Children's Entertainment at the Wedding?

We had two kids at ours - age 3 and 5 - and their parents had a bag of stuff for their entertainment. But once the music came on, they hit the dance floor!

Honestly, while the activities are a nice gesture, many parents come prepared and that's one less thing for you to worry about.

Maybe have a movie playing? Like some disney/pixar.. if you have a seperate room to do so, if not I think you're good

Don't bother doing anything. My sister provided a bunch of coloring books and activities for the kids at her wedding and they danced all night long instead! It ended up being a waste of money. I'm having around 4 or 5 kids under the age if 10 at my wedding and I'm not doing anything special to entertain them because 1. That's their parent's job and 2. We are going to have some awesome dance music that I fully expect the kids to be dancing to.

I am having a ton of kids at my wedding right now the date is set for November 29th but that may have to change. I have hired a Santa to pass out gifts to the kids, hired a DJ so the teenagers can dance, and I will have coloring sheets crayons and possibly make your own gingerbread houses. My wedding and reception are on a riverboat. We will be on it for 6 hours. Entertaining them is a must because their will not be a chance to take them outside for a minute. Thinking about a photo booth. I also thought about having a craft table with pipe cleaner snowflakes already made and the kids could add the beads.

I made an activity book and will have crayons at tables with kids, but that's it. Every wedding I've been to with kids, the kids dance their hearts out. I just wanted something to get them through dinner

Wow. I feel so much better. I was starting to feel like a heel and out of it because I don't have any kids, well till next weekend when FH and his son and I become family, and maybe was just being inconsiderate. It was definitely one more think I didnt want to have to deal with @ EricaTX.

@future mrs.jkr there isnt another room, our reception venue is a barn

@Maggie, wow! Can I come? Sounds like a blast!

We are having a small area for the kids that if need be, they can come and hang out with the adults (there's another room free when the bridesmaids and I finish) and having some of the people from the church that we go to are going to help watch them. We thought it would be a little easier for the parents to know that their children are in the same place but they don't have to worry to much about them running off or trying to occupy them with something AND to not stress out to much..

It's the parents job to keep them entertained.

When my sister was married they had only my son and her now husbands niece as there. Both were 41/2. They went to the dollar store spent MAYBE $10 total on colouring books, crayons and stickers. Kept them entertained long enough that her sil could eat and my fh could eat. Once the music staryed they danced until told it was time to leave (8:30ish)

We are having 54 children at our wedding; ranging from 6 months to age 16.

Other than the DJ at the reception, we are also providing a table with decks of cards and a few games, and I am making kiddie bags that include some gum, bubbles, crayons, activity books, glowing braclets/necklaces, and a few other items for the children. I got all cool items for the kids at the Dollar Tree where EVERYTHING is a dollar!

I do not agree with saying 'its the parents job to keep them entertained' they are always at school or with parents or grandparents. The point of having them there is because they are family and close to you. It is nice to cater to your guests that are taking a day out of their schedule to support you and celebrate this amazing day with you. Being nice and accomodating them isnt horrible. Besides, they will remember how nice, caring, and attentive you were by offering things like these in the future Besides, the parents would like to enjoy the day and mingling too!

I do like how Mikayla above offered child care through the church, that is a nice gesture too!

Honestly, it's not your job to provide kid activities. You're doing more than enough by having activity books. I had a handful of kids at my shower, and only one of them used the coloring books while the others ran around. The families will leave as soon as the kids get tired of dancing. They'll be fine.

I'm planning on just having a color book and crayons. Anything other than that and it starts getting expensive or providing toys gets noisy and is distracting to the other adults. It's just for a couple of hours and I'm sure the kids won't stay real late into the dancing part of the night, anyways - parents will need to get them home or to the hotel to put them to bed.

I learned the hard way at my first wedding that you keep an eye on the children and keep them entertained. We were all in a room in the church getting dressed and the flower girl was 3, very smart, and very hyper. I went to put on my dress and her mother was helping my daughter put on her dress and that is all it took and she was gone. We all went looking for her and she was no where to be found. I asked if anyone checked the reception hall and everyone said that there was no way she could open those doors. They were very heavy decorative wooden doors. I went into the reception hall and as I was looking around I saw the top tier of my cake slide as the cake table was moving. I walked over to the cake table and lifted the floor length linen and there was my flower girl. I said I found you. She said I found a tent and I was playing. I reached out my hand and we walked back to her mother. As far as the cake goes my friend was my cake designer and it was fixed before anyone saw it. BUT if that was most brides the cake would have been destroyed because most cake designers don't stay. I am not a bridezilla and if the cake was destroyed oh well so be it. When children are involved things can and most likely will go not as planned.

I think the coloring books are a very nice gesture, but agree that you really only need to get them through dinner, and cocktail hour if you're having one. I'd also keep the parents in mind. I mean, you know your guests better than we do. We know (most) of our guests that are parents are excellent parents-and used to keeping control over their kids at these types of events. We also know the kids, and honestly most of them are very shy/reserved so we're definitely not too worried about them being bored. Of course it also helps that in our case-my stepdaughter is friends with the other little girls that are coming so they'll all be able to hang out together. We do have ONE child/parent duo that we're a little concerned about, so when thinking of how to deal with the kids we're pretty much only worried about them, which narrows it down for us and makes it a little easier to manage on a proactive front.

Wow @ Maggie P. I would have freaked. What a graceful way to handle it . Guess I'm going to count my blessings that out youngest BP member is 7 and his dad isn't bringing him til just before the ceremony. That's one of the reasons only one spouse per family is in the wedding!

The parents should be able to entertain and watch their own children, and I think its great that your are providing some activities for them. One of BFFs got married last summer and had an extra table in her arrangement and devoted it to the kids...coloring books, activities thing like that.

I would suggest that anything you have be NOT small as you will be in a dimly light space with adults who are drinking, you don't want anyone to trip over anything. What about inflatable beach balls and even a prop box for the kids with some cheap beanbags shoved into a corner someplace that isn't being utilized? This way the kids and (try) to keep their activities in a single, out of the way corner and I would bet you any money that by the end of the night the adults on the dance floor would get more use and fun out of the beach balls and costume props than the kids do.

The activity books are enough. You don't need to do anymore.

I would suggest against beach balls. Kids are sure to start knocking those around everywhere. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

It is up to the parents, you really do not have to be a babysitter. I wouldn't do anything for kids other than provide a child appropriate meal.

We are actually giving a lot of options to our out of town parents bringing kids. It is a long wedding weekend so all the events are kid friendly events...including bouncy houses, dive in movie at the pool, wagon/sliegh rides, visit with Santa (if the parents want).

The wedding itself...we have a list of babysitters if parents want to have someone with kids in their room. Kids are welcome at the wedding reception (we will be providing a plated kids meal that will be served first to kids so they don't have to wait). And then we also will have a room full of kids activities. kids movies, kids food, and day care providers from 3pm-10pm.

@Emmy we have the meal covered, all but one love that they get to have chicken tenders!