Mother’s Day can be fraught with tension or sadness or frustration for many, and I’m certainly not immune to that. But the last few years have been really lovely.
I shared in this post some things that have helped me really enjoy the day with my family, and one tradition in particular has made it feel special and fun. It’s fairly simple, really fun, and just a delightful part of our day.
Here are all the details of our Mother’s Day tea!
Easy Mother’s Day Tradition: Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea
A few years ago, Dan and the kids decided to set up an afternoon tea for Mother’s Day. They did it after napping kiddos woke up, so it doubled as an early dinner – just what I like to get tidied up early in the evening. It was so special and fun!
Since then, we’ve done it each year for Mother’s Day. Sometimes, we do it around 5pm for an early dinner. Other years, when we have things planned in the evening, we do it at lunchtime immediately after returning home from church. In that case, we usually have a quick breakfast and Dan and the kids set the table before we leave. Then it’s all ready to go by the time we return home. That still leaves some time for an afternoon walk or hike. Both options have worked great!
Food For Mother’s Day Tea
The great thing about an afternoon tea tradition is it can be as fancy or as simple as you’d like. One year, Dan made homemade marzipan and we all crafted marzipan animals. Other years, they’ve purchased everything from Trader Joe’s; it was still delicious and so easy.
Here are some food and drinks that have worked great:
- A variety of teas
- We like to have a pot of hot water and various herbal tea packets (this is my very favorite that I drink obsessively in the winter)
- We also love using this infuser pot for pre-prepped loose-leaf tea that we can pour in anyone’s cup
- Sparkling juice or lemonade
- Scones
- Whipped cream
- Jam
- Fresh fruit
- Muffins
- Cucumber & mint sandwiches
- Egg salad sandwiches
- Coronation paneer sandwich (Dan uses this recipe but subs paneer)
- Caprese sandwiches
- Macarons
- Mini cakes
- Eclairs
Honestly, the sky is the limit – just having the tea and maybe some fancy dishes or napkins makes it feel so fun. You could just pull anything out of your cupboards and fridge in little bits and bobbles, like graham crackers, sliced cheese and bread, chocolates, etc.
Special Serveware For a Mother’s Day Tea
There are a few things that make even the simplest food feel a little bit special. For us, that includes pulling out a few special items:
- Porcelain dishes
- Gold flatware
- Linen napkins
- Gold charger plates
- Sturdy goblets
- Jute placemats
- Glass tea infuser pot
- A pretty teapot (mine is old, but this one is SO beautiful and would make a lovely Mother’s Day gift)
- 2-tier and 3-tier serving stands (we got these for a birthday tea party 5 years ago and I had no idea how useful they would actually be – we pull them out all the time for hosting and just for our family!)
- Cake stand
More than anything, I love the simple time together to enjoy some food and treats. I usually open up cards while we eat, and it’s lovely just chatting together.
I hope this gives you a fun idea for a simple Mother’s Day activity. And if you have any other easy Mother’s Day ideas, please drop them in the comments!
IF YOU LIKED THIS POST ABOUT MY FAVORITE EASY MOTHER’S DAY ACTIVITY, YOU MIGHT LIKE THESE POSTS TOO:
- 7 Things That Help Me Enjoy Mother’s Day
- Our Kids’ Teacher Keepsake Books
- Our Family’s Annual Holiday Afternoon Tea
