There's something very special, very fancy, very British about having afternoon tea. Whether your audience is with the Queen of England or the queen of teddy bears, tea parties help teach social skills and table manners and are, of course, a lot of fun.

Tea parties at home are enhanced if you pull out the real teapot, use pretty plates and make finger sandwiches and fancy desserts to go along. Have your child set the table while you brew the tea. Place your napkins in your lap. Use pretend play to exaggerate polite behavior. (Think pinkies in the air, small sips of tea, and conversation that starts with, "My, my. Aren't these sandwiches delicious little morsels?")

Once you've practiced at home, you might venture out to a local tea room to enjoy an official afternoon tea. This outing is probably best suited to older children who have a proven record of appropriate behavior while dining out. There is a high afternoon tea served at the Charleston Place Hotel, but two smaller tea rooms in Summerville -- This Whole House and Time Well Spent -- are likely to be quite a bit more child-friendly. Wear hats, gloves and pearls and make an outing of it!

You might also consider a trip to the Charleston Tea Plantation, owned by Bigelow Tea Company. The tea plantation on Wadmalaw Island is the only tea garden in North America, meaning it is the only place in the U.S. where you can actually see tea growing and being made on a commercial level! You can see tea being made at the processing plant during the growing season (May through October) and sample the American Classic Tea produced on-site!

[Image credit: SXC]