If you are planning a wedding that children will be attending, it's always a good idea to plan some fun activities aimed specifically at them to keep them happy and entertained throughout your special day. Nothing is more distracting than a bored child! They will love the following ideas for keeping children entertained at a wedding from our online wedding store, and you get to keep the attention where it belongs - on the bride and groom.
Personalized Place Settings
If you will be seating children next to their parents at the reception, you can add a touch of whimsy to their place settings to make them feel extra special. Give them paper placemats that can be drawn on or have a fun activity book waiting at their seat.
Provide colored pencils or crayons in a cute container that matches your wedding colors, possibly in a favor box that they can take home with them after the party. Our Special Wedding Day Coloring & Activity Book even comes with crayons plus a sheet of stickers.
A "Kids Only" Table
For children that are old enough to sit away from their parents, you can designate an entire table for these young guests. It should have a similar look to the rest of the reception tables, but with a few fun additions that show just how special these seats are. For example, you could use a bouquet of lollipops in place of flowers in the centerpieces and maybe even make the tablecloth from paper so the kids can decorate it while they're waiting for dinner to be served.
Make Room For Fun
Another idea is to set aside a specific area at the reception for the youngsters to have some fun without the adults getting in their way. A side table can be filled with bubbles, board games, and toys for entertainment. It can be near the dance floor so parents can still keep an eye on them, and if the kids hear a song they can't resist, they are only a skip away from hitting the dance floor with Mom and Dad. Just make sure the activity table is not too close to any loud speakers.
Hire Help
If you want the parents and grandparents to be able to take their minds off of worrying about the little ones, hire a babysitter to keep an eye on the entire bunch. You can put them in charge of an activity area or make arrangements for a room near the reception where the kids can have their own separate party.
You could also hire someone that has a special skill to watch the kids, like music, magic, or even a funny clown act complete with face painting. If you really want to blow your guests' minds, follow a popular trend and rent a bounce house to play in. We can almost guarantee that the grownups will be in there jumping for joy too!
Children don't always have the patience or attention span that adults do. When you plan activities and treats especially for the kids, they have a great time because they are not bored. Their parents have a great time because they have more freedom to pay attention to your wedding and actually enjoy it while the kids are entertained. Take it from us at WhereBridesGo.com, if the kids are happy, the grownups are happy, so everyone at your wedding reception can have an incredible time!
~ The WhereBridesGo.com Team
Post by Deanna Powell, Certified Bridal Consultant