Choosing whether or not to invite children to be part of your wedding is an important decision. For many engaged couples with children or their own, it makes perfect sense to include their friends’ and families’ children in their planning. And many couples without kids don’t want to offend their close friends and family, by not inviting their kids to the wedding! Phew…we get it, it’s complicated! 

But, In the end the choice is ultimately yours to make, and you should do what works best for you as a couple and what works best within your budget. If in the end you decide to invite little ones to your wedding, keeping them entertained, happy and fed will make all the difference in the world, and will ensure that everyone (even their parents) have a fantastic time celebrating with you!

With all of that in mind, here’s a little list of ideas to help keep your smallest guests entertained!

Welcome Bags

Everyone loves to get a swag bag, and your smallest guests are no exception! Creating welcome bags for kids filled with items like crayons and coloring pages, bubble wands, pinwheels, puzzles, and snacks will help to ensure that you won’t hear the dreaded phrase “I’m bored!”

Lawn Games

Lawn games can be a great way to entertain kids (of all ages) at a casual wedding, and tend to work especially well if there is a large break between the ceremony and reception. So, go ahead and set-up that giant Jenga or Connect Four game, ring toss, or maybe even a mini golf course. Kids and adults alike will have a great time playing a game or two! And, as a bonus, lawn games can serve as a great ice breaker before your reception!

Create a Kid Zone

It could be a small tent set-up with blankets and pillows and kid friendly activities, if you’re planning on hosting an outdoor event, which also has the added bonus of offering shade on hot summer days. It could also be a smaller adjacent room or simply a small dedicated space within your reception room. That way children will have their own small space to play and do their own socializing without getting underfoot.

Book a Photo Booth

I know we’re completely biased on this account, but we know from experience that kids LOVE photo booths! They’ll have a great time trying out all of  the props and getting in the booth with their other little cousins, aunties & uncles and parents! Whenever there is a photo booth at a kid friendly wedding, the kids generally leave with enough photos to cover their parents’ entire fridge door! And, if some of your older relatives aren’t super keen on getting into the booth, you can enlist some of your smallest guests to help draw them into the fun! 

Set-up a Craft/Card Making Station

Let the kids say their own congratulations to you in their own way with beautiful handmade cards, by setting-up up a card making station with blank cardstock and a supply of crayons, markers, colored pencils, stamps or stickers. Kids will love getting the chance to put together a special card for the newlyweds or maybe even other special guests in attendance. And, if you include safety scissors and glue sticks/adhesive dots, they could even incorporate some of their photo booth photos into the cards and keepsakes they create!

Kid Friendly Meal

Chances are, that the majority of kids aren’t going to love the meal you have your heart set on serving, and that’s okay! You can ask your caterer to put together one or two options for kid’s meals with approachable items –  like chicken nuggets and french fries or Mac n’ cheese – for them to enjoy as well. And, one bonus of this plan, is that the kid friendly meals will likely be a fraction of the meal the adults will be eating, offsetting the cost of some of the other items on this list!

As you can see, with a little pre-planning and minimal effort you can host a wedding that is fun, festive and stress free for all of your guests, no matter how big or small they may be! After all, isn’t it the cutest to see all of the little flower girls and ring bearers dancing at your wedding!