Serving & Dress Up Games for Kids

Afternoon Tea

• Have children take turns dressing as a Victorian butler or maid and serving their master or mistress afternoon tea. For a butler costume, wear a dark jacket and pants over a white dress shirt. Add a bow tie and a white cloth over one arm and carry a serving tray. For a maid, wear a long, dark skirt or dress with a white apron and a white mob cap. The master or mistress should dress in a grand party dress or dress suit. Have the servants serve up sandwiches and cakes on pretty china plates.

Maid and Butler Relay

• Assemble two sets of maid or butler costumes. For the maid gather a skirt, blouse, mob cap, apron and feather duster. For the butler include a shirt, jacket, pants, bow tie and napkin. Set out a line of clothing for each team. Place the items in a line on the floor at intervals leading to a chair 50 feet away. Place a serving tray on the chair with a cup of water on it. Divide the players into two teams. At the start, the first player races to the first item in his line and puts it on, then continues along the line until he is wearing the full costume. He then picks up his tray and races to a set point holding it, before returning it to the chair. He then returns to the starting point removing the costume and redistributing it along the line on his way. The next player in his team then takes his turn to complete the task. The winner is the first team to each complete a turn.

Dress The Princess

• This is a game for girls to play at a party or sleepover. One girl is the servant and dresses in a maid's costume. She must dress another girl who is the princess, helping her choose her outfit and put it on. She fastens buttons, ties ribbons and adjusts the folds of the princess's dress. She brushes out the princess's hair and arranges it, and applies make-up if the princess wishes. The girls then swap roles and play again.

Serving Tray Memory Game

• One player dresses as the maid or butler. He prepares a serving tray filled with about 20 different items of food, cutlery or kitchenware, covered with a cloth. He presents it to the other players and uncovers the items. Each player has a pencil and paper. They have two minutes to look at the tray of items and memorize them. The butler then covers the tray and removes it. The players must write down as many items as they remember. The player who remembers the most wins.