Hi Ladies:
We are thinking about taking our son, who just turned 5 to a baseball game. We aren't sport-watchers at home so he really has had no exposure to the game, except for the WII game. Do you think your average--just turned 5 boy could sit through an entire baseball game without being bored. He has never been to a movie theater either so we have no real prior experience taking him somewhere where he needs to stay in his seat for 3 hours.
I don't even know that much about baseball. I assume the game is 3 hours.
Thanks, as always!
I second starting at a minor league game, tickets are much less expensive and the games are still entertaining. Minor league games are great family events!
My 5 yr old is rambunctious! Not the sit still type. He went and was pretty bored. We took a coloring book and some match box cars, goldfish crackers, and gummy worms, so, he entertained himself ok. We also got up and walked around a few times to let him get the wiggles out. Add to that, the 3 times he had to go to the bathroom and it wasn't that enjoyable of a game for me! But he remembers it and tells everybody about how much he had going to the baseball game. So, I would say if you're hard core into watching the game, probably not. But if it's just a fun family outing and you want to make a memory, go for it. Try to get seats under the awning if it's anywhere near as hot in Cali as it is in Texas. Go Rangers!
If there is a minor league team in your area, start there. We have a team that plays in a stadium the next town over (OK it's a small city) and it's really geared towards families. They have some goofy entertainment between each inning, a kids' play area, and the prices for tickets and food are reasonable. We can take our whole family there for the night (including food and drinks) for the price of one Red Sox ticket!
Well, honestly, I'm 30 and I could only make it about 1 hour at a baseball game without getting bored and leaving. So, if you aren't a big sports family, I'd go somewhere else... like the movies. There are plenty of cute movies he could see.
we are a baseball family and my girls (3 and 6) Love going to games. We go to the Angels and they have so many activities and givaways and stuff so it is a l ot of fun. There are several "family" nights where you can get 4 tix 4 hot dogs and 4 drinks for $44. (additional people are $11 in case you have more but 4 is the minimum and it is frineds and family) On July 5 they are doing a give away for kids and they get their own sock rally monkey. So that would be a fun night. Most of the giveaways are on Tuesday and the game starts at 705p. Games take around 3 hours so you may have to be out late (or leave early). But I think and Angels game would be fun. They do a good job with having fun inbetween innings and stuff.
Im real curious as to why you want to go to a baseball game if you never watch and arent a sport family? Our son was playing baseball at 5 and my husband and daughter both played. We drove down to Oakland and SF and watched games all thru their growing up years and spent many many evenings sitting on bleachers watching our kids. Now that they are grown we still go to the city park and watch games. Even with strangers playing we enjoy them. High school teams are fun to watch too. If he is showing signs of being interested in baseball you might want to have him see a few close to home before going miles away, and spending money on tickets just to find out he is bored and cant sit still. A ball game can be as short as an hour or so if its lower level and they play 7 innings, and can go longer with big leagues with extra innings. The big screen "jumbo tron" is fun to watch and the food is yummy but expensive. There are lots of people and lines for bathrooms at times. Take sun screen, a hat and blanket. Id start small and see how he likes it first. Watch a few games on tv so you get an idea of whats going on too. Play Ball!
I don't think you need to stay in your seat the whole game. If you break it up a lot, it will be fun--like take an ice cream break, take a lunch break, walk around, get a souvenir, etc. Don't just sit there. He might even find it more fun if you make a sign or something, like for your favorite player, and try to get on the big screen.
I think a lot of it would probably depend on the "level" of the ball game... the AAA team that was in the city I grew up in had grassy areas behind center field where kids could run around. I definitely wouldn't expect him to necessarily be interested in the GAME the whole time, but depending on what kinds of things the stadium has (my AAA team now has an actual playground area as well as the grassy areas), I'm sure he'll be more than entertained by everything available. New experiences are always a blast!
We JUST took our four year old son to his first Brewer's game. There is sooooo much going on BESIDES the game he'll be fine. Just watch for foul balls!
The good thing about a basegall game is that you DO NOT have to stay in your seat. You can get up to get food, walk around the stadium, climb the stairs and all kinds of fun things in addition to sitting and watching the game and the Jumbo-Tron. I think it's a great family activity and if your son is truly bored, leave the game early -- there's no requirement to stay until the end. The pro teams are great to watch, but I really like to go to minor-league games ( I'm not sure if there are any in the So-Cal area though).
Just go with an open mind! You might have to leave early if he's REALLY bored. PNC Park has a playground area which offers a nicer break part way through the game. Plus the trips for a hot dog...then a Coke...then the bathroom....LOL
I just took my 7, 6, and 4 yearo ld kids to an Orioles game a few weeks ago. They all LOVED it! Be involved with them and explain things and point out the fun things. I bet he would have fun. But we never stay the full time because even I get bored! LOL
You should go, even if he does not make it through the whole game. It is exciting, so many people, so much to see, hotdog vendors, peanut bags getting tossed around, the Jumbotron, etc. Eat lots of snacks, get a souvenir something and just enjoy the atmosphere. It would probably help if you understood a little bit about the game and could explain that to him, because he is gonna have tons of questions. Have a great time!
We've taken our daughter to several ball games, the first when she was 3 months old and the most recent when she was 23 months. We had no problems with boredom, she actually sat and yelled "Go Giants!" for almost an hour. I'd suggest watching some games first, so he can see what it's all about and you can see if he's even interested. If you do go and he gets bored, take a walk around the stadium. Many stadiums even have kids' zones with climbers, slides, etc. inside. There is also no rule that you have to stay the whole 4 hours of the game. Good luck!
There is no way for any of us to know the answer to this question for you.
~My thought is that you won't know till you try though? You can always get up and walk around if the kid gets bored...and there is plenty of good food and fun drinks and the ball park...not to mention he can bring along a baseball glove and you can buy him a special T-shirt or baseball or flag or something? You can always bring along the favorite hand-held video game device in your purse and bust it out if things get rough!
I know your in Ca...but if it's a night game you might want to think about bringing along a lil' throw blanket just in case it gets chilly or if he falls asleep...that way you have a way to make him comfy cozy!
Have fun!
*I love Baseball! Go Mariners!
my kids loved it, we took our daughter to an Angels game for her 5th birthday, she got an autograph from jared weaver and he even posed for a picture for her. my son went when he was three and we bought him peanuts and he was happy as a clam. so much fun.
enjoy.
We've tried a few times with my son who is now 6 (at age 4, 5 and 3x at age 6) - we had fantastic seats right behind home plate the first two times through a friend and he still had little interest. The further seats were even worse as he could not really see anything that was happening. It is hard for them to follow the game - and he actually plays baseball in little league so he has a sense of the rules. We had to walk around a lot, and he was very talkative which I was worried was going to bother serious fans - but he got a kick out of eating hot dogs and seeing the stadium. The best was a Dodgers game on Friday that had fireworks at the end and we got to go down on to the field and he loved that. I am going to wait to bring him to another game - they are really long and especially at night it can make them quite fidgety. It will depend on your kid's attention span and interest level.
I grew up in a baseball-loving family and attended many games as a family. Let me assure you that as a child with my family, and now as an adult, I RARELY attend the entire baseball game. First, most games are not that exciting and secondly, the parking lot traffic at the beginning and end of a game are horrendous. Nonetheless, the experience of attending a game is fun - the food, sun, fans, sport, it's all fun. In talking specifics, we regularly arrive at the end of the 2nd inning and leave after the 7th.
In bringing a 5 year old who has little exposure to the sport, I bet that he will get bored quickly. So, be sure to have toys, food, and maybe a book with you. And remember to have fun!!
Some ballparks offer a playground, just for this purpose. (Our local AAA ball field has one.) Check with the field you'll be at, and see if they have one. Otherwise, I'd say to plan on making a few trips to the restroom, to walk around or to get snacks, just for some stand-up-and-stretch time.
just took my 4.5 yo and 3 yo to a game for a birthday party. They had a great time but were not really interested in the "game". They had a fun people watching, eating, looking at the tv screen etc... They did get squirrly after awhile and I had to take them up to the playground. Your son will likely enjoy it, but it might be cheaper and easier to start with some local highschool games or minor league games just to introduce him to the sport. If you like going to games for the social fun and money isn't an issue- then I say go for it!!!
I recommend going to an Angels game. They have a family section where behind the grandstands they have other activities to keep young ones active. Plus on certain Sundays the kids can go on the field after the game and run the bases. A great experience. We are not a sports involved family either and my son was 4 when we took him to his first baseball game with the Angels. It was a lot of fun!
