Planning a wedding is a complex task that involves a wide range of considerations, and if you’re inviting children to the event, ensuring they’re entertained is crucial.
While some couples opt for adult-only ceremonies and receptions, many others choose to include kids in their celebrations.
With a bit of thoughtful preparation, you can ensure that the children at your wedding have just as much fun as the adults, keeping parents relaxed and stress-free throughout the event.
From creating kid-friendly spaces to providing games and professional entertainment, here’s an extensive guide on how to keep kids entertained at a wedding.
Let’s Get Straight to the Point
Including children in your wedding can be stress-free with proper planning and entertainment options.
Creating a dedicated kid-friendly space with activities like a high tea party, arts and crafts, and interactive games can keep them entertained.
Hiring babysitters or professional childcare ensures kids are supervised while engaging activities like jumping castles, treasure hunts, and photo booths add fun. Offering child-friendly food, drinks, and goodie bags will keep them happy.
Additionally, setting up quiet areas for rest or movie viewing helps manage energy levels. By planning ahead, your younger guests will have as much fun as the adults.
Create a Kid-Friendly Zone
A dedicated area just for children can work wonders in keeping the younger guests occupied.
This space could be a room inside the venue or a designated corner of the reception. By creating a specific zone, kids can enjoy themselves without interrupting the flow of the adult festivities.
Ideas for a Kid-Friendly Space:
- High Tea Party: Organise a fun high tea session exclusively for the children, featuring bite-sized treats like mini sandwiches, cupcakes, and fruit punch served in fancy cups. This not only keeps them entertained but also offers adorable photo opportunities for your wedding album. The kids get to feel special with their own dedicated area to eat and socialise.
- Glamping Area: For outdoor weddings, consider setting up a mini glamping area for the children. Think of small tents, cosy blankets, and fairy lights to create an inviting space. Kids can relax, watch movies, or play games inside this magical glamping setup. This is a perfect option if you have a large outdoor venue and want to provide an exciting, themed experience for the kids.
Hire Babysitters or Professional Childcare
If you’re looking to ensure the kids are safely supervised and entertained without needing constant parental attention, hiring a professional babysitter or childcare service is a great option.
This allows the adults to relax and enjoy the wedding while knowing that their children are in good hands.
Professional Childcare Services:
- Babysitters: Hiring a dedicated babysitter can relieve parents of the responsibility of constantly monitoring their kids. A babysitter can engage the children in age-appropriate activities such as reading stories, playing games like Connect Four or board games, and ensuring they’re well taken care of throughout the event.
- Wedding Childcare Services: Many companies specialise in providing wedding childcare. They typically bring everything needed to keep kids entertained, including toys, games, and sometimes even mini-events within the wedding itself, such as craft sessions or treasure hunts. These services are perfect for weddings with a large number of children.
Fun and Interactive Activities
To keep children entertained throughout the event, it’s important to offer engaging activities.
Having a variety of options allows children of all ages to find something they enjoy.
Activity Ideas:
- Entertainers: Hiring professional entertainers such as a clown (make sure it’s not the scary kind!), face painter, balloon artist, or magician can make your wedding a fun and memorable experience for the kids. Children love interactive entertainment, and these professionals can keep them engaged for hours.
- Jumping Castle: Renting a jumping castle is a fantastic way to ensure kids are burning off energy. Set it up in an outdoor space or a quiet corner of your venue, and you’ll likely see not only the children but also some of the adults having fun! Just make sure to hire a safe, age-appropriate castle and ensure proper supervision.
- Treasure Hunt: Organising a treasure hunt with a theme, such as pirates or fairies, can be a big hit with children. Provide clues and small prizes to keep them entertained during the reception. This activity encourages movement and problem-solving, making it a fantastic way to keep kids occupied during cocktail hour or other quieter moments of the wedding.
Craft Ideas:
- Decorating Station: Set up an area where children can create wedding-themed crafts. Provide materials for them to make paper flowers, decorate signs, or even personalise small trinkets to take home as keepsakes. These activities can keep them entertained during the reception while giving them a little memento of the event.
- Colouring Books: Create custom colouring books that feature scenes from your wedding or your love story. Include crayons or markers and distribute them in goodie bags for each child. This is a simple yet effective way to occupy children during speeches or other quieter moments.
- Seasonal Crafts: If your wedding is near a holiday, such as Christmas, you can have the kids decorate ornaments or other seasonal crafts. These are fun activities that also tie into the festive spirit of the event.
Indoor and Outdoor Game Ideas:
- Board Games: Create a game area with classic board games like Monopoly, Guess Who, Operation, or Trouble. This is especially great for older kids or those who prefer quieter activities.
- Outdoor Lawn Games: If your wedding is held outdoors, consider renting or setting up lawn games such as croquet, quoits, or giant Jenga. These are engaging and suitable for both children and adults, making them a versatile entertainment option.
- Video Game Stations: For older kids or tech enthusiasts, you can set up a video game station with consoles like PlayStation, Wii, or Xbox. Be sure to provide age-appropriate games to ensure everyone has a good time.
Kid-Friendly Food and Drinks
It’s no secret that kids can be picky eaters, so providing food and drinks that appeal specifically to them is a must.
A kid-friendly menu ensures they stay happy and fed throughout the event.
Food Options:
- DIY Food Stations: One way to keep kids entertained during meal times is to set up “make your own” food stations. You can create a pizza station where kids can add their own toppings or a sundae bar where they can build their own desserts with ice cream, sprinkles, and sauces. This kind of interactive dining keeps them engaged and excited about their meal.
- Simple Snacks: During the cocktail hour or as a snack throughout the reception, offer easy-to-eat items like mini burgers, popcorn, and mac-and-cheese bites. These are crowd-pleasers that will keep kids satisfied without too much fuss.
- Candy Bar: A candy bar is an instant hit with children (and many adults!). Set up a colourful display with different types of lollies, chocolates, and sweets that kids can enjoy throughout the reception.
Drink Ideas:
- Non-Alcoholic Beverages: While adults sip on cocktails or Champagne, it’s essential to provide tasty non-alcoholic beverages for the younger guests. Lemonade, fruit punch, or flavoured water can be served in fun cups or with bright straws to make it more exciting for the kids.
ves artistically and can double as a fun, hands-on wedding favour-making activity.
Quiet Time and Rest Areas
Amidst all the excitement, kids may need some downtime to relax and recharge. Providing a quiet area where children can rest or take a nap will help prevent meltdowns and keep everyone happy throughout the day.
Rest Area Ideas:
- Movie Room: Create a cosy movie room where kids can take a break and watch family-friendly films. Add beanbags, blankets, and some popcorn to make it feel like a mini theatre. This can be especially useful for younger children who need a bit of downtime after running around at the reception.
- Naptime Area: Set up a quiet corner with soft lighting, pillows, and blankets where the youngest guests can take a nap. Even older kids might appreciate a quiet space to relax after a long day of festivities.
Special Goodie Bags for Kids
Everyone loves a goodie bag, and they can be a great way to keep children entertained at your wedding.
Preparing goodie bags tailored to the younger guests ensures they have activities to enjoy throughout the event.
Goodie Bag Ideas:
- Personalised Goodies: Fill the bags with items like crayons, stickers, small toys, and bubbles. You could even include wedding-themed colouring books or puzzles to keep the kids entertained during the reception.
- Disposable Cameras: For older children, consider including disposable cameras and a list of fun wedding moments to capture. This DIY scavenger hunt not only keeps them busy but also provides you with candid photos from the kids’ perspective.
Music and Dance for Kids
Music is a big part of any celebration, and incorporating kid-friendly tunes into your wedding reception can keep the younger guests entertained and engaged.
Dance Party Ideas:
- Kid-Friendly Music: Play fun, upbeat songs from movies like Frozen or Moana, and let the kids have their own mini dance party. You can even offer dance lessons to get them involved in the festivities.
- Karaoke: Set up a karaoke machine with a selection of kid-friendly songs. This is sure to be a hit and may even attract some adults to join in on the fun.
Conclusion
Planning a wedding that includes children doesn’t have to be stressful. By thoughtfully incorporating kid-friendly activities and entertainment, you can ensure that your younger guests have a great time while allowing parents to relax and enjoy the celebration.
From dedicated play areas and arts and crafts stations to professional entertainers and creative goodie bags, there are endless ways to keep kids entertained throughout the day.
By offering a mix of interactive games, food stations, and quiet spaces, you’ll create a welcoming atmosphere for children of all ages.
Whether you hire professional childcare or organise a DIY craft station, these activities will help make your wedding an enjoyable event for everyone, young and old alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is considered a child at a wedding?
Traditional way to indicate whether a child is invited is to include his or her name on the invitation. If the child is over age 18, he or she should receive a separate invitation, even if he or she’s still living at home.
How do you handle kids at your wedding?
If kids are invited to your wedding, include their names on the invitation; if they’re not invited, simply exclude their names. To be sure there are no crossed wires, it often helps to call all parents before sending out your invitations to let them know that you’re having an adults-only affair.
Are children invited to wedding?
Don’t feel as though having kids at your wedding opens it up to everyone under 13. Although it may seem tough to exclude, it’s perfectly fine only to invite children who are part of your or your fiance’s family or those of close family friends. Knot Note: Don’t extend “ceremony only” invitations to children
Is it rude to have a no kid wedding?
You shouldn’t feel guilty for keeping your wedding a kid-free zone, but it’s not polite to specify your wishes front and centre on the invitations.
Having a child-free wedding can be a very sensitive issue for some guests, especially out-of-town family members and close friends with little ones.
Why do people do no kids weddings?
Often, these young children mean quite a lot to the couple getting married, so they may choose to include them in their big day.
There are several reasons for opting for no kids at your wedding. The most common reason is that it often places pressure on an already-tight budget.
