How To Keep Children Entertained at Weddings
Children and weddings. It’s an uncomfortable pairing that can easily divide opinion. On the one hand there is the passionate ‘just don’t go there’ camp who will enforce a strict ‘leave the kids at home’ policy. With no exceptions. A wise move, many will agree, if you don’t want an over-zealous toddler drowning out your ‘I do’ with their incessant commentary. But not every couple feels brave enough to do this.
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So there are also those that relent and mix the volatile combination of ‘children’ and ‘wedding’, spurred on by the fear of a vicious backlash from enraged parent guests and a marital future scarred by a reputation as evil child-haters.
But if you do invite the little blighters to your big day, you need to understand something; although it will be by far the most exciting day of your life, weddings for children are boring. Dull, dull, dull. And this is why they are prone to screaming through the tender words of marriage ceremonies, are experts in reducing civilised wedding breakfasts to food fights and can be guaranteed to skid on their knees and knock your unsuspecting great aunt clean off her unsteady feet as she sways on the side of the dance floor during your first dance.
Although it may be tempting to invest in a bumper bottle of Calpol to drug the little tearaways into a gentle harmony, it’s probably not advisable. The following options, however, are.
Giant, inflatable Nintendo Wii
Put in a separate room or tent, the allure of endless games of bowling, tennis, baseball, golf and boxing will be as irresistible to your younger guests as the Pied Piper’s tune.
Goody bags: utterly irresistable
Party bags
Children’s favours can come ready-made or you can do it yourself. Fill party bags with tiny wrapped gifts that will take them hours to unwrap and explore. But beware of filling them with sweeties; dealing with the effects of too many E numbers is the last thing you want.
Fancy dress box
Given a bulging box of cowboy hats, fairy wings, feather bowers, wigs, masks and tiaras, your child guests will entertain themselves for hours. And a few glasses of bubbly later when the grown-ups join in you could turn it into a photo booth and get some memorable wedding snaps.
Get the professionals in
If the constant wails of hungry babies is giving you wedding nightmares, a mobile crèche could be your answer. It’s not a cheap solution but it takes away the hassle and will be a godsend for stressed out parents, particularly if they’re bringing babies and very small children.
Giant Jenga
If a massive inflatable Wii screen doesn’t exactly fit with your tasteful vintage theme, this giant twist on a traditional game may be a more visually appealing answer.
Bouncy castle
Big'n'bouncy's the way to go
It’s an oldie but you can’t beat it. Although some supervision may be required to prevent bumped heads, broken bones and a rushed trip to the local accident and emergency room.
Entertainers
A clown, a magician, a puppet show or face painter will occupy their short attention spans and keep the whiney cries of ‘daddy, I’m bored’ to a minimum.
A separate table
To keep children occupied while your parent guests enjoy the three course feast you’ve splurged on, why not have a children’s table to keep all the mischief confined to one area? Add colouring books and a variety of tabletop games and you’ll forget they’re even there.
Bring your own
There is a certain novelty attached to playing with other children’s toys. Why not ask parents to bring their little one’s favourites along on the day and set up a playroom to contain the kiddie chaos? But be prepared for a few tears and tantrums when legs of favourite Barbie dolls get miraculously detached from bodies and when Buzz Lightyear makes a fatal tumble mid-flight.
Let them join in with the grown-up fun
Children love to copy the oldies. So given disposable cameras, you can transform an unruly bunch of pre-teens into your own personal paparazzi. And later on when the music starts, a selection of inflatable guitars means they can join the fun on the dance floor.
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Oh, yes, kids are better to be entertained and engaged in something, otherwise they cause so much trouble)))
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