‘Party bags’ for child guests?

[DressDrama]

Did anyone do any ‘party/favour bags’ for child guests? I’m torn between thinking their parents would have thought ahead and brought stuff to entertain them - if they still require ‘entertaining’; and deciding (fairly last minute; as we don’t have a huge amount of time left..eeep) we should to make them feel special.

Most are in the 9-13 bracket and I guess puzzle/colouring books, bubbles or Top Trumps aren’t going to cut it for them! Thought about doing an ‘age 12 cut off’…but one of my cousins kids is 12 and her brother (sitting next to her) is 9 so couldn’t have something at his place and nothing at hers. But what would a 12 year old appreciate?? Help! Others are between 4-6, where I’d feel more confident they’d appreciate/engage with some of the above examples.

Our reception is a 4 course sit down meal, taking speeches into account you’re looking at 3-4 hours of sitting at a round table. Music entertainment won’t start until later in the night, tables pushed back to create a dancefloor etc.

We don't have any kids..as you can probably tell!

Thoughts please!

[Cliveybaby]

puzzle books, disposable cameras, games?

[Littlegreenegg]

Leo minifigures

[Littlegreenegg]

Lego!

[gingerbreadbiscuits]

I would not bother. The 12 year olds will just play on their phones

[BrieAndChilli]

Rubix cubes
Lego
Trivia cards
Playing cards
Those metal loop puzzles
Magic tricks

[BrieAndChilli]

Those little fortune telling fish.

[FreeMantle]

Don't buy them anything apart from sweets with their names on perhaps. Easy to buy online or Thortons type shop.

If you want to keep them amused you can give them a wedding quiz. Find out all the names of people on their table, or what is the flower called in the bouquet etc.
Or have camera phone bingo. Spot s person yawning, best dancer, nicest shoes etc.

[Matilda1981]

I have to admit that I have a 4 year old and a 6 year old and there is no way in earth I would expect them to sit for 3-4 hours (even I would struggle to be honest!). How many do you have coming? Can you set up a separate areas where they can have a tea party and watch a film or something? Or play games?
I agree that the 12 year olds will probably play on their phones, you would need a lot of entertainment to fill that amount of time sitting down.

[lifechangesforever]

Our venue supplied activity bags for the children attending our wedding (although there were only 6, we only allowed children of the wedding party) but yes, they were a god send during meals and speeches.

[SpongeBobJudgeyPants]

We had some that age, and I got them the 'adult' type colouring books, with felt pens, from The Works.

[myrtleWilson]

We had a tiny wedding (40 people) and had all the children -about 6-8 I think (oldest about 7/8) on a separate table next to the top table (which mostly contained their parents) which I think almost counter intuitvely worked better because all the children were together and happy chatting to each other rather than distributed throughout the room.

Because the wedding was so small we decided to get each child a gift to say thank you for coming and for being so well behaved during the ceremony. So before we ate, my sisters called out each child to come and get their present - i guess they were about £8-10 each (which isn't doable if you've got loads of children coming!) things from ELC type shops. It worked well as they got a present for coming to the wedding and parents (including us) were happy enough for them to eat/chat/play at the table. I do think the informality/size of the wedding made a difference though.

[user1493413286]

We did them but it was in part to give DD a “job” to do for the wedding; it’s a nice touch but people will bring stuff so don’t feel you have to.
I think for the 12 year old a little card game, disposable camera, Rubix cube or magic trick is a nice touch. Our kids all just ran around and played the majority of the time which we were happy with as I didn’t expect them to don’t during the whole meal but did ask for them all to sit during the speeches when the toys did come in useful.

[Beamur]

We had an area with various bits of crafts/colouring to do and hired a face painter. Kids also went a bit feral and annexed a room that they then had running battles to keep possession of...it was all very good natured. Quite an informal do though, not a sit down meal.

[Racecardriver]

Quite frankly a twelve year old should be able to endure a wedding without entertainment. I would expect the same for a nine year old (with the exception of a story or two and a walk or two at suitable intervals). You are essentially encouraging children to be rude. If someone did that for my children I couldn't help being mildly annoyed. I know that you are trying to be considerate but this is overstepping boundaries.

[Snausage]

OP, I'm thinking of something like this, too. There are about 10 kids coming to my wedding, ages 2, 4, 6, 9 and a couple of babies! It'll be a REALLY long day for kids and I'm desperately trying to think of some sort of entertainment for them.

[TaggieRR]

You would be annoyed if somebody did a party bag for your kids as wedding guests? Sometimes I think brides can’t do anything right!

[tattychicken]

A good friend did this at her wedding, each child had a little fabric bag tailored for his or her age and interests. There were colouring books and pencils, card games, bubbles, mini puzzles, a magazine or comic. They were labelled individually, with a little personal message for each child, and made the children there feel included and wanted. She also had an empty table set away from the other guests but still in sight, so the children could go and spread out there a bit, get their colouring books out etc.
There was a bit of squealing and the odd bit of rowdiness but it worked very well.