The task of trying to entertain children at a special event can be somewhat daunting. Here are some of our ideas to keep the kids entertained at special events, so that their parents have a wonderful time as well:
Have a Craft Station
This is the perfect idea for kids who don’t want to stay in the lines...figuratively. Having a craft station will afford the kids the opportunity to paint, decorate and design various things that will keep them busy. While it might be difficult to entertain children, especially when you have boisterous young kids looking to run around and be disruptive while the event is going on; craft ideas can do the trick. With the craft table set up, they can decorate some pink and white paper hearts to display in your reception venue. A tip though is to opt for mess-free stickers rather than paint and pens! If your event happens to be themed, like a Christmas party, why not ask the little kids to decorate baubles as a take-home treat – this lets the kids focus more on their piece, knowing that it would be a potential souvenir.
Treasure Hunts
If you’re having an event in an outdoor location in the summer with lots of room to run around, try having a treasure hunt for the kids. While a lot of kids running around might be noisy, a bunch of kids running around looking for things captures their focus, hence reducing the rowdiness. By entertaining the children with a treasure hunt, especially a themed one, the kids spend all their energy chasing clues, that by the time it’s over, they’re too tired to create a ruckus, so you don’t need to worry about them disrupting the main event. A quick visit to your local dollar store and you should be able to conjure up all the material you need for next to nothing in terms of cost.
Have a Kid-Friendly Version of Your Wedding
Although this sounds strange, and might in fact take a little bit of work, it is completely worth it. If you want the kids to feel like a part of your event and not just stuffed in a corner, then there are a bunch of creative ways to ensure it. For starters, a coloring book will be the first thing to grab their attention. Having something like a coloring place mat on the table in the kids’ section not only gets them excited but it also piques their interest as they work together to bring the final picture of the coloring sheet to reality. Then you can also incorporate a picture of the bride and the groom in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle for the kids to put together. If you’d rather opt out of the whole kids’ table section, another alternative would be to create an activity briefcase for each kid that’ll be present at the event. There, you could include the same activities mentioned above (coloring books, puzzles) as well as little snacks to keep them nibbling until the main course it served. It’s like an all-in-one bag that has all the things they need so they’re not running up and down looking for their parents and being disruptive.
Finally, you can end it by scheduling a kids only time on the dancefloor. Why not? After all the sitting down and doing activities, let the kids get a little time on the dance floor to showcase their dance moves with each other. Often times, it turns out to be more fun as the adults join in as well.
When it comes to having an event, it does not always have to be adult only. Sometimes, give the kids present a fun version of what the adults are enjoying, instead of just leaving them alone to fend for themselves, or with a hired babysitter. To learn more about kid friendly corners at events visit us today at www.eventbartenders.com - Celebrating one drink at a time!