How To Entertain Children At A Wedding

Having children at your wedding is something that is still heavily debated. Some are completely against the idea, whereas others are more than happy to have children as part of their special day. The dilemma comes from couples wanting to involve family and friends, but are scared of the tantrums, screaming and children running riot ruining their special day.

If you do decide to invite younger guests, then it is best for you and them to have some form of activities and games on hand to keep them distracted and entertained. Whether it’s keeping children quiet during the ceremony or just giving the parents the chance to enjoy themselves in the evening, well-behaved and happy children can make wonderful wedding guests and, if the kids are happy, then the parents are happy.

Activities don’t need to cost huge amounts and whether you’ve got a couple of flower girls to entertain or a whole range of ages attending your special day, here are some ways you can entertain children during your wedding.

Outdoor Games

If a part of your wedding is planned to be held outdoors, such as your actual ceremony or the celebratory drinks, then a great way to get people chatting and mingling are outdoor games. From giant Jenga and Connect4 to beanbag toss or a piñata, outdoor games are a cheap and fun way to get people enjoying themselves, or you could even make them yourselves. You can include children in the games, or let them play whilst parents watch over whilst raising a glass to you and your new husband or wife.

Children’s Tea Party

Wedding breakfasts or buffets are very rarely catered towards children and this is a surefire way to ensure that you have grouchy children. If you want to avoid angry, hungry children dominating the dancefloor at your wedding, then you could always throw them their own Tea Party, complete with things such as sandwiches, fruit, sweets and crisps. This will keep them full and they’ll enjoy the novelty of it too!

Craft Corner

Kids love scribbling on paper and a cheap way to keep them entertained during speeches is to cover a table in brown paper and just let them scribble away. Put pens, pencils, crayons and stickers on the table for them to use, just make sure there are no paints - you don’t want to be ruining any girls designer dresses or having paint splodges ending up on your dress!

Treasure Hunt

Kids love treasure hunts, especially if there is a promise of a prize at the end of it! Give children a list of things they must find and put little clues around your venue, directing them where to go. Another fun idea is to give them a disposable camera and a list of photos they need to collect, such as the wedding cake or the bride and groom. Then, you can print out those photos and keep them as a special reminder or give them their own little scrapbook full of their pictures.