Entertaining Kids at the Wedding

Sometimes it is inevitable that you’ll be hosting a few little ones at your reception. My husband and I could not have imagined our big day without my darling niece and cousins’ kids, and we wanted them to be just as entertained as our adult guests. Here are a few things we did and a few more things I’ve seen along the way.  

1)      Create a tote, bag or basket for each kid

• Personalize it with their names
• Include fruit snacks, gold fish or cracker packs or other goodies without too much sugar
• Crash the Dollar Store or Michaels and pick up sticker pads, activity books, Uno, playing cards, bubbles, and even some glow in the dark necklaces and bracelets

  2)      Create a supervised “Kid Zone” -See if your venue has a small room near your main ballroom for the kids to play. Ask if TV’s can be borrowed and bring a game system like Wii or X-Box. Pack a fun box of board games, hula hoops, coloring books, crayons or Crayola Color Wonder markers. If you feel more comfortable having the little ones in clear view, create a kids table where they can dine and play.

  3)      Choose a kid-friendly menu - Ask your venue or caterer to create a children’s meal. Chicken tenders, fries and a fruit cup are very popular or if the kids are a little older and need something heartier, maybe spaghetti and meatballs or butter pasta topped with chicken, accompanied by a breadstick and a few veggies.

  4)      Bring them on to the dance floor - Usually the munchkins can move and groove, and show us all a few things. Have a dance off or just let them go. Everyone should have a blast and you’ll get the cutest pics and footage.

 Whatever fun you create for your kid guests, ensure you have responsible parents, a few designated kid-sitters or if you can splurge, hire a pro so everyone can enjoy a fabulous evening. Don’t forget there are professional kid-sitters, magicians, face-painters, puppeteers and many other entertainers to help make it a great night.

Photos courtesy of Zoom Theory Photography