We love seeing children in weddings! They bring such energy and life, and not to mention the sweetest photo ops. Jenny from Giddy Glamping has come up with some fantastic ways to keep children entertained at your wedding! Take a peek below.
Stefano Ferrier Photography
During the Ceremony
Children love being part of the action and helping out the grown-ups. Help them feel important by giving them a “job” like handing out ceremony booklets or helping guests to their seats. You could even do something fun like give each child an “official press pass” for them to wear and a disposable camera to take pictures with. Tell them they’re wedding photographers and let them have fun and send them on their way with a list of things to photograph, like a photography treasure hunt. They’ll keep busy and you’ll have some fun photos to look at too!
MG Photography
Drinks reception
Giant board games like Jenja, Limbo, Four in a Row, Ring Toss, and Croquet can be played in the lawn
(weather permitted) or set up in the corner of the reception area. These are guaranteed to keep both the small and big children happily entertained until dinner time.
Golden Moments Wedding Photography and Film
At Dinner
If your budget does not extend to a children’s corner that provides crafts, toys and activities, you could make up some DIY children’s activity packs yourself. These are perfect for a children’s table or to be placed at their table setting if they are being seated with their parents. I have put together a list of what could be included in a child’s wedding activity pack (Ages 3-6):
A sketchbook and pencils/crayons (no felt tips or paint) – let the children get creative. If you decide to have a children’s table, you could cover it with brown craft paper or rolls of thick white paper and let them draw on the table itself!
Activity book – you can buy pre-made activity books or make your own. You could include simple mazes, colouring pages and templates. Etsy have a wonderful range of templates for activity books that you can print yourself.
Finger Puppets – for a little imaginative and furry fun! You can buy finger puppets in sets of 5 (usually a more cost-effective option) or if you’re feeling crafty you could create your own simple felt finger puppets.
Bubbles – a little pot of bubbles is always a winner.
A sticker book and stickers – farm or zoo animal sticker books are suitable for boys and girls (or you could go for gender-specific stickers but bear in mind that not all little girls are obsessed with princesses and not all little boys are obsessed with superheroes).
Treats – you would need to find out about the children’s dietary requirements for this one. You could include fun-size packets of jellies or chocolates. Or healthy treats such as packets of grapes, carrots or apple slices.
Toys and activities that aren’t noisy and don’t require close adult supervision, so avoid very small
items as these can be choking hazards and steer clear of musical instruments… obviously! You can get a lot of these items very inexpensively from your local euro or discount shop or even better check out some local Irish suppliers that can provide the stickers and craft materials.
Visual Stories
Dancing Time
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about kids it’s that they love dancing. I do believe it is important to include the children for the first half-hour of the music/band. Try to encourage the little ones to get out on the dance floor and boogie with Nana and Grandad. The pictures will be priceless. Most parents arrange for children to be collected by a childminder to be cared for in the hotel room or brought home at this time, allowing the parents to party into the night.
photographic.ie
