Hello, welcome to Around the World Tea Party! You're right on time. I originally created this for my kids but am happy to share it with everyone! It's a great way to "visit" countries and learn about their culture via their favorite cup of tea. This tea party is a great homeschool or after school activity. It does require "visiting" those countries via youtube and finding them on a map. Tea is optional but certainly makes the experience much more enjoyable. For those who are in Tech Trep Academy, This Around the World Tea Party meets the Global Perspectives power learning goal or "PLG". Turn in the finished map with tea ornaments as the work sample and have your child dictate to your what they learned. There are also discussion questions at the the end of the post to stimulate conversation.  Instructions for the tea party are below.  Here is a lovely photo from my friend Janelle of the map and tea with her children: Around the World Tea Party Ornam...

Masala chai is a decoction (long-term simmering infusion) of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, clove, star anise and cloves usually with black tea in water  or milk over the stove or fire. The spicy tea originated in India where there are plenty of chai vendors (instead of the plethora of coffee stands like in the U.S.). Traditional chai is served in earthen ceramic mugs and is called "masala chai".  Besides being delicious, chai is also a multi-tasker. The ginger helps to increase circulation and aid in digestion (great for nausea) as well as being detoxifying. Cloves can help relieve stomach or tooth pain and strengthen the immune system, killing intestinal parasites. Cardamom helps relieve gas and and can be soothing for bronchial problems. Cinnamon also aids digestion when stagnant and can be great for indigestion and cramping (nursing mothers be careful of cinnamon because it can be a culprit of acid reflux in babies). It can also help fight fungal, bacterial, and parasiti...