Holding a Mad Hatter's tea party is a wonderful way to live the marvels of Alice in Wonderland for an afternoon or evening. Make the experience even more authentic by indulging in some of these silly games and activities, plucked straight from Wonderland.
Pin the Grin on the Cheshire Cat
This game is a twist on the classic Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
Ahead of the party, up-size a picture of the Cheshire Cat using a photocopier or projector and make enough cardboard grins for each guest. Write a guest's name on the back of each one, add some blu-tac or double-sided tape and hand out the grins before play starts.
Have guests take turns to put on an oversized hat that will cover their eyes and act as a blindfold. Spin the "blind-folded" guest around three times and point them in the direction of the Cheshire Cat picture. The aim is to pin the grin closest to where it belongs on the Cheshire Cat's face.
For a funny twist, make comical grins such as puckered lips and toothy smiles or grins inspired by characters from Alice in Wonderland.
Trade Places
Before the party, record a voice yelling "Trade Places" at irregular intervals, no less than five minutes apart.
Play this recording in the background and instruct guests that whenever they hear the command, they must all stop what they're doing and take a different place at the table, just as the Mad Hatter and friends did.
Riddles in Teacups
When setting the table for a Mad Hatter's tea party, hide funny riddles in the teacups, sugar bowls, on chairs, under plates and wherever the mood strikes. Encourage guests to read these silly riddles to one another throughout the festivities.
We're Painting the Roses Red
Break guests into small groups of three or four and assign each group a silk rose bush covered in white blooms and a tin of red paint. Instruct the groups to paint all of the roses red, and time the task with a stop watch for each group. Whichever group finishes first wins. However, there is a time penalty of five seconds for missed spots and paint drops.
52 Pick-Up
Choose several playing cards from a deck to act as winning cards and write them down. Gather guests and launch the entire deck into the air, leaving the cards to fall back to the ground. Guests are to catch the cards as they fall or pick them up. Guests who collect the winning cards receive prizes.
Who R U?
Assign each guest a character from Alice in Wonderland who they are to act out through a series of charades, using only a few sheets of newspaper as props.
The rest of the guests are to try and guess which character is being portrayed. Whenever the guessers want more clues, they can yell out "Who R U?", just as the caterpillar did.
Glove Hunt
Hide a pair a white gloves within the realm of the Mad Hatter's tea party and instruct guests to search for them. Whoever finds the gloves, wins. Other treats such as lollies and small prizes may also be hidden to keep this game interesting.
Chess
Purchase a giant chess board for guests to play - each guest can be responsible for one piece - or sit traditional size chess boards at playing tables separate to the Mad Hatter's table so that guests may challenge one another to a game.
Croquet
Set-up a croquet course within view of the Mad Hatter's table so that guests may watch one another play. Have a different coloured ball available for each guest to avoid confusion.
There are endless ways to bring Alice in Wonderland to life through party games. Twists on old favourites will help guests feel as though they've truly stumbled upon a Mad Hatter's tea party, but will not be so confusing that the game becomes a disaster. Plan games well ahead of the tea party and if there is time, give them a trial run to work out any kinks.
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Sarah Mathiesen - Sarah Mathiesen is the director of Harshmellow Media + Design, a public relations and marketing agency based in Townsville, ...
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