So, you’re having a big wedding and creating a wedding guest list with you and your partner’s closest family and friends together for your special day. One important group is the children, whether nieces and nephews or the kids of your close friends; for many engaged couples, it’s essential to include them in the celebration. However, with a long period from the ceremony to the end of the reception, keeping the kids occupied is crucial to ensure both them and their parents have a great time. But with so many other aspects of your wedding day to plan, keeping children occupied is probably near the bottom of your list. Luckily, there are a few ideas for your kid-friendly wedding that are simple but effective.
Wedding Garden Games
One great way to ensure the children have a fantastic time is to have garden games scattered around your chosen wedding venue for your guests to enjoy. These can include games such as cornhole, croquet, and Giant Jenga, to name a few. Not only will the children be all over them having an absolute blast after the ceremony, but it is an excellent way for the kids to break the ice with each other. Parents can tell their children to join the others in playing the garden games, and they’ll make new friends in doing so.
The other benefit of having garden games is that their use isn’t isolated to children; the adult guests at your wedding will enjoy the activities while mingling over some nice cold beverages. Overall, this keeps all your guests occupied, especially the children, while you and your partner are off taking couples photos around the venue during your wedding cocktail hour. Ask your wedding venues’ staff if you have questions about garden games, as some venues already have these available.
Kids Table
One of the simplest ways of keeping children occupied is to allow them to do it themselves. Having a designated kid’s table puts all the children right next to each other, allowing them to socialise with others of a similar age and keep themselves occupied. The first benefit is that they’ll be preoccupied with talking to each other and not constantly being ‘bored’ with their parents.
The other sneaky benefit is that the kids' table can be tucked away in the corner of the reception area, meaning any distracting noise will be minimised during the formalities. It also means the children feel like they have independence and a chance to prove their maturity in a formal setting. From our experience, we are often surprised by how well-behaved kids' tables are, especially for the slightly older teenagers who help keep the younger ones' behaviour in check.
Kids activity area
Just like the garden games, it’s always important to have activities for the children to do when they feel bored or like there's nothing to do. While the garden games are great, there’s the limitation of requiring daylight to use, meaning during the reception, the kids have no activities to do. One great solution is to have a designated kids' area tucked away from the main reception area, giving a space for the children to retreat to during formalities or to have some fun. These activities could include:
· Drawing
· Colouring in
· Devices
· Connect 4
· Jenga
· Board Games
These types of activities can be adapted to multiple age levels, from activities for toddlers to young teenagers. This area could also have beanbags and pillows for the youngest to sleep in a quiet space at the venue.
Wedding Babysitter
Many of your guests want to bring their kids along to participate in the celebration. However, they also want to enjoy an evening celebrating without worrying about how their kids are going. One great way to get the best of both worlds is to get a babysitter to accompany the wedding to be on child management duty.
This could be a guest who’s been nominated and has volunteered to manage the kids or a paid wedding babysitter hired for the evening. Regardless, having them ensure the kids are well fed, behaving, and staying occupied will take away the worry and stress from their parents, allowing them to get entirely involved in the reception celebration.
Get them Involved
The final way to ensure the children enjoy themselves and you’re hosting a family-friendly wedding is to get them involved in the wedding celebration. Whether children are involved in your wedding day formalities, through being a flower girl/ring bearer, or you allow the children to participate in games during speeches, they will have the most fun feeling like they are a part of your wedding day, rather than the extras that came along with their parents.
Let them dance during the reception, mix and mingle with their family and other guests. Some of the kids are talented? Allow them to perform to show you and your to-be newlywed how much they love you both. Some examples include instrumental performances during the ceremony or cultural dances during speeches. Any way for them to get involved will make them feel as special as you will on your wedding day.
Having a child-inclusive wedding will not just mean everyone important to you is present to celebrate, but will also give them a day to remember and cherish for the rest of their lives. Thinking about these small details will elevate their experience. As a result, you and your adult guests will celebrate stress-free, as their children are having fun all on their own.
