Afternoon tea for kids | BBC Good Food

Finding new and exciting activities for kids while they’re home from school can be a challenge, so we’ve gone back to the classics with a traditional afternoon tea. Children will love making these sweet and savoury treats almost as much as they’ll enjoy eating them.

Try these simple kids’ sandwiches, scones, cakes and drinks ideas to turn your afternoon tea into a special family occasion. Short on flour? Check out our kids’ baking recipes without flour for some fun alternatives.

Kids’ sandwiches

Selection of sandwiches being held by child

These bright and cheerful loaded open sandwiches are piled high with kid-friendly flavours such as ham, cucumber and cream cheese. Our egg & cress club sandwich is another family favourite or for a sophisticated twist you can make lemony crab & cucumber clubs. Our sandwich fillings for kids guide has even more inspiration, or browse our traditional afternoon tea sandwiches to find your favourites.

Easy scones

Afternoon tea wouldn’t be complete without an argument over whether jam or cream goes first. Whether you like fruity sweet or savoury (or both), we have lots of delicious scone recipes – for kids, we recommend our easy fluffy scones as a straightforward method to follow. You can also watch our video on how to make scones if you’re looking to make the perfect batch.

Jams

Make your afternoon tea extra special by whipping up a batch of homemade jam to top your scones and teacakes. Keep it traditional with our sweet and seasonal blackcurrant, apple or strawberry jam. Or try something new like our gooseberry and elderflower jam, which uses fresh gooseberries and elderflower cordial.

Kids’ cakes

Whip up a classic Victoria sponge or make some petite butterfly cakes – afternoon tea is a great excuse to get the kids in the kitchen. This vibrant raspberry & pistachio tea cake will look particularly fetching on the table, or go for a traditional lemon drizzle cake. In the mood for a party? Make these bunting biscuits for a touch of fun, or a batch of easy iced buns for the little ones. Discover more ideas with our kids’ baking recipe collection.

Iced tea

Serve a batch of refreshing peach iced tea for the kids while the grown-ups enjoy a cuppa. Mint & mango iced tea is another winning combination or for a sense of occasion try our delicious mocktails for kids. You can decorate the glasses with umbrellas, little flags or slices of fruit – whatever your occasion calls for.

Biscuits

Adorn your afternoon tea table with beautiful dainty biscuits. Our peppermint candy biscuits are simple and sweet. Place them about the table to add an extra edible charm. Or why not try our peanut butter cookies? They contain only three ingredients, standard in most cupboards, so they’re not only hassle-free but also gluten-free. Or make the classic bourbon biscuit more exciting using pink food colouring. Kids will love helping pipe the icing between the biscuits.

What are your must-haves for afternoon tea? Leave a comment below…