Earlier this summer, I helped put together children’s goody bags for a wedding. Out of about 230 attendees, approximately 50 of them were children under the age of 10. Most of the kids were family members, so the bride really wanted them to be able to come, but she wanted them to be happy and calm. (It would probably be safe to assume that every person at the wedding wanted them to be happy and calm.) So my role was coming up with small toys and games and assembling them into bags.
It was hot and humid, and while there was a small patio, we wanted the parents to be able to stay inside and listen to the speeches and music, rather than having to chase their kids around outdoors. The goody bags helped keep the younger children content while they were sitting at the tables. Even though there were snacks as part of the cocktail hour, I included a bag of Goldfish for each child. We also bought a few bubble machines and hula hoops to entertain the kids who did choose to go outside.
The items came from Amazon and Oriental Trading. I was really impressed with the bulk pricing, especially from Oriental Trading. Here’s what I grabbed for each bag:
Glow stick: Oriental Trading
Wedding-themed paper poster/place mat with games: Oriental Trading
Wedding-themed coloring booklet: Oriental Trading
Notepad: Oriental Trading
Small bottle of bubbles: Oriental Trading
Small fidget push/pop toy: Amazon
4-pack of crayons: Amazon
Animal face stickers: Amazon
What a very nice idea. That was really thoughtful of the bride.
I think that’s a wonderful idea. Its hard sometimes to keep children entertained at weddings.
I would have hired 5 or 6 college-age people to act as babysitters and activity directors too.
Yep that’s a great idea. We did have a few of college kids outside watching some of the older kids who wanted to be out there.
Oh that’s a great idea! At my brother-in-law’s wedding, they set up a “kids table” with a huge sheet of paper as the tablecloth so the kids could color and do activities. Then when I got married 2 years later, I set up a few kids’ tables as well, and had someone put together activity/coloring sheets & crafts to help keep the younger kids busy. It worked well!
Those are great ideas!
That is a great idea!