Managing Kids at Events: Top Tips for Celebrating with Children in Attendance

Anyone who’s ever planned a wedding knows just how tricky it can be to tick ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for the kid-friendly box. On one hand, you know you want to celebrate with all your friends and loved ones, but on the other, there are very real risks of a fussy baby or toddler or even a moody preteen pulling everyone out of the experience of your event.

Add to this the fact that event activities are wildly different between kids and adults – sometimes, it’s just not feasible to be able to include enrichment and engagement ideas for kids into your event planning. In fact, entertainment for guests of all ages does tend to be one of the top hidden wedding costs that couples forget to plan for.

Thankfully, we’re also seeing more event planners and vendors including kid-friendly services and options that help hosts better accommodate families attending with children. So if you’re considering making your next celebration a fete for the whole family to enjoy, then today’s guide is for you.

Read on for all our top tips for child-friendly event planning.

How to Best Manage Children at Events?

If you’re still in the early phases of your event planning timeline but have decided that you’re a ‘yes’ in the debate of ‘kids vs. no kids’, then be sure to tick off these essential steps for navigating preliminary planning conversations with parents, event planners, and vendors.

Disclose Early Whether Your Event will be Child-free

Parents need ample time to prepare, and you also need ample time to finalise your guest list – just in case a ‘no kids’ clause results in some parents not being able to attend. So be sure to specify on your invitations or save the dates as to whether your event will indeed be child-free or child-friendly.

Establish a Children’s Table in Seating Arrangements

This tip is especially useful for people that are in the midst of finalising their wedding seating chart. If you’ve already got parents with kids RSVP-ing yes to the whole family, then you can start to pop those kids into your event seating arrangements. In some cases, you may decide to seat kids with parents, but for older tweens and teens, it may be more comfortable (and less boring) for them to be seated with their peers rather than with their parents.

Curate a Children’s Menu for Formal Dinners

With a children’s table, you can also make quick work of ensuring that kid-friendly menu items are always readily available to your youngest attendees. Keeping some fun finger foods on-hand at your kid’s table can help keep them engaged and entertained, which in turn also reduces the risks of your children’s table getting rowdy due to restlessness. In fact, kids tables are amongst the top tried and tested wedding catering tricks for this reason. Caterers and wait staff also find it a lot easier serving kids when they’re all on one table.

Provide Child Minding Amenities for Parents

Just because your event is kid-friendly, it doesn’t mean that every single activity or space on the day needs to be child-inclusive. In much the same way that you can set up kid-friendly zones, you can also provide parents with the space to step away from their duties and just enjoy attending your event for a little bit too.

The best way to do this is by providing childcare or nanny services at your event. For instance, for many of our kid-friendly weddings here at Canvas House, we find ourselves working closely with the Wedding Nanny Co., who provides on-site childcare services specifically for weddings. All that’s needed is to set up a dedicated space at your wedding venue for your wedding nanny to work their magic. With their strategies for keeping kids of all ages entertained, don’t be surprised if your kids don’t want to go home at the end of the night!

Pro tip: if you are booking on-site childcare services for your event, be sure to factor this in when choosing your wedding venue. You’ll want to make sure your venue has a space for your nanny to set up.

How to Keep Children Entertained at Formal Events

Alongside childcare services for young kids, hosts can also include activities that are more kid-oriented in their event itinerary to keep young attendees engaged and less likely to cause disruptions.

Here are just a few different methods you can use to keep children entertained during formal events like weddings or anniversary celebrations.

Supply Colouring Books for Younger Children at Tables

This tip is great for weddings and gala dinners, where children are expected to sit for an extended period in and amongst speeches and videoworthy moments. With some quiet table activities like colouring books or word puzzles and other cerebral games, children can keep themselves occupied during wedding speeches and other instances that may demand their parents’ full attention.

Design Event Spaces and Activities Specifically for Children

For kids that may be too young to be entertained with tabletop activities, creating separate spaces and activity stations within your event can help your kids feel more settled and accommodated. Again, on-site childcare services can be a great investment in a dedicated kid space, as you can make sure your youngest attendees are being watched over by a committed childcare specialist, and that their parents can be rest assured while they’re enjoying your event.

Provide a Sensory Room for Children with Sensory Needs

Some kids may be in need of their own specialised environment to keep them comfortable at your event. For instance, children with ADD/ADHD or ASD may benefit greatly from the inclusion of a sensory room. This is essentially a small, quiet space with gentle lighting and a range of different activities designed to soothe.

Pro tip: be sure to inquire with parents to see if their children may benefit from the inclusion of a sensory space for your event, and to gain a little insight into what types of toys or activities are best to include in that space for their kids.

Include Playlists for All Ages with Your Event Band/DJ

We know we’re in the midst of the ‘kids vs. no kids’ debate, but let’s bring up ‘band vs. DJ’ while we’re at it. With a DJ playing from a pre-made playlist, you can make sure that there are tunes for all the kids, tweens, and teens in and amongst the oldies and classics. Even for live bands and entertainers, keeping setlists varied and eclectic can help ensure your younger attendees stay engaged and avidly jumping around on the dancefloor.

Child-friendly Event Planning Tips

To summarise, we’ve compiled some of our most practical child-friendly event planning tips for event planners below:

• Establish a preferred age range for child attendees
• Ask parents what they may need for their children in advance
• Encourage parents to bring their own personalised ‘emergency kits’ for children
• Arrange a sensory quiet room and/or nap room
• Design your event itinerary with child attendees in mind
• Provide a condensed itinerary for families with an earlier finish time
• Ensure kid-friendly foods are available and easily accessible at all times
• Book childcare or nanny services ahead of time

Celebrate Life’s Milestones with the Whole Family in Tow

Family celebrations are best enjoyed with the entire family. If you’d like to accommodate kids at your next big celebration, then be sure to heed the tips, tricks, and recommendations we’ve shared today.

And if you’re thinking our space at Canvas House is the perfect fit for your next big celebration, then don’t hesitate to contact our events team to make a formal inquiry into our space, or to even book your own private tour.