So, you’ve decided to invite kids to your wedding? We’re excited for you! Although a lot of people opt to not have kids at their wedding nowadays, we think that they can be so fun to have as guests if you choose to.
Keep in mind that you might not want to just include them on the invitation and leave it at that, though! Kids tend to get bored at weddings and might cause a ruckus. Don’t worry — we have plenty of ideas for you to keep kids entertained at your wedding!
The 9 Ways to Keep Kids Entertained at a Wedding
Here are some of our ideas for keeping kids entertained at your wedding!
Hire a babysitter
While having kids at your wedding makes the entire day so much more fun, it’s important that they are supervised. If you don’t want you or the parents have to worry about this at all, hire a babysitter! This way, the babysitter can supervise the kids while the adults still get to mingle, dance, and have fun.
If you have someone that you know that would be willing to do this, go for it! However, there are specific wedding childcare companies out there. We suggest asking your planner for recommendations!
Photobooth
Photobooths are tons of fun even if you don’t have kids at your wedding! However, kids LOVE photobooths. Especially when there are props! You could even have a separate photobooth for the kids, if your budget allows.
Coloring
Print out some wedding-themed coloring pages to set at each kid’s seats, along with some crayons or colored pencils! We don’t recommend using markers or anything that could stain clothing.
This will keep children entertained and will even have them forgetting that they’re sitting at a table!
Kids’ table
If the kids at your wedding are old enough for this, consider having a separate kids-only table. This way, kids can have their own table to play at and talk to each other at! Keep your guests personalities in mind, though — will the kids feel resentful that they have to be separated from everyone else, especially their parents?
Yard games
If you’re having an outdoor wedding, then yard games are a great, budget-friendly way to add some entertainment for the kiddos! This could include giant jenga, corn hole, hopscotch, jump ropes, and more. You could even just set out some basketballs, soccer balls, and footballs that the kids can run around and play with!
Board games
Who doesn’t love board games? Adults may even join in on this fun, too! If your reception is more casual, you could just have a table filled with different board games that people can pull and play at their tables after dinner. Or, if you have a separate room that the kids can stay in with the babysitter, you can have all of the board games in there!
Some of our suggestions (depending on ages) are:
- Guess Who
- Monopoly
- Trouble (if in a separate room due to noise)
- Hungry Hungry Hippos (if in a separate room due to noise)
- The Game of Life
- Uno
- Apples to Apples (there are different versions, like Junior and Disney!)
Movie watching
Once it starts getting to the end of the night, send the kids to a separate room with the babysitter or supervisor for a little movie night! You can even give them mini bags of popcorn or candy. The room could be set up with blankets and pillows, too!
This is a great way to get the kids to start winding down at the end of the night before going home.
Fort building
In a separate room, have a bunch of pillows, blankets, and sheets for the kids to build forts! Some adults might even get in on the fun, too.
This is a good one to pair with the movie watching!
Treats
Finally, offering “treats” or sweet food to kids throughout the night in exchange for good behavior can always be a good idea! Kids love competition too, so why not make it a game? Tell them that the most well-behaved kid from the group gets a treat at the end of the night — and follow through on that promise!
When it comes down to it, your planner can help you come up with the best ways to entertain kids at your wedding that fits with your venue and overall vibe of your wedding. If you don’t have a planner yet, feel free to reach out to us here or DM us on Instagram.