There are many fun and whimsical Mad Hatter craft ideas to create a wonderful tea party and unit study based on Lewis Carroll’s beloved classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
These quick unit study ideas are for elementary and middle school students.
And it brings together literature, history, art, and life skills ending with an unforgettable Mad Hatter Tea Party complete with your very own cucumber tea sandwiches.
Published in 1865 by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pen name Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland follows a curious girl named Alice.
She tumbles down a rabbit hole into a fantastical world of talking animals, riddles, and topsy-turvy characters including the insane Mad Hatter.
Grab a copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and get ready to fall into a world of madness and fun as you read, craft, enjoy a wild tea party, and more.
LEWIS CARROLL ALICE ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
Alice in Wonderland
Your kids will love the adventures of Alice.
Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a deluxe oversized hardcover edition, illustrated in full color by Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co.'That curious, hallucinating heroine Alice, friend of Cheshire cats and untimely rabbits, is turning 150 years old. But she doesn’t look a day over a decade in a special new edition of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland . . . And what a perfect match, in tone and whimsy, found in Rifle Paper Co.’s Anna Bond, who has illustrated every page of the book."--Vanity Fair
Text and pop-up illustrations present the classic nonsense poem in which the burbling Jabberwock is slain.
Next, look at some fun ideas to make this book a quick study.
WHO IS THE MAD HATTER
One of the most iconic characters from Wonderland is the Mad Hatter known for his eccentric behavior, wild tea parties, and nonsensical riddles.
He appears in the chapter titled A Mad Tea-Party.
5 FUN MAD HATTER FACTS
- Inspiration– The Mad Hatter may have been inspired by real-life eccentric personalities Carroll encountered while at Oxford.
- Why “mad”? The phrase “mad as a hatter” comes from 18th-century hat makers who used mercury, causing tremors and hallucinations.
- The Hatter’s Riddle- “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” It was meant to be nonsense—but later, Carroll suggested the answer: “Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front.”
- The 10/6 tag- On his hat is a price tag reading “10/6” — ten shillings and sixpence, the cost of the hat.
- Different Names- In Through the Looking-Glass, the Hatter returns as “Hatta,” a servant.
Then, look at these other ideas.
PLAN A MAD HATTER TEA PARTY
Recreate the magic with a whimsical homeschool tea party inspired by the Mad Hatter’s chaotic charm.
This is great for hands-on learning, social skills, and etiquette practice.
Invite friends or family to your tea party. Assign each child a character.
Use all the skills you’ve learned—cooking, crafting, acting, and etiquette.
End the day by reading a favorite passage from the book and reciting original riddles or poems.
TEA PARTY MENU
- Cucumber Tea Sandwiches. Look at the bottom of this post for the recipe.
- Mini scones with jam
- Fruit skewers
- Sugar cubes and herbal tea (or lemonade for kids)
- Fruit Tarts
DECORATIONS
- Mismatched teacups and saucers. Tip: You can buy them at Goodwill.
- Pocket watches, playing cards, and teapots.
- Signs that say “This Way,” “That Way,” and “Wrong Way”.
DRESS-UP IDEAS
- Mad hats made from construction paper or thrift store finds.
- Bow ties, vests, aprons, or pinafores.
- Face paint for whiskers or rosy cheeks.
ETIQUETTE AND LIFE SKILLS
- Practice polite conversation and napkin folding.
- Learn how to serve and pour tea.
- Talk about table manners and hospitality.
QUICK STUDY IDEAS
Take your unit to another level and dive into every subject.
- Literature- Read Jabberwocky from Through the Looking-Glass and decode the nonsense words.
- History- Explore Victorian England—how people dressed, what they ate, and what children did for fun.
- Science- Study mercury poisoning in history and how hat making led to the term “mad as a hatter.”
- Math- Practice fractions by dividing sandwiches and measuring tea ingredients.
- Art- Illustrate your favorite character or scene from the book.
Then, look at these fun mad hatter craft ideas.
MAD HATTER CRAFT IDEAS
- Make your own Alice in Wonderland Card Soldiers for a fun and easy decoration.
- Hands-On Literature: Make Alice in Wonderland Easy Cupcakes
- Make your own wonderland clock. Use paper plates, markers, and brads to design a crazy clock that tells Wonderland Time (where it’s always tea time!).
- This DIY Flamingo Croquet would be not only a fun craft idea but a wonderful activity for a Mad Hatter Tea Party.
- Learn How to Make a Fun Mad Hatter Headband Craft in Literature to add a touch of style to your unit.
- Play “Riddles and Rhymes” Have everyone write their own nonsense riddle or poem and share it at the table.
Finally, look at how to make these fun tea sandwiches.
MAKE EASY TEA SANDWICHES MAD HATTER CRAFT
You will need:
- 8 slices of bread
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- English cucumber
- 2 Tablespoons fresh dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
Chop dill until it is fine, if you would rather use dried dill instead of fresh that will work as well.
Stir together cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dill until well combined.
Slice cucumbers very thin, you can use a mandolin to quickly get uniform slices but I like to use this as an opportunity to work on knife skills.
Spread the mixture on each slice of bread all the way to the edges.
Cover 4 slices of coated bread with rows of thinly sliced cucumber.
Place the other 4 slices of bread on top and cut off the crusts all the way around.
Cut into triangles by slicing diagonally through the middle.
