How to Keep Kids Entertained at a Wedding
Deciding whether to invite children to your wedding is one of the biggest guestlist questions you’ll face – and if you’re going for a kid-friendly celebration, you’re in for some genuinely adorable moments.
But let’s be honest: keeping children entertained at a wedding for an entire ceremony, speeches and dinner is no small feat.
The good news? With a little planning, children’s entertainment at your wedding doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are our tried-and-tested tips for keeping the little ones happy – so you can actually enjoy your day. Don’t forget you can browse Bridebook’s marketplace to find wedding entertainment suppliers too!
How to Entertain Children at Your Wedding
Entertaining Children During the Ceremony
If children are part of your ceremony – as flower girls, pageboys, or just enthusiastic guests – make sure you’ve allocated seats for them near a trusted adult who can quietly redirect any wobbles.
A wedding party member on kid-wrangling duty is worth their weight in gold.
For longer ceremonies, a small bag of quiet entertainment works wonders: a picture book, sticker sheets, or a tablet with headphones can be the difference between cute and chaotic.
Entertaining Kids at the Wedding Breakfast
You’ve got two options: seat children with their parents, or create a dedicated kids’ table. A children’s table can actually be a brilliant move – kids love having their own space, and it gives parents a rare chance to eat a meal with both hands.
If you go this route, think about whether the ages involved mean you’ll need a designated helper nearby.
Set Up a Children’s Entertainment Station
One of the most popular ideas for children’s entertainment at weddings is a dedicated activity station. Set out crayons, colouring sheets (wedding-themed ones are a sweet keepsake), sticker books or craft kits and let imaginations run wild.
For something a little more interactive, a cupcake decorating station is always a hit – lay out plain cupcakes with icing, sprinkles and edible decorations and let the kids go to town.
Balloon-modelling kits are another great option, though you’ll want a grown-up on hand to help with the inflation. One golden rule: avoid anything with the potential to stain. You want that venue deposit back.
Children’s Wedding Favours
If you’re doing favours for adults, consider a separate set for the children. Wedding activity books, colouring packs, quiz sheets, treasure hunts and I-Spy cards are inexpensive, easy to source and keep kids occupied for a surprisingly long time.
If you go the quiz route, make sure there are prizes for every child who finishes – otherwise things can turn competitive very quickly.
Lawn Games
For outdoor weddings, lawn games are genuinely one of the easiest ways to keep kids entertained – and frankly, the adults will pile in too. Giant Jenga, croquet, skittles and garden ring toss are all perfect options.
Set them up and you probably won’t see the children again until dinner. Job done.
Hire a Children’s Entertainer for Your Wedding
If you want a proper hands-off solution, hiring a children’s entertainer for your wedding is one of the best investments you can make.
A wedding magician is endlessly captivating for all ages, and a professional entertainer can often keep a whole group occupied for an hour or more – freeing parents up to actually enjoy the reception.
One note on face painters: it’s a beloved option, but wedding outfits plus paint is a combination that ends in tears. If it’s on your list, brief the entertainer on keeping the kids away from the wedding party until the paint is dry.
Five Children’s Entertainers for Weddings We Love:
Claire the Wedding Nanny
Based in North Yorkshire, Claire the Wedding Nanny has over 25 years of experience looking after little ones, and wants to make sure they’re safe and having the best time on your big day.
Find out more about Claire the Wedding Nanny
Little Steps Nanny and Events Agency
Little Steps is a nanny and events agency run by Claire and based in Surrey. They aim to provide highly trained childcare professionals to look after children at events in Surrey and the surrounding areas.
Rico Kids
Rico is a children’s entertainer based in London. Rico will arrived dressed as a character and provide bubbles, face painting, games, songs and dancing as required to keep kids occupied.
Nannios
Nannios offer a variety of services – from child supervision, including feeding and sleeping support to entertainment. The team of skilled nannies can provide arts and crafts, toys and games and even set up a movie corner.
Create a Kids’ Zone
For indoor weddings, ask your venue whether there’s a breakout room or quieter corner that can be transformed into a children’s space.
Stock it with board games, Twister, balloons and ribbons – and if you can set up a screen with a Disney film queued up, you’ve essentially solved children’s entertainment for the rest of the evening. Bonus: parents can use it as a changing or settling space too.
A Kids’ First Dance
This one’s a crowd-pleaser. After the official first dance, invite all the children onto the dancefloor for their own moment. Most kids absolutely love the attention, the dancing is adorable, and the photos will be some of your favourites from the whole day.
Looking for more fun wedding ideas? Check out our favourite wedding entertainment ideas, for young and old guests alike!
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