Living Life

Not all couples want to bar kids from the wedding. Many are pleased to welcome kids into the wedding celebration either as members of the wedding party or as guests.

But, having children at the wedding brings innumerable problems.

Should you simply leave the kids to their own devices and hope they are well behaved and don’t get in the way? Do you arrange a room with childcare so they are “present” but not allowed to get too much under foot? Perhaps the best solution is a combination of both, with a sprinkling of fun built in.

First of all, if kids are to receive invitations to the wedding, take into account the ages of the kids. Babies will have to stay with mom and/or dad, for a variety of reasons. Therefore planning to have all the kids in a separate room may not be an option. But if the kids are toddlers up to about age eleven or twelve, you can organize a separate room for them with childcare and have some activities available to them.

If the kids will be in a separate room at the wedding reception, you can provide a coloring table, perhaps a TV with an appropriate film set to play, and a few board games. That could probably be sufficient for the duration of the wedding reception.

A few things to remember: you need a ratio of at least 1 adult for every 5 kids if the kids are toddlers, or 1 adult to every 10 kids if the kids are older. Don’t expect the kids to just start getting involved in the activities on their own, but instead tell the childcare provider to get the kids involved in the activities by taking part in them him or herself.

What if the kids will be part of the reception celebrations? What activities can be aimed specifically to kids at the wedding reception? There are plenty of things you can do. You can organize a coloring table at the back of the reception hall or room. There, you can provide loads of paper, coloring books, markers and crayons. Paints are certainly not advised, for obvious reasons, and parents will thank you if you remember to provide the kids with washable markers and crayons only.

The art table can be for more than simply coloring, however. Get a huge bag of pipe cleaners. Children can amuse themselves for a good period of time, creating animals, odd figures and such like. Make sure you have a minimum 25 or more pipe cleaners for each child, however, as kids can use them up quickly. Think about “clean” clay, the new products that will not stick to anything and will not leave a trace on furniture. With a few different colors, kids can design a variety of figures, faces or forms.

Many brides prefer to plan more formally for the child wedding guests. There are several options if this is the course you would like to take. One popular choice is to have paid entertainment on hand exclusively for the kids. This can take place in a different room or toward the back of the reception room or hall if it’s very large and the guest list is big. You can hire a clown or a balloon artist. You can have someone provide temporary tattoos or braid the childrens’ hair. If there is a separate room available, you can even hire a children’s musician to There are countless choices.

If no plans are put in place for the kids, but they arrive at the wedding reception expecting entertainment, you’ll have to make some arrangements. One option is a “child only” dance, which permits only the kids onto the dance floor. This is not only delightful to watch, and could be entertaining too, but it will bring a smile to the face of every grandma and grandpa looking on.

Have a word with your wedding emcee about organizing a few party games and activities that are appropriate for both kids and adults.

Other wedding emcee articles which mayinterest you:
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