A few weeks ago, we took Scribble to his first football game.  We had a fantastic time, and can’t wait to do it again!  Here are a few tips on how to enjoy a sporting event with family!

Tailgating

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Check the website for information about ticket sales, plus what you’re allowed to bring into the venue. Some stadiums allow kids under a certain age to enter without a ticket.  In Atlanta, you’re allowed to bring a child under two into the game for free to a Braves game.  But at our alma mater’s football games, you have to have a ticket for your child.  Also check to see if you can bring in your stroller, or outside food or beverages, into the stadium.  Neither were allowed at the game we attended, which we didn’t mind because we didn’t want to lug the stroller up the stairs or try to keep milk cool on an unseasonably hot autumn day.


Scribble in front of the place where his parents met for the first time

Remember your sunscreen! And remember to pack layers.  Scribble started out in knit pants, but ended up in shorts.  Autumn in the south is variable!

Check to see how the stadium is situated, and try to buy tickets for seats in a shaded spot.  We didn’t have this option, since we got our tickets for free from family, but had we been making the purchase ourselves, I would have looked into it for sure! We had intense sun for the first half, but by the second half we were in the shade and that made Scribble a lot happier.

Be flexible about food and drink.  Like I mentioned, we didn’t pack snacks or a sippy, and instead just got Scribble a bottle of water when we got in the stadium.  He is fine to drink out of a regular water bottle if we hold it for him.  It is hard to find snacks that are healthy for kids at a sporting event.  The best idea is to bring a healthy snack with you and have snack time before you get into the game.  Ideally, that will last you but if you have to buy a snack inside (we ended up getting a soft pretzel and I brushed all the salt off of it before giving Scribble some bites), then at least you won’t feel like your kid has eaten only carbs all day.  We also stopped into a convenience store and got him a small container of milk on our way out of town so that he was hitting his daily milk requirements.

Be honest about how much time you expect to spend at the game.  When we were in college, my husband and I went to every home game and we didn’t leave until the clock showed 00:00.  We considered it tacky to leave a game early, especially if our team was losing! Now, with a child, I think it is a wonder we managed to drive the three hours into town and make it into the stadium in one piece; I don’t feel like we need to stay the whole time in order to support our team.

At the half our team was trailing; I elected to leave, and spend the rest of the day loafing around our old college town, but hubby wanted to stay into the 3rd quarter in case of a rally. Unfortunately, a rally wasn’t to be, and around the beginning of the 4th quarter, Scribble was ready to go! So we ended up leaving a few minutes early, just in time to miss traffic and grab a seat at our old favorite lunch spot, where Scribble had his first kebab:

Yes, he ate the entire thing!

Go with a group if possible!  My husband’s parents actually had the tickets, and it was great to have them on hand to entertain Scribble.  Each of us held him for ten minutes or so before passing him on to the next person.

Pack light!  We tailgated with some friends and walked around campus before the game started, and by game time we had wandered far from the parking lot so bringing things back to our car was not an option.  It would have been cumbersome to have to lug a diaper bag around that whole time, so I just put a few wipes and diapers in my purse.  We didn’t bring a sippy or toys or anything else.

My poor kid slathered in sunscreen; he refuses to wear a hat so we have no other choice!

Babywear! We wore baby around campus, into the game, and a little in the stands.  For walking toddlers, wearing is a lot more secure than trying to drag a child around a crowded stadium.  We try to babywear Scribble frequently on errands and walks around the neighborhood so that when we go on outings and don’t have access to a stroller, he is willing to be worn.

When it comes to trying new things with Scribble, my motto is, “I told myself I would do it, not that it would go perfectly.”  Going to a football game with a baby is a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun.  Plus, I can’t wait to tell him about his first experience in the stadium when we are moving him into the dorms a few decades from now…hey, can’t blame a mom for dreaming, right?

Have you taken your child to a sporting event? Did he or she like it?  Have any suggestions for future outings?