Reception Activities for Children
Wedding Reception Ideas for ChildrenMore and more couples are including children in their wedding plans now - either their own and/or nieces and nephews and friends' kids. With some prior planning there is no reason that the little people attending your special day won't be able to enjoy it as much as the adults.Let's face it. How long can you comfortably wait for dinner while the bride and groom are off getting photos? And do you really and truly enjoy all those speeches? Is it difficult for you to have a meal that you absolutely loathe placed in front of you? If you have problems with these scenarios than you can be quite sure that the little people are going to have problems as well. And they are apt to be far more vocal about it!Give them a space of their own - preferably with their parents seated at tables nearby. A table with craft items will keep them amused for quite awhile. Crayons, washable markers (make sure they are washable!), stickers, modeling clay, glue sticks, some sparkles to sprinkle, pipe cleaners, plain white paper and coloured craft paper as well as child size scissors will do nicely. None of this has to put a huge dent in your budget as all of these items - and others - can be purchased at any dollar store.If there is a quiet room nearby, a television set and the very newest movie release that you can rent will keep children quiet and content for some time. Don't go for the tried and true old favourites since the kids will be more inclined to watch something they have never seen before. It would be a wise idea to begin the movie right about when the speeches are going to begin.Do you have pre-teens attending? Why not have disposable cameras for them to use? You could include a note with the camera stating that you are counting on them to get some excellent pictures for the wedding album. Children this age love to feel as though they are helping and contributing something.You could have a special table set up in a miniature version of the grown-up tables with a scaled-down centerpiece and unbreakable dishes. Not all children will be happy sitting to eat with other children that they may not know but some will happily gather together to share their own stories and jokes that only another child could find amusing.Have juice and snacks available as soon as the children arrive at the reception. They have probably already sat through a long ceremony and they are going to be thirsty and hungry. Don't have any chocolate as a snack since most of the children will end up wearing chocolate all over their faces and perhaps on the new party dress or shirt as well. Plain cookies, small chunks of cheese, grapes and apple slices would be ideal. Plastic is not environmentally popular anymore but it is imperative that the glasses used by the children are unbreakable. Blood on the new party dress or shirt would be even worse than chocolate!You might consider hiring an energetic teenager to help keep the little ones amused. This person could oversee the craft table and keep an eye on the ones watching the movie as well. This would give the parents the freedom to more fully enjoy your reception if they are not constantly running after a toddler.It might be obvious, but do not have an area for the children that is anywhere near that stunning seven layer wedding cake! Even if they don't manage to send it tumbling off the table during a game of chase - little ones would be hard pressed not to attempt to scrape some icing off for a tiny taste. Ditto for the ice carving. A glittering ice carving is sure to catch the eye of every child in the room but is best viewed from a distance.And lastly, let go of your expectations. Prior to my wedding, I explained very patiently, and more than once, how the flower girl was to throw out the petals and then walk on them. She did just that. She threw a single petal and then stretched her little legs so that she could step on it and once safely on the petal - she proceeded to throw the next one. It was the longest walk of my life! All I could do was laugh. And laugh I did. It is one of the most endearing memories of my wedding day. So - keep your sense of humour and remember that they are just little children. You just never know what they are going to do next!
