Let’s face it, weddings are not always geared toward keeping children entertained. Sure, most kids like to dance but if you're looking for some more ideas, here are six fun ways to keep them engaged and happy at your Philadelphia wedding.
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Coloring: Kids of all ages like to color. Let's face it, everyone likes to color. It's an easy way to keep the children- and maybe even some of the adults- at your wedding entertained; you can do something as simple as putting out crayons and plain white paper on a table and letting the kids go nuts, or you can do something cool like print out a personalized wedding themed coloring page for the kids to take home as their own fun wedding favor. It might not be a bad idea to stay away from markers, though, if you want everyone's clothing to be free of colorful streaks for the rest of the night.
Chalkboard Table or Placemats: Kids might just love sidewalk chalk more than coloring. If you're having an indoor wedding or a wedding at a venue that isn't going to be thrilled if there are chalk drawings all over the concrete, consider putting placemats painted in chalkboard paint at the kids' table, or paint the whole tabletop in chalkboard paint. It will give the children a spot to have fun and keep them entertained for hours!
Kid-Specific Dessert: How many kids do you know that like Crème Brulee or tiramisu? Probably not that many, if any at all, no matter how old they are. If there will be children at your wedding, desserts aimed at kiddie palates is an absolute must! Cupcakes or milk and cookies are pretty much always a win, but if you're looking for something a little different, consider serving popsicles. These are great at any time of year, but especially for a summer wedding or if you have to consider children with dairy allergies. The popsicles that come pre-packaged in individual tubes are great if you're worried your ring bearer will end up with purple food dye all over his shirt! Cake pops are another great choice for little hands- kids can have some cake in a fun way without overloading on sugar.
Word Searches: Word searches might remind older children of activities they have to do in school, but you can make it fun for them by making a word search based around your wedding.
Games: If you are already having lawn or carnival games at your wedding, the youngest guests can certainly be encouraged to participate. If you are not planning on having these kinds of games at your wedding, or if you are having your event inside where these kinds of games aren't something the event space can accommodate, consider displaying some indoor appropriate and child-friendly games such as checkers, Jenga, or tic-tac-toe.
Disposable Cameras: Invite your budding photographers to capture the day’s events with a disposable camera. Feeling ambitious? Make the picture taking a scavenger hunt with a list of items to capture on film. Of course, you’ll have to take his word for it until photos are developed.