How to Add Poetry Teatime To Your Homeschool Today
Have you heard of poetry teatime? Chances are you have. Poetry Teatime has taken the homeschool world by storm. It’s an enchanting addition to any homeschool. Poetry Teatime is something we have been doing in our homeschool for years.
I first heard about the concept from Julie Bogart and I was smitten by the idea of it. Emily already loved tea parties so it seemed like a natural progression to add poetry teatimes to our homeschool. I mean who wouldn’t love sitting around sipping tea, nibbling snacks, and enjoying beautiful poetry together?
Would you like to add a poetry teatime to your homeschool but don’t know where to start? Keep reading to discover everything you need to have a successful poetry teatime to your homeschool today!
What is Poetry Teatime?
Poetry Teatime is exactly what it sounds like. A group of people gathered around the table with a pot of tea (or your other favorite drink) and a stack of poetry (or picture) books. We enjoy doing poetry teatimes as a family but you could invite friends over or even have one with with your homeschool co-op.
Julie Bogart from Brave Writer says that poetry teatime “offers you and your children a break from the fast-paced demands of homeschooling, parenting, and household running. Everyone sighs a collective “ahhhh” as they settle into their chairs, tea cups or mugs in hand, poetry books scattered across the table.” I couldn’t agree more!
Why We Love Poetry Teatime In Our Homeschool
We love poetry teatimes and try to incorporate them into our homeschool as much as possible. There is just something so special about sitting around the table sipping tea, nibbling on cookies, and taking turns reading poems to each other.
It’s a time for us to slow down and enjoy each others company. It provides beauty in what we are reading and connection with each other. Poetry Teatimes give our homeschool that reset we desire. We try to have one each week for that exact reason.
I think Emily probably loves that she gets to dress up and feel grown while sipping tea from her fancy cup the most. I personally love the memories we are making. But. what’s even better is that we can do all of that and count it as school!
How We Include Poetry Teatime In Our Homeschool
Our poetry teatimes can look very different depending on my mood. Sometimes we have a simple breakfast poetry teatime with milk and muffins. This might look like store bought muffins or it might look like us starting our day baking muffins together for our teatime. Either way it often ends with us cuddled on the couch eating muffins, drinking milk, and enjoying poetry together to begin our day.
Other times I am exhausted and we have a teatime that includes prepackaged snacks like Little Debbie’s. There is zero shame in this! I promise you after years of having teatimes in our homeschool never once has Emily remembered the elaborate or simplistic snacks. What she has remembered most has been the moments we’ve spent together.
Occasionally, and by that I mean maybe 2 to 3 times a year, I will have the extra time and energy and I will go overboard with a theme or homemade treats. A few of our favorite themes have been: animal, Harry Potter, and holidays such as Valentine’s Day.
Would you like to see one of our poetry teatimes in action? You can do just that in this Homeschool with us: Poetry Teatime video where you will get to join us for a simple Spring homeschool poetry teatime.
What You Need for a Sucessful Poetry Teatime
Poetry teatime sunds fantastic but what do you need to get started? For a successful poetry teatime you need 3 things. That seems simple enough right? It totally is!
Something to Sip On
The first thing you need is something to sip on. You do not have to drink tea. If you would like to try tea with your kids I suggest buying a sampler of variety box. We started with Celestial Seasonings Fruit Tea Sampler, which is still a favorite around here. But, you can drink anything you want. Don’t get caught up on the tea part of the teatime. You can easily drink milk, lemonade, or juice from fancy teacups.
Something to Snack On
The second thing you need is something to snack on. This can be something simple or something complex. Sometimes our poetry teatimes have homemade goodies and other times they have prepackaged store bought ones. Do whatever makes it enjoyable for you!
Something to Read
The third and final thing you need is something to read. While it is called poetry teatime and poetry is the most common thing to read, it doesn’t have to be poetry. You can read anything you wish at your teatimes. We like to read from a variety of books during our teatimes.
But, if you are looking for some of the best poetry best for children that adults will also enjoy check out 30+ Fantastic Poetry Books.
Finally, you don’t need a teapot and teacups, but it does adds to the fun. If you have young children or don’t want to invest a ton of money, head to a thrift store and let everyone pick out their own special cup. We used thrift store teacups up until this year. I felt like Emily was finally old enough to handle things carefully so I bought my first full tea set and I LOVE it.
To make it even easier to plan a homeschool poetry teatime I have created a simple poetry teatime planner for you. You can grab it for free and get started planning your first homeschool poetry teatime now!
