Dad and the Duo

Spring is springing which means getting back into those outdoor activities. For me, a repeat spring activity is watching minor league baseball games. The first few times we went to minor league games as a family I feared the kids would be bored out of their mind. However, here are some tips for keeping them entertained and interested for 9 innings (if your game goes into extra innings, you are on your own).

Pick The Right Night

Most minor league teams will have theme nights or special promotions to draw in the crowds. Look through your team’s schedule to find fun family nights. Some will do bounce houses, ice cream parties, or fireworks for family fun.

Also keep in mind that games can run long sometimes. Don’t go to that 7:30PM Wednesday night double header and expect your kids not the be tired and whiny by the end. Also, don’t expect them to pop up the next morning for school when you drag them home at 11PM. Save the late games for the weekends or days off of school.

Pack What You Can

Make sure that you check the stadium rules for what you can and can’t bring into the ballpark with you. See what bag types are allowed as well since more and more venues are implementing clear bag policies.

For us, stuffed animals and blankets are 100% a must bring. I try to avoid bringing electronics into the games, not because I am anti-tech parent guy but just because they are a hassle to keep up with. The kids usually end up wanting to take in a toy or two, but really we pack light for ballgames.

Arrive Early… or Late

The time we arrive really depends on the activities, but we try to avoid the “right on time” crowds. Our team’s ballpark allows entry 30 minutes early, and this is our typical strategy. You avoid most of the crowds and it gives the kids time to explore prior to the game starting. There also happens to be 2 local craft brewery bars that I am happy to stop at to pre-game.

If we can’t make it early, or if there is a pregame event that prevents early entry, we wait about 15-20 minutes until after the start time to make our way in. This way we avoid the long lines to get in, and the pre-game concessions lines that we are inevitably going to have to wait in.

Budget For Food

Try as you may to fight it, you are going to end up getting overpriced food and drinks. Luckily, when it comes to the minor leagues, prices aren’t as inflated as the pros. You can eat a meal before you come to the stadium, but also plan a budget for snacks, treats, and “daddy drinks”.

In all honesty, most of the food at our home stadium is really good. Ballpark food isn’t just hotdogs, popcorn, and cracker jacks anymore (though we still get these all the time), there are a ton of options. I like the Italian sausage station grilled right in front of you, the sweet bakery shop, and the pizza place.

Don’t Just Sit There…. Participate

There is a lot of participation opportunities at games, and the more you do with your kids the longer they are going to last before growing bored. In addition to chants or cheers several times an inning (dun dun dun dun dun dun CHARGE), there are also a number of chances to try to get on the dance cam, smile cam, fan cam, cam cam, and any other cam you can think of. Swag tosses sponsored by your local pressure washing company are also fairly common.

Then there are mid inning races or competitions to pick a contestant to root for. If you or your kids are especially adventurous find the folks signing up volunteers for these events. If not, the least you can do is join in from the crowd and enjoy all of the little extras they pack into the evening.

Watch The Game Maybe?

Don’t forget, amongst all of this there is a baseball game to watch as well. While baseball isn’t exactly the fastest paced sport, it still has moments of excitement. We try to pick a few favorite players at the beginning on the year and get engaged every time they are pitching or at bat.

While it is great to “root root root” for the home team, I couldn’t tell you if they have had a winning record in the past 3 years or not.

Have Fun

The whole point of going out to the game is to have fun. There are times that our kids energy just isn’t there and we don’t stay for a whole game. Some games I get to sit and enjoy most of it, and other times we are constantly up and walking around the stadium. Pay attention to what is driving your kids that day and try to match the game experience to that.

While your experience may differ each game there is always one constant… see “Budget For Food” section. Play ball and go Dash!