Can the elegance of the tea party mix with rural horses? It isn’t easy, but it can be done! I experienced it in action last Saturday at a birthday party for a friend of my daughter’s. With guidance straight from Let’s Have a Tea Party!: Special Celebrations for Little Girls anyone can combine two of little girl’s favorite loves: the teapot and the horse.

Not every horse tea party can start as this one did, with pony rides. But if you can pull it off, the girls will never forget it.

Even if you can’t offer real horses, most young girls own a horse or two you can use for decorations. Check out the simple centerpiece setup for this horse-themed tea table set up under a canopy outside.

The mother used blue ribbons for simple napkin rings. She served three different kind of tea sandwiches cut with a horse-head shaped cookie cutter, spinach pinwheels, and the highlight: chocolate-dipped strawberries.

And what girl can resist a pink teapot-shaped cake covered in Skittles? Notice the teapot lid, a simple round lollipop stuck in the top.

My daughter called it one of the best days of her life. I wish I had taken a picture of the darling favor bags the mom put together. She folded the top of simple paper bags and stapled them like the top of a teabag, complete with attached yarn and small paper square like the tabs on teabags. Darling! And the birthday girl loved hosting her guests, telling them to pick out their teacups and pouring the “tea” for them.

There’s only one thing I would have done differently, besides serve real tea, and that is to plan a short etiquette lesson. As the only adult around at the time when the girls sat down, I was slightly taken aback (though not terribly surprised) when one girl began to lead the others in a burping contest. What did surprise me was that when I immediately stepped in with some gentle correction and guidance, they didn’t all respond very quickly. As a homeschooling mom, I still believe young children (I don’t think any of the girls were over eight) expect adults to guide them. And I hate to think, truly, that any young girl may already be ruined for graciousness and gentility in certain situations.

Teach your children well, dear readers. Don’t assume they know how to act. The window of opportunity is often smaller than we think.