring, summer, and fall. And, with the various season, you can choose a color them to match the season in which you are hosting your party.

You would choose pretty pastels for spring. But, don’t shy away from adding some bold colors into the mix to spice things up.

Summer and warmer weather dictates that you use bolder colors. Neon colors and loud yellows, reds, and greens are some of summer’s most noted colors.

Fall brings the darker, rustic colors like brown, orange, golden-yellow, and emerald-green. Don’t forget to add a splash of intrigue by adding a few sprinkled of lighter colors.

Classical Themes

The themes to choose from are limitless. You can go “Disney princess”, “Beach”, “Harvest time”, or even “Back to School”. It’s all up to you and your children. Just make sure that you are having fun while planning your Garden Party.  

Choose the Area

Next, you’ll want to choose the spot for your Garden Party. Remember most Garden/Tea Parties are held outdoors. However, you can use a “work around” to get a similar effect.

·        Flower Garden

You can host your party near a flower garden. Beautiful flowers and flourishing plants can make any outdoors activity look even more picturesque. And, a flower garden would be ideal of a “traditional” Garden Party.

When planning for this style Garden Party, you will have to take into consideration the possible visits from pollinators and other insects. So, precautions should be taken to prevent them interrupting your fun.

·        Park

Your Garden Party doesn’t have to be held at your home. You can move your celebration to another location. Your local park can be a great place to host a party. Check with your local park and see if you can reserve the area. A park is less formal, and often, it will have picnic tables that you can use for your gathering. If you want, you can add some table clothes to help give the spot a party feel. This spot can also provide you and your guests with entertainment if live shows or other events happen to be planned for the same time.

 The thing that I love the most, and you will too, is that you don’t have to clean your home or yard afterwards. This isn’t to say leave the park dirty. You will definitely need to clean up behind yourself and any of your guests.

·        Backyard/front yard

There’s no place like home! Your own yard or garden can be the ideal place to host your party. It depends on location of your house to help you determine whether to use your front or backyard for your gathering.

The traffic flow near your party needs to be taken into immediate consideration since this is a party for kids. Ideally, you want to choose an area that will have the least amount of traffic. Small children can easily become distracted. So, you want to make sure that you have taken the right safety precautions.

Decorations

The type of decorations you use are all up to you. The decorations you use will all depend upon whatever theme you decide to go with. If you want to keep the heat to a minimum and you want to emphasize nature, light, airy colors are generally a good way to go.

Food  

Think tea party when planning your Garden Party. Since this is a party for your kids, you want to think small…as in “mini”. You can use mini-sandwiches, fruit, small salads, and other finger foods for your outdoors event. Cupcakes, cookies, and chips are always a hit with young children.

You can get your kids involved in the meal planning process. Even younger kids can help to prepare some simple dishes. This will provide a great opportunity for bonding. It is also a wonderful time to discuss family recipes and family history. You can also sneak in a math lesson or two while you are prepping the food.

You may want to go all out. The menu for your Garden/Tea party is all up to you. So, if you have decided to host an extravagant party, you may even want to consider having your event catered.

Drinks

What type of drink goes best with a Garden Party? Homemade lemonade or sweet tea will give your party a true outdoors feel. And, if you live in the South, you know the importance of fresh sweet tea.

Water is always a great addition to any event. You can have pitchers of it available or you can use mini-water bottles. Try to avoid sodas if you can. However, the beverages for your party is up to you.

Invitations

Have fun sending out invitations to your event. Invitations can be formally done, or they can be the unique creation of your kids.

An entire craft designing activity can be created for your kids when you let them design and personalize the invitations for the party.

Formal invitations can be purchased from a local store. They can be create and printed online on your home computer or you can have them custom made.

Whether you decide to host a formal or informal Garden/Tea Party, you are sure to have a great time this summer. A word of advice. Be sure to use insect repellant torches, candles, or plants to keep those pesky, uninvited critters from stopping by.

How to Create a Mini-Garden in Small Spaces with Your Kids This Summer

Creative Ways to Garden in Small Spaces

Now that school is out and spring here, it is the perfect time to think about gardening. Gardening can be fun as well as relaxing for both you and your children. With rising prices at the grocery store, it can also be a great way to save money. Growing your own vegetables and herbs can help you put money back into your budget. Gardening is also a great way to teach your kids about responsibility and self-reliance.

If you are thinking about planting a vegetable or herb garden, you’ll need the space to do it. If you want to grow herbs and vegetables but you only have a limited amount of space in which you can use, here are some creative ways to start a garden with your kids in a small space this summer.

Flower Pots or Planters

Flower pots don’t have to just be for flowers. They can also be used to grow vegetables and herbs as well. If you crunched for space, these pots could make the ideal home for single plants like lettuce, onions, beets, and carrots. Just be sure to check to make sure that you are planting these items in season. Late April and May the perfect times for planting the vegetables mentioned above. Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, chives, mint, and basil are all great plants and herbs to plant during June.

You may want to plant a variety of vegetables and herbs, so be sure to check with your local extension agency or farm bureau to find out when is the right time to each plant.

Planters are no laughing matter. Many of them come in a variety of designs that can make your home or small garden space look great.

One of the best things about using flower pots to grow your plants in is that you can keep your plants indoors or outdoors. Of course, you will want to check to see how much sunlight each plant will require to ensure that they thrive. Again, I suggest checking with your local farming agency or other resource.

I’ve used flower pots myself to grow herbs and tomatoes in, and I was pleased with the flexibility this method of planting offered me. I didn’t have to worry about going outside to check on plants. They were safely inside of my own home.  

Flower pots are not the same as having a full-blown garden. However, they worked just as good for single plants.

Use boxes

Who said you have to throw those used boxes away? Make those old boxes do double duty by turning them into a mini garden. Depending on the size of the box, you could probably plant more than one vegetable inside. Line the bottom of your box to prevent water and soil from leaking onto your floors. Be sure to choose the correct soil in which to plant your plants in.

 Check to make sure that you have added enough soil to your plants especially if they will be outside. You also want to make sure that water has a way to drain so that it doesn’t get stuck inside the box and harm your plants.

Sunlight is also important. Plants have to receive the correct amount of sunlight in order to flourish. This calls for research on your part. A quick online search can usually tell you how much sunlight you will need to expose your plants to.

Again, these “box gardens” can be kept inside or outside. Best of all, these boxes won’t take up a lot of space.

Raised Gardens

Raised gardens are also a wonderful way to grow plants in small spaces. You and your kids can construct one of your own with material from your local Lowes or other hardware store, or you can easily purchase one in a store or online.

A raised garden doesn’t take up a lot of space, and it can provide you and your kids with a way to have fresh herbs and vegetables when you don’t have much space to work with. You do have to make sure that you use the correct mix of soil. A good rule of thumb is not to use the dirt from outside. You will need to purchase the correct mix to begin your gardening adventure.

Another plus to using a raised garden is that you can also utilize the bottom of the garden. The bottom portion can be used to hold small flower pots and other planters. This will help you to make the most of the small space in which you have.

Raised Planter

Similar to a raised garden is a raised planter. The raised planter provides the same easy maintenance as raised garden but with an added bonus. It eliminates the problem of having to bend over to tend to the plants. This is wonderful news for people who have bad backs and want to still grow a small garden. Also, weeds and other fuzzy creatures are keep away from your vegetables and herbs when you chose to use a raised planter or a raised garden.

Planters can even be tiered. This tiered system enables you to plant several small rows at one time. They are ideal for growing plants or herbs vertically on balconies, decks, patios, or inside your home.

Raised planters can also be constructed or purchased from one of the local stores that carry gardening and hardware supplies. You can also opt to purchase one from an online store.

Portable Greenhouse

A portable greenhouse can be just the thing to help get your garden started. Of course, a mini greenhouse is not for long term use, but it is ideal for getting your plants started when you are confined to a small space.

Portable greenhouses then to come with shelves that are adjustable so that you can accommodate your plants as they grow. They also come with special made plastic covering that works to keep the warmth from the sunlight inside of the mini greenhouse.

Walls, Ceilings, and Windows

Another place to plant vegetable and herbs are in plants that attach to the sides of the wall. They are several ways to do this.

You can purchase bracket and hanger, and then you can use them to create a way to secure your potted or hanging plants to your home's walls. These can be used inside or outside.

Trellis can also be used as a station for potted plants. They can be staked to the ground, hung on your wall, or stand they can alone in your garden area. This will provide you a simple area on which to hang several plants in pots.

Don’t forget to look up. You and your kids can hang plants from your ceiling or other area where you can attach a hanging basket. You can plant single plants or herbs inside these baskets.

Do you lack the space for a full-blown garden? Do you still want to grow some vegetables and herbs? Then, get creative and utilize your flower pots, planters, large boxes, and mini green houses to grow your own tiny garden.

Summer School Fun

Summer School Super Fun Time

Okay. I know I said I won’t do it again, but I did. I worked summer school this year. I had an awesome time with the new 3^rd grade students. Here are some fun things that we did during the month of June.

I love watermelons. So, I had the kiddos design their own watermelon as part of a craft activity.

Next, they got to color a picture of a watermelon. Then, they had to write about their favorite summer food.

 

 

We also sailed into summer with this cute craft. We also wrote down some of the things we planned to do this summer.

 

We also did some math this summer. We did some rounding and multiplication.

These are in my TpT store:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reading-Problems-Rounding-for-Lower-Elementary-Students-Worksheets-2604175

I also have other worksheets that I created just for my summer school babies.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dinosaur-Themed-Word-Problems-Multiplication-Task-Cards-2622188

 

Stay tuned for more from our summer school adventures!!!

 

Summer Writing Activity

As summer is fast approaching, it is fun to incorporate some summer related activities. I created a writing activity using a watermelon. I gave my students a picture of a watermelon. The students colored the picture and then listed words that described summer. Once they completed the prewriting stage, I had them write an essay about summer. Since my students are in upper elementary, they really enjoyed getting to color and cutting and pasting. This activity can be modified to fit both older and younger students alike.

 

Fun Journal Topics for High School Students

 

Summer is finally here, and most students cherish this time away from teachers. However, parents and educators often worry that their children will lose valuable skills over the summer. Whether you are an educator or a concerned parent, you can help your high school student keep up their writing skills during the summer. One of the best ways to do this is through assigning journal writing. The following are great summer journal topics:

Identity issues

Teenager often struggle with their identity. This can open up a whole new world of ideas for writing topic. Some ideas include:

Things I have done to try to fit in…

What are the things about myself I would like to change and why?

The things that I love about myself are…

If I could switch places with one of my friends, who would it be and why?

Peer pressure

Peer pressure is another issue that high school students deal with on a regular basis. Journal topics about peer pressure can include:

Have you ever felt pressured by your friends to do something you knew was wrong?

In what ways do your friends influence you?

What strategies do you use to stay true to yourself?

Dating

Many high school students have begun dating. Topics that deal with dating are interesting, and high school students may actually enjoy writing about these topics:

What was your favorite date? Why?

What is your favorite dating spot? Why

If you could go on a date with anyone, who would it be and why?

What are some dating safety tips that you would give to a younger student?

Opinions

High school students are also very opinionated. Allow them to voice their opinion with some of their journal topics.

What is your favorite subject in school? Why?

What classes should be added to your school’s curriculum?

If you could be principal for a day, what changes would you make? Why?

What was your favorite movie this summer? Why? Be sure to include details about the plot and actors.

Sports

Summer sports offer a means of entertainment. They also offer some great journal topics.

What is your favorite summer sport? Why?

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

If you could give any pro-sport star some advice, who would it be and why?

Environment

Summertime is a great time for getting back to nature. Encourage your high school student to think about the environment this summer. The following are journal topics that are nature based.

Why is it important to recycle?

Which common items in your home can you recycle?
How can you get your family involved in preserving the environment?

What can you do to get your community or your school involved in preserving the environment?

What are some ways to keep your house cool and save energy at the same time?

What simple lifestyle changes can you make to help conserve electricity?

Summertime

Let summer be the inspiration for many of the journal topics that you assign. Some examples of these are:

What is your favorite summer memory? Why?

What are some great ways to stay cool?

What is your favorite summer flower?

What are the best songs to listen to for summer?

Just because it is summertime, it doesn’t mean that learning has to stop. Writing assignments can help your high school student stay focus on learning. The summer journal topics listed above are both educational and fun.