Children at a wedding can be the best part of the photos and the hardest part of the seating chart. A kids’ table solves some problems and creates others, so start with whether you need one at all.
Do you need a kids’ table?
A kids’ table makes sense when you have at least six children old enough to sit without a parent and the children mostly know each other or are close in age. It rarely makes sense for two or three children, who are happier with their parents.
What age to start
There is no fixed rule, but most couples set the age range at roughly 6 to 12. Babies and toddlers stay with their parents; younger children need help with food and bathroom trips. Teenagers usually prefer to sit with adults or with each other, at a table of their own.
Ask parents before you assign a child to the kids’ table. Some children are shy; some parents prefer to keep their children close.
Where to put it
- Within sight of the parents’ tables, so parents can relax without walking over every few minutes.
- Away from the bar and the speakers.
- Near an exit or a quiet corner, for children who need a break.
- Not in the main walkway where servers carry hot plates.
How many children per table
A standard round table seats eight to ten adults, and children usually fit one or two more. Avoid overcrowding: elbows, drinks and excited children don’t mix well. If you have more than ten children, two smaller tables close to each other often work better than one large one.
Keep families together with one rule, then fine-tune by dragging.
Start planning freeFood and activities
Ask your caterer about a children’s menu, and serve the kids’ table first — hungry children wait less patiently than adults. Simple activities help a lot: colouring sheets, crayons, sticker books, or a small quiet game for each child. Some couples hire a babysitter or children’s entertainer for the reception, which lets parents enjoy the evening.
Supervision
Someone needs to keep an eye on the kids’ table. Options include a hired sitter, a responsible teenage cousin seated at the end of the table, or rotating parents. Agree on this with the parents in advance.
On the seating chart
On your printed chart, list children under their table like any guest. Make sure the escort cards or chart make clear which table each child should go to, so they don’t wander between tables at dinner.
In SeatFinch
Import children as normal guests. A child who should sit with their parents gets the parents’ household value, and the “keep households together” rule seats the family at one table. For children going to the kids’ table, leave the household column empty for them (or give siblings their own shared value), so the auto-seater treats them separately; a “must sit together” rule between children who should share a table keeps them together. After auto-seating, drag any child to the exact table you want — and do that fine-tuning last, because pressing Auto-seat again starts a fresh plan. Read the full seating chart process or the etiquette guide for more.
Last updated 2026-11-02