Children's Wedding Favour Ideas: How To Keep Kids Entertained At The Table

September 16, 2026

A children's favour has one job: to hold a child's attention through the speeches. Get it right and the whole room relaxes, parents included.

Here's what to put in the bag at each age, what to leave out, and the timing that makes the difference.

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What goes in the bag (ages 3 to 6)

These playful bags suit energetic pre-schoolers and young school children who need tactile, simple activities to keep them happy at the table. Ideal for the start of the wedding breakfast, these little packages keep small hands busy while the adults find their seats. A practical tip is to place these bags directly on their chairs before guests sit down, ensuring the youngest guests feel instantly welcomed and quietly occupied from the very beginning.

A colouring or activity book, small enough to sit on a place setting.
Chunky crayons, not felt tips. Felt tips and white tablecloths is a story you'll hear about for years.
Stickers - the single most reliable item in any children's bag at this age.
One small toy that makes no noise. Playdough, a mini puzzle, a wind-up.
A snack that isn't chocolate: raisins, a cereal bar, breadsticks.
A paper bag with their name on it, which is half the excitement.

What goes in the bag (ages 7 to 11)

Perfect for inquisitive primary school children, these bags suit independent minds who love a challenge but still need structured entertainment. Hand these out just before the main meal to keep older kids happily absorbed at their seats. As a practical tip, tailor any interactive elements to their reading level so they can play independently, leaving their parents free to enjoy the conversation without constantly needing to assist.

A puzzle or wordsearch book, ideally with a wedding page you've printed yourself.
A scavenger hunt list: find someone wearing a hat, find the person who came furthest, count the tiers on the cake.
A disposable camera or a printed photo challenge - their pictures are usually the best ones of the day.
A pencil and a small notebook for a message to the couple.
A pack of cards or a tiny travel game for after the speeches.
Temporary tattoos, which never fail at this age.

What goes in the bag (12 and over)

These ideas suit teenagers and young adults who want to feel included in the main celebrations rather than grouped with the toddlers. Best presented alongside the adult place settings, these gestures show you value their presence at the reception. A practical tip is to keep any tasks entirely optional, as giving teenagers low-pressure ways to help makes them feel respected and much more likely to join in the fun.

Treat them as adults with a slightly better favour - a pin badge, sweets, a photo challenge with a prize.
Give them a job: handing out confetti, minding the guest book, taking photos on a phone.
A card with the wifi code. Genuinely the most appreciated favour a teenager gets all day.
Skip the activity bag entirely - at this age it lands as a bit patronising.

What to avoid

This essential checklist suits any couple planning their wedding favours who wants to prevent table-side disasters and venue damage. Use this guide during your early planning stages before you start buying any gifts or activities. A practical tip is to double-check your venue contract for any specific rules on mess or safety, ensuring your chosen entertainment does not lead to unexpected cleaning charges at the end of the night.

Anything noisy. Whistles, kazoos, clackers - not during speeches, not ever.
Felt tips, glitter and anything that stains linen you're liable for.
Bubbles indoors, which make floors lethal.
Small parts for tables with under-threes on them.
Chocolate at a summer wedding. It ends up on a bridesmaid.

Timing and practicalities

These strategic rules suit couples and coordinators who want the wedding breakfast to run smoothly for guests of all ages. Apply these scheduling ideas during the final weeks of your planning when mapping out the reception timeline. A practical tip is to brief a bridesmaid or usher to manage the distribution, ensuring the right bags reach the right children at the exact moment they are needed most.

Put the bags out just before the wedding breakfast, not at the ceremony, or they'll be finished before the starter.
Hold one item back and hand it out at the start of the speeches. That's the hour you need.
Ask parents in advance about allergies, and put the food item in a separate labelled bag.
Budget £3 to £5 per child - more than an adult favour, and worth every penny.
A kids' table works best near the door, in sight of parents but not in the middle of the room.
Name the bags. A child with their name on something behaves better for a solid twenty minutes.

Key things to remember

No felt tips, no whistles. Those two rules prevent most of the trouble.
Hold one item back for the speeches - it's the whole point of the bag.
Put the children's names on the bags by hand.

Frequently asked questions

What do you put in children's wedding favour bags?

An activity or colouring book, crayons rather than felt tips, stickers, one quiet toy and a non-chocolate snack. For older children swap in a puzzle book, a scavenger hunt list and a photo challenge.

How much should you spend on children's wedding favours?

£3 to £5 per child. It's more than an adult favour costs and it buys you a calm speeches hour, which is the best value spend at the whole reception.

When should you hand out children's activity bags?

Just before the wedding breakfast, and hold one item back to hand out as the speeches start. A bag given out at the ceremony is empty by the time you need it.

How do you keep children quiet during wedding speeches?

A fresh activity handed out as the speeches begin, a snack on the table, and a kids' table positioned near the door so anyone who needs to leave can do it without crossing the room.

Do you sell wedding favours?

Not as a favour range. We make greeting cards, art prints, enamel pin badges and party bits in the UK, and the badges, confetti and prints work well on a wedding table. Bulk favour supplies like organza bags, seeds and sweets come from elsewhere, and any outside link here may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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