How To Keep Children Entertained At A Wedding
Picture this: You’re seated at a gorgeous wedding ceremony. The band starts playing. The bride is walking down the aisle. Everything is absolutely perfect. Then suddenly a familiar little voice shouts, “Mom, I’m bored!”
Understandably, this is a mortifying experience for any parent. Does this sound like your worst nightmare? If so, don’t worry – Madera Estates is here for you! We are a luxury Spanish and European-inspired wedding venue located in Conroe, Texas. With years of experience hosting glamorous, picture-perfect weddings, we’ve become experts at helping people plan the wedding of their dreams. In this blog post, we’re sharing some ideas for keeping children entertained at a wedding. Believe it or not, it’s not as impossible as it may seem! Read on if you’re up for the challenge!
Assign Them A Role In The Wedding
Consider giving children a role in the wedding! This will make them feel special and included in the festivities. Flower girls and ring bearers are an adorable addition to any wedding party. If not in the wedding party, some children enjoy being given tasks and helping the adults with final wedding day details. This could be a fun way for children to feel included in the celebration and have an experience they will remember fondly.
Have Them Snap Behind The Scenes Moments!
Nowadays, it is almost a parental rite of passage to discover random pictures on your phone from your kids playing with the camera feature. Children are natural little photographers and love taking pictures, whether it’s of themselves or literally anything else. You could encourage this innate interest and offer your children either a phone or a disposable camera at the wedding.
Encourage them to take pictures of the venue, people they know, or their favorite decorations. You could even make a game of it and create a list of items for them to find and take pictures of. This will also help them feel like they are a part of the event, which could lead to them becoming more interested in the wedding itself. Plus, they will have so many wonderful pictures of their time at the wedding to look back on. You can even send copies of the photos to the bride and groom after they return from their honeymoon!
Provide Outdoor Activities
As you may know, kids are small, human-shaped balls of energy. They need to run, skip, jump, squirm, and move. It’s in their nature! Although attending a wedding does not require much cardio — unless you count breaking out your best dance moves during the reception — many children find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time.
If the wedding venue has a lawn or some form of outdoor area, planning some outdoor games could be a way to keep children entertained. Some fun options include corn hole, bean bags, tic-tac-toe, lawn bowling, and ring toss. You could even go old school with hopscotch, jump ropes, hula hoops, and ribbon batons! Whichever outdoor activity you choose, the kids at the wedding are sure to appreciate the chance to run around and get rid of the ants in their pants! Furthermore, outdoor activities are almost guaranteed to result in exhausted and content children by the end of the day. That’s a win for everyone!
Supply Some Board Games
Board games are fun for all ages and there are so many to choose from. Setting up a few board games in a kid-designated area is an easy way to keep children preoccupied. Board games also make great ice breakers, allowing kids to make new friends in the process. From Candyland to Go Fish, Sorry, Monopoly, and more, there are so many fun games to choose from!
Create An Activity Box
Oftentimes it is best to be prepared for everything when children are involved. In this case, putting together an activity box or bag is a foolproof way to ensure you are ready to battle boredom head-on! This box could include crayons, markers, paper, coloring books, bubbles, sticker books, Legos, card games, dolls, toy cars, chalk, and a chalkboard, activity books, etc. Include anything you can think of that you know will hold your children’s interest and keep their minds busy. It’s possible this bag of fun could be a real lifesaver!
Get Them Reading
Books are portals to our imagination and can potentially offer hours of entertainment. Do your children have a few books they just love reading over and over again? Perhaps they have a favorite book series? Consider bringing their favorites along with you to the wedding or provide them with the next book in a series they enjoy.
Offer An Ipad & Some Headphones
This may not be the most active solution, but movies and video games can work in a pinch to stave off boredom. Preloading your phone or a tablet with movies, shows, or games can potentially provide hours of entertainment for your children. As long as these devices are charged and ready to go, this could be an easy way to reduce the number of items you bring to the wedding while still providing several entertainment options for your child to choose from.
A Little Bribery Doesn’t Hurt
The promise of something new is appealing to anyone but especially to a child. Consider getting a new toy or game for your children specifically for the wedding. There’s a better chance that this new toy will hold their attention longer than one they have played with countless times before. You could make it a surprise or use it as an incentive or reward. Either way, your children will be excited and focused on their new toy or game throughout the wedding.
Don’t Feel Guilty If You Need A Babysitter
Hiring a babysitter or someone you trust to help with your children while you are at the wedding is also an option. Trying to keep your children entertained while also attempting to enjoy the wedding yourselves may not be an ideal situation for your family. There’s nothing wrong with seeking an extra hand if you need one! A babysitter could assist you by making sure your children are happy and looked after so you can participate in the wedding without worry.
Madera Estates Would Love To Make Your Wedding Dreams Come True!
We hope you enjoyed learning all about how to keep children entertained at a wedding! Are you looking for the perfect place to host your dream wedding or know someone who is? Madera Estates has everything you need and more! Getting started is as easy as booking a free champagne tour of our facility. A member of our professional wedding staff will be your personal guide to everything from our glamorous wedding party suites to our Hacienda Ballroom, Grand Fireplace, and more! We are located at 3201 N Frazier St, Conroe, TX 77303. Want to learn more? Fill out this form for more information about our pricing and availability. You can also contact one of our experts at (936) 441-9337. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for photos and videos of real weddings at our venue! Dream weddings are our specialty and yours is waiting for you at Madera Estates!