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.

Teachable Moment: Trip to the Veterinarian

Every moment can be a teachable moment. Even a simple trip to the veterinarian’s office can become a teaching moment. It doesn’t matter if you are a teacher or a parent, you can use a visit to the local vet as a way to teach your children simple, valuable, and educational lessons.

Responsibility

A trip to the veterinarian is a great time to teach your kids about being responsible. Pets take a lot of responsibility. They need to be feed. They need water. They need adequate shelter. Plus, as a pet owner, you need to make sure that your pet is well-cared for. It should be explained that once pets are sick that they need to be taken to the vet for treatment.

Life cycles

All things go through a life cycle. Pets are no exception. While you are visiting the veterinarian, you can talk to your child about the different stages of life. You can begin by discussing the stage of life that your pet is in. From there, you can begin discussing the other stages of life of your pet.

You don’t have to stop there. You can also begin to discuss the lifecycle of the other animals.

Germs and Parasites

Germs are everywhere. They are a part of an everyday life. And, your children should know they exist. Since Covid-19 came onto the scene, children are more aware of the dangers of virus. However, take the opportunity to discuss their existence along with parasites.  Explain how both can contribute to sickness and disease. You can take a book about bacteria, viruses, and parasites along with you to help you explain.

Writing Activities

Writing is always a great way to get students to better understand a topic. After your trip to the veterinarian’s office, you can have your child, or your students do some writing. Your child can write an expository essay explaining the importance of pet care. Your child can also explain proper pet care. Your child can also compose a narrative about taking his/her pet to the vet.

A trip to the vet can be a great opportunity to teach your child something new or reinforce older skills.  

Preparing for State Tests

The school year is moving rapidly along, and spring is on the horizon. With spring comes state tests. If you work in a public school, then you know the drama that goes along with this: sleepless nights, analyzing data, becoming a motivational speaker for your students, and  of course, planning, planning, and more planning.

This is when I like to do some reviewing with my kids. I like to hit the objectives hot and heavy.  I also make sure that I incorporate a lot of games because my middle school students get bored just talking about testing. I do vocabulary games, spelling games, and comprehension games. Making these games does take time, but I can often find text that I can use to create reading comprehension questions with. When I'm in a real crunch, I just purchase a few items from Teachers Pay Teachers and keep it moving.

Here are some to the games that me and my sensational six graders are using to get ready: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/I-Have-Who-HasVocabulary-Game-for-Middle-School-Students-Set-7-3661372?aref=ddn88ew6




https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spelling-Scoot-for-Upper-Elementary-Middle-School-Students-Set-3-3024013



Here's games are quick and easy. Plus, they help me keep my kiddos from getting bored (Me, too!)



I know I don't teach 3rd grade. However, once I looked at the reading test that our state gives, I noticed some of the questions were very similar to the ones that are given my middle school students. So, I made this quick little reading comprehension set to help out the 3rd grade students and my middle school students. It works great. Plus, I get to use it as part of my social studies lesson since it is about pirates.

Back to School Preparations

Back to School Preparation

Sadly, Ladies and Gentlemen, school is getting ready to start again. I hope you are ready. I am not. However, here are some things that I am doing to get ready for the crazy back to school rush.

1.   I am creating and posting rules for my classroom.

2.   I am creating my rubrics for my classroom journals and homework.

3.   I have cleaned my room and began organizing my papers so that I can find them more easily.

4.   I have started getting my student journals ready.

5.   I have created my bellringers and printed them off for the first 2 weeks of school. (Bellringers are so time consuming! I make them early so that I am not so stressed later.)

6.   I have created my back to school brochure for Parent Night.

7.   I have created my spelling, vocabulary, and sight word list for the 1^st 9 weeks.

8.   I am trying to get my body back used to school hours.

9.   I am doing my rating on TpT so that I can have some extra money for the TpT back to school sale.

10.                I am posting products for the back to school sale.

 

 

So, what are you doing?

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!!!

 

Bad Grades: Things Parents Shouldn't Do

Things NOT to Do When Your Child Has a Bad Grade

So, your child has a bad grade. Whether it is on a progress report or a report card, there is nothing like the sting of seeing that “D” or “F”. Just as there are a lot of things that you can do to help improve your child’s grade, there are some things that you DON’T DO if you want to help.

Negative Talk

The biggest mistake parents can make when their child has a bad grade is to talk negatively about the child’s teacher. It is so easy to become upset with the teacher and start mouthing off to friends, neighbors, co-workers, your child, and even other teachers who work with the offending teacher. However, this will not help the situation. In fact, it will only help to exacerbate the situation.

The truth is the teacher is not out to get your child. Chances are good that the teacher is also a parent~just like you. He/She is not childish enough to “give” your child a failing grade. Grades have to be record in grade books and turned in to the school office and the state department of education. So, instead of opening your mouth, try talking to the teacher to see what the problem is. Ask your child to explain to you why he/she received the failing mark. Check your child’s grades. And, let’s be honest. Your child’s teacher is human too. Your negative remarks will more than most likely reach his or her ears. Although the teacher won’t intentionally fail your child, he/she WILL NOT offer him or her any extra help or assistance.

Intimidation Doesn’t Work

Why…oh, why do so many parents feel obligated to get on social media and degrade the teacher? Parents, what you are doing is called slander. So, what if you know who the teacher is dating or where he or she hangs out after school hours? The teacher’s job is to educate your child. It is not to cater to your whims. Your threats and malicious gossip will only backfire in the long run. It will not help your child’s grades, and it can possibly land you in court if the teacher decides to pursue the issue. It also makes you look petty.

Do Not Support Your Child’s Bad Behavior

Okay, let’s face it. Most students who have bad grades are behavioral problems…not all but most. Why? Because when a student is confused or can’t keep up, he tends to act out. As a parent, make it a point to get the whole story. Don’t just assume Little Johnny is telling the truth. Find out what is going on in the classroom from the teacher, your child, the principal, and other teachers if possible. Get a clear view of the situation.

No one is perfect. Bad grades can happen to even the smartest students from time to time. What’s important is how you react to those grades as a parent. You are the key to your child’s success. You are also your child’s primary role model. So, instead of displaying negative behavior that can backfire in the long run, put your best foot forward. Work with your child’s teacher to improve his or her grades.