Entertaining children at a wedding can be a fun and rewarding task, ensuring that both kids and parents have an enjoyable time. Here are eight ways to keep children entertained at a wedding:
Kids’ Activity Packs: Create special activity packs for the children, filled with coloring books, crayons, puzzles, and small toys. You can place these at designated kids’ tables or distribute them during the ceremony.
Outdoor Games: If the wedding has an outdoor component, set up lawn games like cornhole, giant Jenga, or a scavenger hunt. These games are not only fun but also encourage kids to be active.
Child-Friendly Food and Beverages: Include a kid’s menu with familiar and appealing food options, like chicken tenders, mac and cheese, and mini pizzas. Offer non-alcoholic mocktails or flavored water to make them feel special.
Kid’s Corner: Create a dedicated kid’s area with a playpen, soft toys, and a babysitter or childminder to supervise and engage with the children. This allows parents to enjoy the festivities without worrying about their kids.
Entertainers: Hire entertainers like magicians, face painters, or balloon artists to keep the kids engaged. These professionals can also perform age-appropriate magic tricks or create fun balloon animals.
Photo Booth: Set up a photo booth with props and costumes that kids can use to take pictures. They can have a great time dressing up and taking silly photos.
Kids’ Dance Party: Organize a kids’ dance party with kid-friendly music and a dance floor. You can also have a limbo contest, or dance-off, where kids can showcase their dance moves, or provide glow sticks and fun props for a mini dance party.
Movie or Craft Station: Set up a mini movie theater or a crafting station with age-appropriate movies or DIY craft materials. This provides a quiet and creative space for kids to unwind and have some downtime.
Certainly, here are some more suggestions to entertain children at a wedding:
Interactive Games: Set up interactive games like a mini carnival with ring toss, mini golf, or a bean bag toss. These games can be both entertaining and competitive, keeping kids engaged.
Storytelling Corner: Create a cozy storytelling corner with a storyteller or a family member who can captivate kids with engaging stories or fairy tales.
Wedding-Themed Scavenger Hunt: Organize a scavenger hunt where kids can search for specific items or take photos of wedding-related moments. Provide a small prize for those who complete the hunt.
Decorating Station: Offer a decorating station with cookies, cupcakes, or even small cakes that kids can decorate with frosting, sprinkles, and other toppings. It’s a delicious and creative activity.
Costume Dress-Up: Provide a costume dress-up area with a variety of costumes and accessories, allowing kids to play dress-up and take fun pictures.
Virtual Entertainment: If there are older children who might prefer some screen time, consider having a designated area with a tablet or two.
Personalized Favors: Give each child a personalized favor, such as a small toy, a custom coloring book, or a framed photo from the wedding. This serves as a keepsake and a reminder of the special day.
Sensory Stations: Create sensory stations with activities like sand art, playdough, or kinetic sand, which can be both calming and entertaining for kids.
Petting Zoo or Animal Encounter: If the venue permits and there’s interest, you could arrange for a small petting zoo or an animal encounter, allowing children to interact with friendly animals.
Yoga or Meditation Session: For a more tranquil option, you could organize a brief yoga or meditation session for kids to relax and unwind.
Remember to adapt your choices to the ages and preferences of the children attending the
wedding. Having a variety of activities ensures that children of all ages and personalities can find something they enjoy, making the wedding a more enjoyable experience for both kids and their parents. Coordinating with parents to ensure you have a good understanding of their children’s needs and preferences. Also, be prepared for any unexpected needs, such as baby changing stations or a quiet room for naps if the wedding extends into bedtime. By planning ahead and catering to the needs and interests of children, you can create an enjoyable and memorable experience for them at the wedding.
EXTRA:
If you hire our wedding childcare service and you provide the room we provide the fun!
Here are some reasons as to why hiring a professional babysitting service at your wedding can be an amazing solution that makes your wedding easier and more fun:
Minimize Disruption: Kids can be noisy. They can get antsy and bored. Sitting through a ceremony can be a challenge. Children can also get overly excited at a reception due to music, dancing, and past-bedtime fun. Hiring babysitters for your wedding allows for someone to quickly swoop in to take care of bored or noisy kids, or take kids to sleep when bedtime strikes.
Avoiding Exclusion: Whether or not children can attend a wedding can actually be a deciding factor for many parents – especially when travel is involved. Children may have health needs, infants may be breastfeeding, and overnight childcare can be expensive and difficult to get. It can make or break whether or not parents can attend.
Convenience for Guests: Providing childcare can take a lot of stress off parents. This is especially true for destination weddings, where you can anticipate families will make a vacation out of the event. Bringing a childcare provider or leaving kids with one can be expensive and stressful. Providing childcare at the ceremony can alleviate stress and help your guests have more fun and be more mentally ‘present’ for the festivities.
Flexibility: Whether you want babysitters to help out parents with kids at the ceremony, or you want kids in a completely separate area, professional childcare can (typically) make it happen. If your venue has options for a separate area where kids can stay (or another off-site area, such as the hotel event room where your guests are staying) then you can make a plan to have the kids be fully separated from the wedding and cared for the entire time. Parents can party in ease. If you’d rather children be around but provide parents with people to help out with the kids, then that can happen too!
A Compromise for Family and Friends: A professional babysitting service means you can still have the quiet, romantic wedding of your dreams without upsetting the in-laws. In some cultures, and families, not having children at the wedding is unheard of (or even insulting). Weddings are a community and family affair – everyone should be there. That may not be what you envision for your event. Instead of creating friction, professional childcare can be a great option. Kids can be present, but not too present. of (or even insulting). Weddings are a community and family affair – everyone should be there. That may not be what you envision for your event. Instead of creating friction, professional childcare can be a great option. Kids can be present, but not too present.
The Kids will Have a Blast! Experienced babysitters know how to entertain kids. They can muster up energy and give kids 100%, even at the end of the night when energy gets low and kids get cranky. They know how to plan age-appropriate activities, help kids have fun, and be nurturing and watchful. On-site professionals to watch and entertain kids mean they have an amazing time too, and parents don’t have to worry!
It’s clear that having babysitters there to tend to children and make sure they have fun is going to
create a better experience for everyone. Parents can enjoy themselves, kids have fun, and you get to find happy compromise.
Of course, not everyone will agree with everything planned for a wedding; but most guests will
be relieved and excited to find out that a professional childcare company and entertainment will
be there to care for their kids so they can have fun.
By:
Yvonne Wonder
Founder| Managing Director
Destination Sitters, LLC
