Tea Time

I have a hunch that when my kids look back on their childhoods, the primary event they will recall with fondness is our weekly teatime. This practice is not an exception or a luxury we engage in after we get “real” work done. It is the centerpiece of our living language arts.

Steps for a successful teatime:

Buy quality tea. If you like British tea (black tea) buy PG Tips or Typhoo tea from a specialty shop. If you aren't picky, you can buy black tea from the supermarket. Herb teas are also acceptable. (Click here if you'd like to learn how to make a pot of tea.)
Keep a supply of clean tablecloths. Always lay a fresh one before teatime. (Hint: you can even throw a clean bed sheet over the table – just fold in half if it is too big.)
Purchase/make cookies, scones or muffins. Click here for a muffin and scone recipe to try. If you are one of those moms who is on the go all the time, there is nothing inherently better about homemade cookies. Purchase a supply to keep in the back of the cupboard for teatime. In a pinch, we have used toast and jam for our teatimes with just as much success. And it's often nice to include cut up fruit that is in season.
Use nice ceramics. Put out milk in a cream pot, sugar (lumps are especially fun) and jam in a little bowl with a spoon. Be sure each person has a mug or cup. Some families slowly collect individual teacups; others just use an assortment of mugs. We use a mixture of the two! Put out a small plate (we use ceramic, not paper) with a napkin and a teaspoon and knife at each place setting.
A centerpiece is a must. If you don't have flowers, set out a square of colored card stock or a rectangular board or a colorful plate and decorate it with moss and leaves, shells, a grouping of candles, artwork postcards or little trinkets like marbles, pennies and old pearl necklaces. Change it up each week for interest. I've sometimes made a centerpiece of nature items from around the garden and then have added little Playmobile or Halfpenny dolls to the scene. Kids love this. We always use candles and vary the colors with the seasons.
What to read: We keep a stock of poetry books on an individual shelf in our house. I add to these when we go to the library so that the stock rotates. At the start of teatime, everyone selects a poetry book and brings it to the table. While I'm pouring the hot water to steep the tea, the kids are hunting through the books for the poem they will share with the rest of us. Click here for a short list of books.
Bring the current read aloud to the table. (A list of read-aloud suggestions can be found here.)
Begin by pouring tea for everyone. Take time to add sugar/honey and milk. Pass the cookies/muffins around. Cut them open and add butter and jam etc.

Once everyone has his or her tea and food, reading can begin. Ask for a volunteer to start. Poetry ought to be read with an empty mouth. Each person can read one or two poems (depending on length). There is no need to analyze the poem. Enjoy the poem. Laugh at its humor, enjoy its rhythm, listen to the rhyme.

After the poetry is read, offer more tea and food. You may now begin reading aloud. Read a chapter. (I usually do the reading while the kids do the eating and sipping. Recently, we read the last three books of the Harry Potter series over teatimes. Even my teens will stop what they are doing to join us, if they are free.)

When you finish teatime, each person brings her plate and cup to the sink, rinses and puts it in the dishwasher (if you have one). Candles are extinguished, the tablecloth is shaken out and folded and the centerpiece is removed (or left out).

We've read so many wonderful books at teatime, not just novels either. We've read stories, fairytales, history books, myths, geography, the Bible, and Shakespeare, too. Try it; you'll be hooked.