Taming the Beasts

I stole that title from an article on WeddingBee - if you have children, you know it's appropriate! I've been meaning to blog this for awhile, I took this picture of one of my April brides name cards:

This adorable little giraffe was attached to the baby's name card! Any new mother would appreciate such a thoughtful touch. Keeping kids happy is hard. Especially when they are not the center of attention - they will pick up on that. To have a shiny new toy to entertain them with is key and when you're at a destination wedding, the shiny new toys you purchased to keep them happy on the plane may have lost their appeal by the time the ceremony & reception rolls around. For a bride to think of the little ones that have traveled so far for the wedding and have a little gift for them is not only the nicest thing to do, but very smart! Keep the kids happy and you'll minimize any disruptions or meltdowns.

Our wedding last weekend gave the children a sticker sheet - one with a bride and one with a groom - and sticker outfits to decorate them with. When I was in Indiana, I found this little sticker kit for $1 at JoAnne Fabric. The cake turns into a 3D piece of cake and it comes with yummy smelling stickers that look like icing that you can decorate the cake with. I wouldn't be surprised if they made a wedding cake version of this - this would be a great craft to keep even older kids entertained.

Or put the kids to work and place ribbon wands at their tables. It'll add a little extra decor and ribbons flying in the air will be very pretty & safe (it won't knock over any drinks or wait staff!).

There are a ton of products out there to help keep kids busy at weddings. Purchase one of these or make your own. My best advice is to keep away from adding too many sugary treats. This is one thing most parents will not appreciate! Last thing they want to deal with at a wedding reception is a child with a belly ache!

There are a ton of articles online to give you ideas. Check them out here, and here and here or do a Google Search on "keeping kids happy at a wedding".