What are you putting in your Kid's Activity Bags?

I'm doing something similar for the four children at my wedding (ages 6-8). I'm just going to place them on the table where they will be sitting (assigning tables, not seats), with their names on the outside of the bag. For the boys, a lego set or matchbox cars. I was thinking about a small puzzle or card game (from $1 store) and glow sticks

@Colleen : Ohh glow sticks are a really good one! I'll add those.

@Sarah: Good point on the bubbles! & I hadn't thought of adding a snack, but that's super smart.

My friends & family who have kids are great parents... I just want to do something special/fun for the kids; if that makes sense!

We are having about 10 children.

At their assigned tables they will have coloring books, crayons, glow sticks, girls will have tiara's with princess wands and boys will have little cars. They each will also have their own "SNACKS" cookies, gold fish, and cotton candy.

We did this as well. We got white paper bags and put goldfish, fruit snacks, cheese and crackers and a juice box along with some crayons, bubbles, glow stick stuff (necklaces, bracelets) and stapled each bag to a coloring book. They were a big hit.

Glow sticks, activity book, crayons, foam crowns with sticker jewels to decorate . I've got silly string we break out later and the weather is nice. It's all girls 4-8 years old

@PaQuita : Aww princess wands are cute too! I have a soft spot for kids stuff. xD

I've never seen them used, when people say they were a"hit" it usually means the kids threw everything on the floor at some point or used a crayon on rented linens.

Kids. don't. need. activities.

It's a five hour event - max. There is food! Family! Dancing!

And when you get into snacks you start getting into allergies - a friend of mine would have taken the back of goldfish away so fast because her kids are GF, and then explain to a 2 year old why she gets no crackers.

Giving them cotton candy when there's cake... ugh. I don't know, it just bothers me on the trend of giving your kids fully customized experiences because they can't sit still for a 20 minute ceremony and then dance and nap on a chair like every kid did at every wedding for 80 years.

I'm thinking about getting each kid an etch-a sketch! Mess free!

@m.m

I guess it's just knowing your kids crowd? (Hehe cause 5-10 kids is a crowd!)

Are they a necessity? Nope!

But I'd like to treat my nephew and my cousins kids, because I adore seeing them smile.

I put in glow sticks, little stuffed animals, stickers, bubbles, coloring book and crayons and snacks too. I found the cutest travel bag crayon holders from a shop on etsy! I'm giving it to them ahead of time. (DW so everyone with kids will be there early) and let their parents pick what to bring and what to keep on the hotel

It's a super cute idea. I didn't think of it, but my DJ has glow stick necklaces and the kids really enjoyed dancing all night!

I just think that "training" them in so many ways to expect something special and entertaining because their kids is a deeper social issue here, ha. Every kid at my wedding (10+) ate cake, played with each other, and danced. Trust me, they smiled!

The only reason I would have done this if we'd had kids there (we didn't, which solved this issue anyhow) was to keep them from causing trouble. While they *should* be able to just be at the wedding and behave, the few kids that would have been at ours wouldn't have. Their parents have never taught them how to behave at adult events and so they act like terrors. I have seem them scream at the top of their lungs, take over the dance floor so adults couldn't dance by doing cartwheel across it, and worse (all at weddings). So if they were going to be there I would have likely given them books, maybe a couple cheap dollar store toys, coloring books, etc. I really love kids and wish I could have kept our wedding open to them but because these specific kids are so misbehaved I chose to save myself the aggravation.

My cousins have their kids well trained for social circumstances so I don't have to entertain them..... but I am doing glow Sticks becuase they are fun......

@m m

Great picture! Looks like fun!

& Yep I see where you are coming from.

I still would like to have an extra treat for the kids; I feel like the adults get booze so kids should get something too lol.

We are doing a kids' table with stuff to entertain them during cocktail hour and after dinner. I agree that kids should be capable of behaving a lot differently than what I see in public on the regular, but my mom felt strongly about an activity table to keep them away from the river. We thought one gathering place for the kids would be good for them to make friends and entertain each other, since several of them are really shy. She's taking my 8 year old niece to the Dollar Tree to pick out everything after the final numbers and ages of kids are confirmed. I think your ideas for the items are great. (My mom also vetoed bubbles, but out of fear the 2 year olds would drink it). The Dollar Tree has tons of appropriate stuff, for a dollar!

My FH's cousin had light up glasses, necklaces, rings, ans tiaras she brought out for everyone while they were on the dance floor and the kids loved them! Plus the pictures turned out super cool.

I'm doing kaleidoscopes and coloring book with a couple peanut free snacks (probaly gold fish and some sort of teddy grams type thing). I wanted to do something that they can interact with each other and dance around so I choose kaleidoscopes (do not buy them form oriental trading company they are crap!)

Be careful with stickers/markers/glue. Most kids over 5 know not to stick stickers on things but I met alot of 1-4 year olds who love to stick stickers on walls/toys/chairs and they are surprisingly hard to get off. So be aware of age and what you are renting. Markers and glue for obvious reason.

@ m One kids gluten allergy dosnt need to affect everyone! She will have alot more disappointment in her life than not getting gold fish at a wedding (most birthday cakes are not gluten free) Plus if I knew that I would be sure to add gluten free snack to there goody bag. I will be buying a only peanut free snacks because of deadly allergy to peanuts. Even though its not completely necessary it nice for them to have something to do while everyone is still eating and talking. Plus I would much rather have them eating gold fish during the cocktail hour than expensive stuffed mushrooms or bruschetta.

I would add that most 2-4 year olds will dump most of the bubble on the floor and have trouble even making bubbles (I work with 2-4 year old and we use spill free bubbles only)

@co bride : The dollar tree is a great idea!

@No thanks for posting! Yep, a couple of people have posted that bubbles are a bad idea... So I'm glad I asked!

Yeah maybe I'll stay away from crafts. I saw these really pretty ribbon wands that may be fun to play with on the dance floor.

We actually have some celiacs and gluten free guests (1 is a kid) so we have both gluten free catered food and gluten free cupcakes from an entirely gluten free bakery so they get some cake too