Keeping The Kids Entertained
So you've decided to have children at your wedding, and why not!? They can provide a barrel of laughs, some adorable photos and will keep some noses from being put out of joint! The thing is, weddings tend be quite long, and can have considerable stretches of time in which little minds and hands could get bored and need entertainment!
Here's a round up of our favourite ideas for keeping those precious little guests amused throughout the day. A lot of the time you'll find that they'll club together and amuse themselves (especially once the dancing kicks off!) but for those moments when you could do with them being a tad quieter (we're talking speeches and ceremony), try these ideas on for size.
1. Sometimes nothing is better than a simple bit of drawing! These work well either on a kids table at the back of a church wedding, or at a kids table in the reception. They're super easy to make too, if you recycle or buy some cheap place mats, and then paint them with chalkboard paint! Simple!
2. A scavenger hunt is a great way to keep kids entertained for prolonged periods of time, perhaps during the long dinner, or from the drinks reception onwards. This idea appeals to all ages, so could be given to every child, or a couple per table for all your guests to enjoy. Have a groomsman on hand to collect the cameras in post wedding, there'll be some killer shots! It's quite easy to make your own version, but this lovely one comes from the wonderful Martha Stewart!
3. Put together or buy little activity books for you younger guests, filled with colouring in, word searches, I Spy, and wedding puzzles. This cute one is available to buy on Not On The High Street.
This cute little version is available to download for FREE as a PDF, which you can then print and put together yourself! Quite cute really as you could then personalise it for the kids and for your wedding!
4. If space permits it, designate a corner, inside or out, with some fun things for kids to play with! We love the idea of over-sized outdoor games like giant jenga, hoola hoops, or a soft and cosy colouring corner!
5. It can be quite a long day of playing, so having a chill out area with a good film or cartoons may not be a bad idea if you have space! Try keep it somewhere that is easily supervised, so that parents don't miss out on festivities to watch the kids! Have bags of popcorn too!