Manners Tea Party with LunchMakers®

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Manners Tea Party with LunchMakers® + Drink

As parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, childcare providers, grandparents, and others with children in our care, it falls to us to teach them important life skills. One of those skills is how to behave at a meal. It goes beyond just wanting our kids to not make a scene at mealtime; learning table manners teaches children how to respect those they’re sharing a meal with, how to try new foods, to show gratitude, how to connect with the others at the table through conversation, and more.

Like so many lessons for kids, it’s much better when we can make it fun! With this in mind, I created a sweet little manners tea party for my daughter. And because we’re busy parents, I made sure the little party could come together very easily.

First… the Food

It’s just not a party without food, right? For our little manners tea party experience, I wanted to provide food that my daughter could prepare for her “friends” (in this case, we used dolls). I turned to our favorite LunchMakers® + Drink.

LunchMakers® + Drink are not just for lunch! They are perfect for a snack, a quick dinner on the go between activities, road trips, picnics, an easy dinner for the babysitter to serve, and more. For our little party, we picked up Ham & American Cheese LunchMakers® + Drink and Turkey & American Cheese LunchMakers® + Drink at Meijer in the deli meat aisle:

LunchMakers® + Drink include a 100% juice drink and a treat made with real fruit.

My daughter also really enjoys the Pepperoni Pizza LunchMakers® + Drink!

Manners Tea Party Tips

Here is how you can set up your own Manners Tea Party with LunchMakers® + Drink:

1. Pick up LunchMakers® + Drink at the grocery store (such as Meijer) to have ready for your party.

2. Print out the place setting placemat and trim off the white edges (links to the free printables will be below). The placemat shows children how to correctly set the table.

3. Print out the table manners quiz and trim off the white edges. This quiz will be a fun way to learn and discuss correct mealtime behaviors with your child during your manners tea party.

4. Set the table. Allow your child to set the table by placing a placemat at each seat. Provide small plates, cups, napkins, forks, spoons, and butter knives for your child to set the table using the placemats as a guide.

5. Set up the food. Give your child the LunchMakers® + Drink and let them make a small plate of food for each guest at the table (or each doll).

6. In lieu of human guests, you can use dolls, stuffed animals, or action figures.

Make it Fun!

Now that your little party is all set up, take a seat with your child and practice good manners. Here are some fun ways to do this:

1. Answer the table manners quiz together and discuss your answers.

2. Practice making conversation with the “high/low” question. This is when each person talks about their “high” for the week (something good that happened) and their “low” for the week (something not so great that happened).

3. Play the “would you rather” game from the perspective of table manners. Example: would you rather miss your favorite TV show during dinner or eat a whole serving of lima beans without complaining?

4. Talk about what you think would be showing good table manners and what would not.

Important Manners to Practice

Here are some really important table manners for kids to practice during your tea party:

Come to the table with freshly washed hands.
Keep your napkin in your lap and use it to wipe your face and hands when needed.
Stay in your seat (with your bottom on the seat) and sitting straight up.
Wait to start eating until everyone is served (unless your parents tell you it’s okay to start before everyone else).
Ask nicely for food to be passed to you instead of reaching over people.
Say “please” and “thank you.”
Don’t chew loudly, burp, or make other rude noises.
Never make rude comments about the food.
Chew with your mouth closed.
Don’t talk with your mouth full.
When you’re finished eating, ask to be excused.
When you are excused from the table, thank the person who made the meal. You can also compliment them on anything you particularly liked about the meal.

What are Manners?

Make sure you explain to your child that manners are a way that people do things that is considered good and appropriate. Using good table manners is a way to show those you’re eating with that you care about them, respect them, and enjoy their company. Talk with your child about the importance of respecting others.

Free Manners Tea Party Printables

To download the free printables, just click the link of the item you want and it will open in a new window. Print as many as you need and trim off the white edges.

PDF Files:

Blue Placemat | Pink Placemat | Yellow Placemat

Blue Quiz | Pink Quiz | Yellow Quiz

JPG Files: