Entertaining the Kids

Deciding to invite kids or teens to your wedding can often be a big decision. You want them to feel included and enjoy the day but sometimes it can be a chore for the parents to keep them entertained. Here are a couple of ideas to help keep your little guests entertained during your reception. 

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Kids Table/Centerpiece

Most likely you will have all the kids sit together during the reception so you should make it a fun place for them. Instead of having a floral centerpiece or candles (not a good idea for young, curious kids!), replace it with a fun child-friendly centerpiece. For example, fill plastic containers with activities and supplies for them to use throughout the evening. Fill a clear plastic jar with glow sticks or stickers. These things will keep the kids entertained throughout the night. Another fun idea is to have a fruit or cookie bouquet for the kid's table centerpiece. Ask your venue if they have any kid size tables and chairs for your little guests. Kids will feel special with their own special furniture for the event. 

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Activity Bags

Instead of giving your young guests the same favors as adults, create an activity bag for them. These bags can include anything! Coloring books and crayons, stickers, glow sticks, bubbles, little plastic toys, bracelets, activity books like Mad Libs or I Spy Cards, etc. There are a ton of wedding coloring pages and activities that you can print out and put in the bag. Include construction paper for the kids to draw a picture for the bride and groom. A few things to remember: stay away from markers or anything that can make a mess or stain fancy clothes. Also, be sure to label each bag with the kid's names and put the same number of items in each bag. This will (hopefully) eliminate any fighting. 

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For older kids/teens, give them an "older version" of the activity bag. Create a scavenger hunt list and give them a disposable camera or Polaroid camera. Add things like, "dress", "flowers", "family", "dancing", and "cake" to the list and see what the kids capture on their camera. You can also include packs of cards, Sudoku, or crossword games. 

Crafts

Depending on your venue this may or may not be doable. Set up a craft area for the kids for a short time during the reception. Stock the area with foam stickers and let the little ones decorate crowns, cups, etc. Beads, yarn, and gimp are a fun activity for older kids. If you have access to an outdoor area, sand art is a fun activity for young kids. You might need to designate an older child or adult to supervise this area for a portion of your reception. 

Food

Ask your venue to have some kid-friendly appetizers during cocktail hour. Kids love pigs-in-a-blanket and mini pizza. Also, be sure to order kid-friendly dinner entrees. Spaghetti and meatballs, grilled cheese, and chicken nuggets and french fries will go over much better than Chicken Florentine. A fun idea for dessert is to give each child a sugar cookie or unfrosted cupcake. Give each kid a small bowl of frosting and put an assortment of candies on the table so the kids can decorate their own cookie or cupcake. This might be a little messy so be sure to include a plastic or paper apron. 

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Kids Room

If your budget allows and your venue can provide an additional space, designate a separate kid's room for your little guests. You can stock this room with fun games and activities. Twister, board games or video games would be a great asset to these rooms. See if you can set up a TV to play movies. Provide popcorn and snacks for a fun movie night. A kid's room will need to have adult supervision for the evening. 

Outdoor Activities

If you have access to an outdoor space, let the kids play outside! Set up kid friendly games like jump rope, hula hoops, basketballs, and sidewalk chalk. This is a great way to occupy kids before it gets too late or dark outside. 

Music

Ask your DJ or band to play some kids songs during the salad course of your dinner. Kids love to dance and will love that they have the dance floor to themselves. It will also tire them out. 

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Hire Professionals

Finally, if you plan on having a lot of children at your wedding, it might be a good idea to hire a babysitter to watch the kids. Have them supervise the craft table or play games with the kids. They can organize relay races outside, play different games, and help kids with crafts. Another idea is to hire a children's entertainer. Have a face painter, balloon artist, or magician come to a portion of the reception. These entertainers will keep your little guests occupied and entertained. If you are having a photo booth, have a "kids only" time during the cocktail hour. Let them play with the fun props and take silly photos. Be sure to have the photographer supervise. 

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Hopefully some of these will entertain the younger guests invited to your wedding. Just arranging something for the younger guests will be a special treat for them. Their parents will thank you!

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-Nicole

Children at Your Wedding

Lisa and Ryan's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Spark Photography

Whether or not you should have children at your wedding is something that you will need to decide as a couple. Kids can be cute, and they can be fun, but just remember that it's your day and you don't want guests to remember a child throwing a fit at the reception instead of your first dance. Here are some ways to get them involved or keep them out of your big day and the right way to go about it. 

Stick to a plan

It's best to decide early on what your criteria is going to be. Is it no children at all, just immediate family, or is there an age limit? The earlier you decide, the easier it will be to notify friends and family when they ask and to stick to your guns. You will feel less guilty telling someone they can't bring their children if there is a specific reason or protocol you are following and it will keep you from "looking bad" if some children are invited and others are not. 

Make it clear

Get to the point right from the start by being clear on your invitations. Often times phrases like "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Family" or "The Smith Family" can sometimes be vague, especially when families have several children of varying ages. You can put a general phrase on the main envelope as long as you include the children's names on the inner envelope or invitation. For instance, a family may have four children, two under the age of five and two over the age of 10- you may wish to only have the two older children at the wedding, but have the family get a sitter for the other two to assure that they parents can enjoy the night as well- be sure to make that clear by listing just the two older children's names. For children that are over 18, it is generally best to send a separate invitation, especially if they are living out of the house. 

How to say no...politely that is

If you stick with specific protocol it will be much easier than you think. Being honest is the most important part and your family member or friend should understand that this is your day and you picture it a certain way. Be sure to have specific things to back up your decision, it will allow you to feel confident in telling them that their children are not invited. You may even have your mother or maid of honor discuss the decision with them so you don't have to take the full hit. 

Talk it out

Don't be afraid to call the parents of the children to talk it out. You may feel better making it clear to them that their children can or cannot attend your wedding even before you send out the invitations. It is much better to have things be clear from the start and to let them know in advance so they can plan accordingly for a sitter if they aren't coming or choose outfits and make a plan if their children are invited. 

Children in your wedding party

Even if children are part of your wedding party as the flower girl and ring bearer, it doesn't necessarily mean that they need to stay for the reception. Depending on the time of day and formality of the event, it may be best to have the children end their duties after the ceremony. However, they may also feel upset if they are not invited to the reception and feel like they are "missing all the fun". The decision really depends on the child's age. Generally if they are over five, they may have more feelings towards not attending, but obviously the younger they are, the easier because they won't know either way. 

Putting them to work

If  you have invited children to be present at the ceremony and reception, then you may want to keep them busy so they can stay out of trouble! Keep the children busy by enlisting them to do a few tasks during the ceremony and reception. Have them act as ushers by passing out the ceremony programs and directions to the reception for guests. Or have them escort guests to their seats and watch the gift table at the reception.

Chicken fingers and french fries galore

Remember, most kids have no idea what filet is, only two foods register with them: chicken fingers and french fries. And the good news is, it will lower your catering bill- some venues or catering companies have even begun including children's meals for free as long as you reach a certain adult head count. You may want to make phone calls to each family to ask what their child prefers or you may wish to include it on the menu selection on the invitation, whichever seems easier. For teenagers, consulting the parents on what they may prefer- chicken fingers or filet- is probably best.

The infamous kids table

Whether or not children should sit together at their own table or with their parents is another thing to consider. Again, this often depends on age. Most children from six or seven and up are generally fine sitting on their own at the kids table, especially if they have older siblings or cousins that will be sitting at their table as well. However, younger children may need to sit with their parents or be in a different area entirely with someone watching them. Also remember that high chairs or booster seats may be needed for children of a certain age.

Hiring a sitter

If children will be at your wedding, you may want to hire a sitter or two to watch over the children and take the pressure off of their parents who should enjoy their night as a guest. Look to companies like The Wedding Sitters, Inc. who will offer onsite babysitting services for your wedding. Not only will they watch over the children, but they'll keep them entertained with cupcake decorating, crafts, cartoon characters, candy buffets and more!

If one thing is for sure, having children at your wedding will make for some cute pictures!

-Caitlin