Victorian Tea Party Games

Tea parties were a popular pastime in the Victorian era, both in the United States and Great Britain. A Victorian-themed tea party teaches children about the time period and gives adults a chance to have a more formal type of gathering. Victorian era costumes, decorations and tea sets all heighten the mood of a Victorian tea party.

Blind Man's Bluff was very popular for tea parties and lawn parties during the Victorian era. Played indoors or outside, adults and children alike enjoy this simple game. The experts at Old Fashioned Living explain that one player is blindfolded. He must wander around the room trying to catch another player. If he does, he must guess the identity of the captured person. A correct guess means the captured player takes the blindfold, while an incorrect guess requires the original player to try again with a different guest.

Crochet has been played at outdoor tea parties in the UK and America since around 1860, according to Victorian Station. It is not suitable for indoor tea parties. Despite this fact, it is one of the most active Victorian tea party games. Players use wooden mallets to hit balls across a grass field or lawn and through wire arches stuck into the ground.

Charades originated during the Victorian era as a parlour game. Particularly suited to a Victorian-themed tea party, the experts at Eras of Elegance explain that Victorian party goers would take turns acting out a phrase or name without speaking a word. Their teammates would have to guess the chosen word from their silent actions and pantomime. The difficulty level of this game can be changed to suit any age group of party guests.

Entertain your tea party guests with a few rounds of the Victorian game Lookabout. The host chooses a small item, such as a tea pot or knick knack, and shows it to all of the guests. The guests exit the room while the host hides the item in an obscure, but visible, location. When they re-enter the room, guests look for the item silently and sit down as soon as they spot it. The last player standing must choose and hide the next item.

The tea party experts at Old Fashioned Living say that Victorian-era tea parties often featured a game of Pass the Slipper. One player is chosen to stand in the middle of a circle of the other guests. A small item, which was often a slipper in Victorian times, is passed around by the circle of guests while the player in the center has her eyes closed. When she opens her eyes, whomever is holding the item must hide it behind her back. When she correctly guesses who holds the item, she trades places with that player.