Character Tea Party: Invitation to Play

Character Tea Party

Play Invitation & Planning Booklet

Bring children’s favourite characters into the play they already know with this simple, adaptable Character Tea Party invitation. Add familiar figures alongside pots, cups, spoons, teapots and everyday role-play resources, then let the children decide where the play goes. There’s no need for a perfect tea set or elaborate set-up — start with less and add more when the play needs it.     Character Tea Party

Designed particularly with younger children in mind, this invitation looks beyond traditional pretend play to all the learning happening underneath. Pouring, filling, tipping, scooping, moving objects between containers and repeatedly taking lids on and off can support containing and transporting schemas, positioning, hand-eye coordination and early cause-and-effect exploration. Children don’t have to actually “play tea parties” for the invitation to work.     Character Tea Party

The booklet also includes practical ideas for supporting communication and language through play, with simple vocabulary and examples of how adults can comment more and question less. Familiar characters provide a natural starting point for words such as in, out, under, next to, full, empty, more, gone, pour, stir and share.     Character Tea Party

You’ll also find ideas for revisiting and extending the invitation by changing the characters, adding real-life experiences or taking the whole thing outdoors with water, mud, petals and herbs. The focus stays firmly on watching what the child actually does and allowing that to shape what happens next.     Character Tea Party

Digital download | 5 pages | Part of The Play Library