A Tea Party with Dolls

The Fun Begins

Keller & Keller

At American Girl Place, tables are topped with white linens, china plates, fuchsia silk flowers, and flower-topped napkin rings. "It's sophisticated and yet fun and girl-centric," says Adamany. The cafe provides dolls for girls to choose as lunch partners if they didn't bring their own. As an ice-breaker, a small box of cards printed with thought-provoking questions like "What's the hardest thing you've ever done?" "Who would you want to star in a movie about your life?" and "How do you cheer yourself up when you're feeling down?" sits on each table. This simple game -- which can be reproduced at home with questions that appeal to either sex -- spurred a lively discussion about siblings, things to do that don't cost money, and more.

The cards inspired the girls to play several more guessing games while waiting for lunch and dessert to be served. They took turns describing favorite actors and singers for a celebrity "Who Am I?" game, then described the plot of favorite movies such as Toy Story and The Princess Diaries. The presence of the dolls also sparked conversation as the girls told one another their dolls' names and pretended to share the refreshments with them.