American Girl Dolls Felicity and Elizabeth enjoy tea at Folsom Tavern

You are cordially invited to a birthday tea with Mrs. Folsom to celebrate the birthday of Felicity Merriman, the spirited Revolutionary-era heroine of the popular American Girl book series. Bring your favorite doll to the Folsom Tavern for a proper 18th century tea and learn what it was like to live during the Colonial period. Special presentation by Rebecca Ross of White Lily Teas. Craft activity and refreshments included.

On Saturday I took our seven year-old daughter to this birthday tea at Folsom Tavern, part of the American Independence Museum in Exeter, NH. It was a cute idea; all the girls attended with their American Girl Dolls and learned a little about what life was like during the American Revolution. It wasn’t really a birthday party, and I forgotten it was billed that way until I posted the details above, but we had a great time all the same.

The girls were given the basics on the Revolution: we were fighting the British because we didn’t like how much they were taxing us, especially on tea. They learned about the Boston Tea Party and had a chance to smell and taste different teas.

'Mrs. Folsom' and her 'niece'

Mrs. Folsom and her niece gave the girls some lessons in 18th century tea etiquette, including how to serve it and how to show you didn’t want any more (you couldn’t just say ‘no thanks’). They also learned how to use a fan to communicate, though the room of 6-10 year-olds didn’t think it made a lot of sense to show something with a fan rather than just say it. My daughter, and all the other girls in her group, used a feather quill to sign a pledge to buy no more tea until the colonies had their independence.

We enjoyed a nice snack of cookies, fruit and cupcakes served with tea or lemonade. Then the girls got to make a fan to bring home. There is a small gift shop in the Folsom Tavern and all the adults were given a coupon for a discount in the American Independence Museum’s gift shop, to use when it opens in May.

Details

• Recommend: Yes
• Ages: 7-11 (girls)
• Cost: $15 per person (accompanying adult had to pay as well)
• Worth $: Yes (if this kind of experience is new to your daughter)
• Comments: This was great for my daughter because it was her first exposure to people role playing historical figures. If your daughter has visited Strawberry Banke, Old Sturbridge Village, Colonial Willamsburg or other similar places, she might not find this as interesting.