A Tea Party may have the reputation of being a calm and quiet gathering, but that doesn't mean it can't be a good time. Use all of the things you do during tea time as inspiration or decorating supplies. Find shapes of tea cups and saucers, cookies, tea pots, flowers. Do you play cards during tea? Do you discuss a book? Do you share gardening tips?

The great part about Tea Parties is they can be a party for any age group. Mother/ daughter gatherings, garden clubs or ladies luncheons are all perfect for a tea party. Invite the guests to a comfortable setting such as your home and prepare for a lovely visit. Use a teapot shaped invitation, or a plain paper one and include a tea bag in it.

Decorations can be as little or as much as you like. Party supply stores will have every color of balloon or paper goods you need for the kitchen.

Instead of games, have the guests prepare their own snacks. Whether it is cheese dip to go with crackers, fruit flavored muffins, or even cookies, the time in the kitchen will be fun interaction. Getting a little messy is a great ice breaker.

After food preparation is done and goodies are baking, start an activity. Have a wide variety of fresh flowers on hand to decorate personalized projects. Everyone could make a bouquet, a tussy mussy, or a straw hat with whatever flowers are on hand. This could be done easily with ribbon, floral wire and a hot glue gun. A wreath could be made with a wire or foam base. Another idea would be to plant seeds or transplant flowers. You could decorate the pots, or if you gather for tea say once a month, you could watch the seeds sprout and grow every time you visit.

If activities aren't your bag, play card games or just visit. Guests can continue to be crafty while sipping on tea and eating the fruits of their own labor when the snacks are ready. No matter what activities you do, keep it simple and light- hearted. You want the activities to be fun, but not overpowering. The end result will be a day of fun conversation and good food.