Clever Wedding Reception Activities for Kids

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Clever Wedding Reception Ideas | Creative Activities for Kids

For brides and grooms it’s usually a hard decision whether or not to have an adults-only wedding reception, or whether to invite children to the wedding. Space at the reception venue, added costs for meals and kids activities, and desired ambiance are all considerations that must be taken into account. If you’ve decided to go ahead and invite the kiddos, this post on clever wedding reception ideas – creative activities for kids – was put together just for you! I hope you find this unique collection of kids activities helpful. When children are kept well entertained at your wedding reception, guests will be thankful and you’ll be able to enjoy your magical evening to the fullest!

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Wedding Reception | Activities for Kids: Beautiful Children’s Play Tent

Spark imaginative play at your wedding reception with super sweet children’s play tents. Furnish the play tents with colorful balls or throw pillows that can be easily wiped clean. Add in a few small toys and they’re ready to go. These beautiful play structures will delight small children and help keep them entertained for hours on end. At the wedding reception venue, make sure the play tents are set up in a corner that’s away from exits, the bar area and the dance floor. Depending on the number of children attending the wedding reception, you’ll need one to three tents. You can even create a small village! What’s important is that there’s plenty of room for your tiny guests to play happily together. Luckily, play tents are very affordable. And when it comes to children’s entertainment during a wedding reception, believe me, they’re worth every penny.

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Wedding Reception | Activities for Kids: Children’s Activity Box

At your wedding reception keep the kids entertained with a Children’s Activity Box. Select a fun tin lunch box with a handle. It can do double duty as a beloved party favor that won’t hit the trash right after your wedding day. It’s something memorable that will be used over and over again. Clever ideas for a children’s activity box include puzzle books, crayons (give them an 8-pack instead of a 4-pack), bouncy balls, finger puppets, tiny cars, and a few special treats to snack on. The kids at your wedding reception will absolutely love these precious boxes filled with special activities for kids. They’ll play alone and together, staying entertained all night long.

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Wedding Reception | Activities for Kids: Children’s Activity Table

At your wedding reception set up a super fun activity table for the kids! For the tablecloth use an intriguing color-on table cover. Set out uniquely-shaped crayons, a few Etch-A-Sketch boards, Candy Land board game, Old Maid card game, a few vintage pinball games, and a few slide puzzles. If the children at your wedding reception are within a wide range of ages, set up separate activity tables that will appeal to each age group. The older kids will really appreciate having a big-kid table of their own. And your smallest wedding guests will be able to enjoy toddler activities together without interruption from the older children. Ensure a favorable entertainment outcome at your wedding reception by including activities that can be enjoyed alone as well as a set of activities that can be enjoyed together. So get ready to dial up the fun!

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Wedding Reception | Activities for Kids: Fun Activities for Older Children

At wedding receptions it’s not only the youngest wedding guests that need planned entertainment. It’s also the older children that get easily bored and crave fun things to do while their parents are enjoying themselves. If it’s within your budget, the following games are absolute winners when it comes to entertaining active kids at a wedding reception: Double hoop basketball, corn hole toss, table tennis, and a hop scotch mat. When there are fun activities for kids available at your wedding reception your adult guests will be much happier and more content.  You won’t have slouchy kids with long faces staring across the table from their parents asking how much longer until it’s time to go home. Just think back a decade or two when you were a kid and what type of activities would have kept you entertained at a wedding reception. That will give you a better idea of what will satisfy this age group too!

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Wedding Reception | Activities for Kids: Kids Zone – No Adults Allowed!

At the wedding reception put out an extra-large rug or 4 of these cute Melissa & Doug floor mats side by side to create a fun Kids Zone. Set out some great interactive toys, books and games  you think the children will love. Many kids enjoy playing on the floor much better than sitting quietly on a chair doing activities. Or they may prefer alternating between a kids activity table and the floor area. If you set out a few floor pillows or bean bag chairs you’ll attract children of all ages. Recommended games include checkers, a matching card game, a few I Spy books, a basket of small books for toddlers, spirograph with sheets of paper attached to clipboards, and a set of Legos. At your wedding reception venue, post up a fun lettered sign to designate this special area: Kids Zone | No Adults Allowed!

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Wedding Reception | Activities for Kids: Puppet Show

Everyone loves a puppet show! Kids enjoy putting on delightful puppet shows for an engaged audience. Provide various types of puppets that will stir the children’s imaginations. Surround the puppet theater with floor pillows, a few bean bags, and some inexpensive carpet tile squares. This should provide ample seating for everyone. With a mix of children who are family, friends and new acquaintances, a puppet theater is a fantastic kids activity at a wedding reception. An alternate kids activity is a TV set with DVD player. Arrange to have at least 8-10 different children’s movies available that will appeal to the various age groups.

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Wedding Reception | Activities for Kids: Inflatable Play Structures

Inflatable play structures are the perfect choice for a large outdoor wedding reception. There are so many different styles and sizes of bounce houses, that you’ll easily be able to find one that meets your needs. And if you don’t want to invest in one of these big ticket items, you can rent a bounce house from a party store. You’ll definitely want to hire a teenager or two to supervise the little ones and make sure all of the kids are able to enjoy this activity in a safe environment. If necessary, have a timer on hand to limit playtime for groups of children entering the structure. The teens in charge of the kids at your wedding reception should separate the children by age. This well help prevent the larger kiddos from knocking over the toddlers.

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Wedding Reception | Activities for Kids: Puzzle Table

Depending on the ages of the children at your wedding reception, set up one or two puzzle tables with age-appropriate puzzles. This is a simple and creative idea when it comes to fun activities for kids. Set up a colorful and delicious kids’ snack station nearby to initially draw kids in. Put together the first few pieces of each puzzle to get the ball rolling and generate interest. Working on a puzzle together is a great ice breaker for kids. But what’s even more important is that puzzles are an inexpensive entertainment option, and they’re tops among nice quiet activities for kids. A puzzle table is a perfect idea for a wedding reception!

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