Kids Table at a Wedding. Any Ideas to Keep Them Occupied?

Sorry but ages 2 1/2 to 6 will need constant adult supervision to stay out of trouble. The only thing besides toys that I can think of is, hiring someone to watch over the children. I have a daycare and am a photographer so I know a little about children and a little about them at weddings. They will definatly need an adult to watch over them the whole time.

My cousin had a kids "room" where they watched movies... depends on the ages. Coloring books- you could hire a "sitter" that could supervise a craft project or something like that.

I agree completely with J.L. Children that young can't be unsupervised. At the very least, their parents should be seated at a table right next to them. A 2.5 year old won't stay at a table without mom & dad. I like the idea of a teen babysitter. My niece did a great job with kid's stuff at her wedding. She had pictures to color on the table, glow necklaces for when they turned the lights low for dancing, fun plastic hats and fishy crackers on the table to hold them over until dinner. Toys should be age appropriate (no choking hazards for the little ones)...Make sure crayons, markers are washable!

My cousin put a bunch of disposable cameras at the kids tables. They got to run around and take pics. When they were done with the cameras they put them in a decorated bridal box and were told that their photos will be developed and that the pictures they took will be their own extra specail gift to the bride and groom. They could even write their names on the camera so bride ad groom knows who took the pics. It was super fun for the kids, even a 2 year old would have fun, the pictures would be hysterical as I'm sure there will be a lot of "butt" pics due to the L.O height!

Glow sticks glow sticks glow sticksssss! I was just at my GodVbrothers wedding two months ago and I brought a 12 pack from the dollar store and wow the kids loved it.. each one got two... I bet if each kid got four they would be in heaven.. they where the kind you can make necklaces out of. The boys where also in heaven! Gook luck and let us know what you plan on doing... ps.. the kids had their own table with the parents at tables around them.. near the dance floor.. so the kids could run all about.. it was pefect.. just make sure the cake table is far far away! :-)

If you are looking for something they can all sit at the table and do, I'd suggest playdough. But here's the rub--I've worked as a director for mixed age group childcare on several occasions, and the truth is, this age group DOES need constant parental supervision. 2 and 1/2 to 6 is not an age that can self-govern well, and with all the activity, you'll need a designated person in charge of the group. My first suggestion would be to hire a couple older kids (think 10-12 years old) to play with the younger ones and sit at their table. OR hire a professional to bring activities, etc. Kids can also be invited to join in the dancing or some other organized games, and they will likely need some room to move.

Last year I was directing a group (this was childcare that a religious group provided to free up the parents to observe the holidays) of mixed-age children. The crayons/paper was the last thing that kept their attention. Kids need to be able to move around, and having a few activity spaces helped. While we had 3 other adults present (and working directly with the children), our teen volunteers were what really made the program shine. Younger children are more likely to want to impress an older kid (think about your 4-6 year olds) than they are to want to follow the lead of an adult. Please encourage your friend to consider this approach ( a supervised one)...it will be worth the money in the long run.

Your friend should consider hiring a babysitter/nanny for the event so the kids can be looked after and entertained while the parents enjoy themselves.

For my brothers 40th birthday party, I had a kids table with coloring books and crayons, a set of small plastic farm animals and dinosaurs I picked up on clearance, and some kid-friendly party favors. At the end, I let each kid take one of each item home with them. Balloons might be good, too. I would put the table near a corner so they have some room to get up and run around but not be in the way. Maybe some bowls with trail mix or crackers for them to snack on?

One time I saw a DJ make animal balloons and bring wood puzzles for the older kids. He approached them and did the betcha can't unlock this puzzle thing and then showed them it could be done, handed it to them and told them to bring it back to him unlocked. They were the best kids I have seen at a wedding. Sorry he is in Vegas, but I bet he would travel.

I know you said no stickers, but most of them these days aren't very sticky and peel off easily (or come off on their own). Some are even called "reusable" stickers. Stickers would keep my 3.5yo dd occupied for at least 15 minutes. And that's a long stretch in our household.

stickers are always great.

-Color Wonder books/markers (only colors on the book - which is sooo nice)
-Large Legos
-Matchbox Cars
-Portable DVD player with a movie

I love the disposable camera idea! I also like the little no-spill containers they have now for blowing bubbles - might be cute to have them blowing bubbles as part of the festivities!

My sister in-law had one kids table at her recent nuptials that was near the wall, but flanked by the tables holding their parents. So we could talk and be adult, but easily look over quickly and tell them to be quiet during the toast, etc.

All she did was get coloring books and crayons - princesses for girls, transformers for boys, that type of thing. She also ordered that table kid oriented food for dinner rather than what we were all having.

We covered the table in paper that matched our colors, and placed boxes of crayons wrapped as favors for the kids. They are all on sale right now because of back to school. The adults also had fun, and we kept some of the drawings we got.

Also if you want it to look fancy I can send you a picture of the center piece that we used for the table as well. We wrapped a glass with crayons, and had a few gerber daisies sticking out. It turned out so cute, and was one of my favorite things at my wedding.

Hire a couple of teenagers to suprvise them.

Little kids that young can't be at a table by themselves, especially not for meal time. They should be seated with their parents.
It would be nice to have an area with things for them to do though. Crayons are great! Stickers are always a big hit. Maybe some crafty type things. A babysitter to help with all those kids would be fantastic too.

Wouldn't it be easier to hire a babysitter for them? I'm sure you could find someone pretty easily. S/he could get them to run around outside or play games or tell stories.....

HIre two responsible teenager to supervise the table. Glow sticks, disposable cameras, stickers - maybe cupcake decorating. Maybe your baker can whip up some plain cupcakes and give you extra frosting. Then you can get some sprinkles and stuff. I know that can be kind of messy, but it isn't a mess that can't be easily cleaned.

If I was attending your wedding, there is no way I would leave my 3 year old without some type of supervision - and with up to 6 kids, I would say two sitters.

Color Wonder markers are great for keeping down the mess.
Model Magic is like playdough but not as sticky so it doesn't make as much mess and doesn't stick to clothes.
For a keepsake, you could buy a craft project involving markers (Oriental Trading company has wind socks). Or aprons they could decorate.
There might be some games, but that woudl have to be organized because of the ages.
The best solution, IMO, is to hire a teen to supervise them and have them sit with the kids to make sure things don't get out of hand.

Bendaro sticks are no/low mess ad will span the age range pretty well. They're also reasonably affordable. Play doh could be okay but can get pretty messy. I think covering the table with paper and letting them color it is a great idea! You can get wide paper (I think 48') at paperzone for less than a dollar a yard.

A friend of mine made a kids table covered with paper and also taped paper to the floor around the table, had short chairs and a short table, and each kid had their own box. Inside the box was a plastic slinky, box of crayons, bubbles, silly putty, a small coloring book, and a mini note pad. My kids ages 2.5 and 3.5 at the time were completly distracted for a good 25 min. It was awsome! Then they served the kids corn dogs, PB and J cut into wedding bells, and mandrine oranges. Best wedding my kids ever attended and very inexpensive. Less than $10 per kid for activites and food!!!