Taking Young Kids to the Big House
I am so excited to take our 1 year old daughter to her first ever game at the Big House on 9/13. But I want it to be an enjoyable experience for all. So I am seeking advice from veteren baby/kid takers.
Do we get there early, or is hanging out plus a 3+ hour game too much for little ones?
Aside from kiddo snacks, is there anything particular that we should bring to keep her content?
Or are 1 year olds just too squirmy to sit there for even a half?
Any insight is appreciated.
August 27th, 2014 at 9:58 AM ^
You think you're going to end up staying for 3+ hours?
HAHAHAHA
In all seriousness I would not expect to make it until halftime, but I suppose it all depends on your kid. And AFAIK you cannot bring snacks, even if you have a baby, unless it's formula/breast milk.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:10 AM ^
Do not bring the infant. For one thing their little ears do NOT like the crowd noise. Not only will it suck for you, it will suck for her/him too.
August 27th, 2014 at 9:58 AM ^
You might be prepared to leave at halftime
August 27th, 2014 at 11:11 AM ^
August 27th, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^
Because of the crowd noise after Peppers runs back the INT for 6?
August 28th, 2014 at 2:51 PM ^
Because with a 1 year old that could happen any time.
August 27th, 2014 at 9:59 AM ^
There's a thread like this every season.
You're kidding yourself if you think this will be fun for you or the infant (or you have a very unique definition of fun).
August 27th, 2014 at 10:01 AM ^
Correction: 3 or more threads...
August 27th, 2014 at 9:59 AM ^
August 27th, 2014 at 10:02 AM ^
I can safely say that neither you nor your surrounding fans will enjoy having a one year old at a loud, crowded football game where people are going to be jumping up and down, yelling and generally scaring the living shit out of your child.
I'm sorry but I think you're going to find this to be one of those "it seemed like a good idea at the time" things come about 12:15pm on Saturday if not earlier.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:03 AM ^
about like flying!
August 27th, 2014 at 11:51 AM ^
I kid I kid.
I'm in the group who doesn't have a kid of his own yet but cannot justify wanting to bring a 5/6 year old to game let alone a 1 year old.
August 27th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
Exactly.
Obviously people are excited to bring their kids to a game for the first time, but an infant? Come on, man. That really is stupid. Wait until the kid is about eight and then take her.
August 27th, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^
August 27th, 2014 at 12:50 PM ^
And it's not as though the child will remember the game.
Wait until he/she is old enough to last the game and have memories of it.
August 27th, 2014 at 5:47 PM ^
August 27th, 2014 at 10:03 AM ^
Yeah, probably going to have a hard time getting a 1-year-old to sit through a game. I had a Spartan friend to took his 1-year-old to the Rose Bowl and his wife basically left with the kid 20 minutes into the game.
I'd say go for the experience and catch the 2nd half on the car ride home.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:04 AM ^
1. Do not expect a one (or 3-4) year old to last an entire game.
2. You will need to move around and walk around the stadium. Don't expect to see a lot of that portion of the game that you are around for.
3. Band, blimps, planes, etc. are far more interesting to them than what's happening on the field. This will be true until about 4-5 years old.
4. If you are on the east side of the field, think serious sun protection.
5. Good for you for starting them early -- have low expectations and if you are lucky, about the time they start to get into it, you'll take them to a Penn State 2005 game and will have a Wolverine for life. I mistakenly told my then 8-year old that this was the greatest game he would ever see at the Big House. Which was true, until UTL.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:04 AM ^
the first time I went to a game. My parents wished they'd waited till I was 11.
August 27th, 2014 at 11:03 AM ^
My dad used to take me to basketball games when I was like 4-6 but I don't remember them.
August 27th, 2014 at 11:35 AM ^
August 27th, 2014 at 10:05 AM ^
She might be young enough that it works.. Meaning she will fall asleep or somehting.. But my experience is that 5 is about the youngest, and even then you better bring an iphone for them.
At age 6 you can start teaching them the game etc.
As a side note, the really frustrating thing for my 6 year old was that when she watches on tv, she knows what to watch since the camera follows the ball, but when she was at the game, she had a hard time figuring out where to look.
This is just my experience with 2 kids.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:06 AM ^
My then-one-year-old niece came to a couple tailgates last year, but there was no way we'd take her into the game. She pretty much had enough just hanging out in the parking lot. So, in my experience, don't plan on much more than that.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:35 AM ^
I tailgaited the Nebraska game at the golf course last year. My wife brought my 1 year old son a little before the game. He had a great time and we watched the game from the tailgate. He took some of his first real steps on the golf course. I will take him to more tailgates this year, but not to games.
I can't imagine this is going to be a great experience. Not a lot of room, the september games can be hot, and it will be loud. Good luck to the OP. You're going to need it.
August 27th, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^
Agreed, kides at the tailgates are great as they can run around and generally have freedom of movement and everyone around you will generally want to hang out with them.
At the game itself it gets harder. This is from my experience taking my one year old to a baseball game. Lots of moving around is to be expected, the kids need stimulation and the crowd and the action on the field are not going to provide it. It's fun to have the photos with you and the kid by the stadium, but after that it turns into a less than fulfilling experience.
All that said, i hope the OP has a great time and gets some great pictures.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:07 AM ^
August 27th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^
I took my then 10 month old daughter to the tire-fire game in Dallas vs Alabama - She did great! My team on the other hand did not.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:10 AM ^
But I imagine this will not be "enjoyable" for anyone except those out of earshot.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:16 AM ^
Pre-gaming is good, but no more than 3.5-4 hours. The kid should be fine through the game. Don't worry too much about the weather... kids that age don't fidget too badly when hot or cold or if the sun is in their eyes or if they get sweaty. You might take it easy after the game through. Instead of heading back to the tailgate, why not hop on over to your favorite fine dining establishment on Main? After a nice relaxing meal and you and the missus getting to share a celebratory bottle of wine, the little miss outta be ready for a final stop with your buddies at the 8 Ball! Have fun and GO BLUE!
August 27th, 2014 at 10:18 AM ^
Nice little day you got planned there.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:16 AM ^
August 27th, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^
"I was going to wear a condom, but thought, when's the next time I'll be in Haiti?"
August 27th, 2014 at 10:36 AM ^
He's tough to spot but I believe that Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul!) is in that sketch.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:18 AM ^
I know it takes a village and all but you are probably in a better position to know what will keep her content or whether she will be squirmy all game than us. If she will sleep (baby bjourn?) you may get some quality watching time. If she is going to be awake, I would anticipate anywhere from 15-20 minutes before you are out of there.
All kids are different, but my experience is that the young ones don't want to hang around to long. As noted above, also keep an eye on the weather as I'm always concerned when I see infants at games with the temps in 80s.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:19 AM ^
From my dad: I watched the entire 1st quarter upside down, with my head on the bleachers. 2nd quarter I sat backwards the whole time. My dad told me we were going to get McDonald's at half time, and I cried for an hour after he broke the news that we couldn't go back into the stadium.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^
Hopefully this is obvious, but maybe not since you didn't mention.
The most important thing is ear protection. Football stadiums are extremely loud (even at Michigan). Even minor league baseball is loud to a 1 year old. You can buy pretty cheap over the ear covers to protect your kid at a wide variety of places.
Otherwise, it depends on your kid. You should know better than anyone else if they can sit around people watching for 4 hours. Most kids can't and will require several walks around the stadium and other distractions. For them, it's not much more interesting than church or a graduation or whatever.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:26 AM ^
Young ears don't like constant noise. I think 3-4 is probably the earliest to attempt a game like this.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:28 AM ^
August 27th, 2014 at 10:28 AM ^
August 27th, 2014 at 10:36 AM ^
Before 9 months (give or take of course) is actually pretty easy as long as you have bottles and don't mind a few interruptions.
A one or two year old is completely different. Most of them require a lot of attention and couldn't care less about the mass of distant dudes tumbling into each other for hours on end, with lots of nothing in between the action.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:33 AM ^
I took my daughter to a game in 2012 when she was 5 1/2. It turned out to be the driving rainstorm Illinois game, so we stayed at our friends' house until halftime when the weather calmed a bit, then attended the second half. I told her "we'll go to another game when the weather will be better." She looked thoughtful for a moment and asked "How will you know?" I said "Good point."
We went to the Minnesota game last year and it was beautiful.
I've seen fans with babies and toddlers in the Stadium and they generally look miserable. The kids can't follow the game and are bored, and they are less tolerant of adverse weather (heat, cold, or precipitation). My son just turned four and wants to be included, but I'm going to wait until 2015 when he's five and a little more patient.
I think you'll all be happier if you wait a few years before bringing her to the Stadium.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:36 AM ^
I took my 3 year old and 1 year old to a game way back when. We didn't get into the game until the start of the 2nd quarter and left at halftime. A 1 year old is more interested in teething on the seat back than the game. You can enjoy the experience, but you won't be paying too much attention to the game itself. Enoy the experience with your family and cherish time in Ann Arbor. Go Blue!
August 27th, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^
For the one year old, if they still use one, bring and use a soft carrier like a Baby Bjorn. We kept our son strapped to us at all times and he ended up falling asleep. It was easy to sit there with him and great to get around. S/he can face you if sleepy or to avoid the sun or face the game if interested. It can get sweaty but it's worth it.
Go early and enjoy the band and warm ups. You may only make it through a quarter or two of the game but the pregame stuff is great for a little one.
Bring sun protection- sunglasses, sunscreen, light clothes, a hat. Ear protection is important, too. I don't think it will be really crowded for the game so plan to try and go up where there are fewer fans rather than try to wedge in lower. That's courteous to other fans, better for your kid and you will be more relaxed. Understand not every fan wants a one year old near them during a game but most are great and like seeing younger generations of fans.
Carry your things (diapers, wipes, food, etc. through the gates in a large clear ziploc bag. It will make getting in easier for you and screening easier for security. You can bring a small grocery bag to put them in after. The less to carry the better. Make sure you have a blanket of some sort for diaper changes in hidden grassy areas outside the stadium. Much easier than trying to do it in the bathroom.
Finally, pay for the closest parking you can with in-out rights. The last thing you want is to walk a long way with a hot, tired kid you have been carrying during the game. Good luck and go blue!
August 27th, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^
Howeva, I understand the drive to start them young and get that priceless photo of them at the stadium, so consider what I have found to be a great alternative: take them to the Spring Game & Fall Scrimmage instead.
These events are way less crowded and more family-friendly, allow you to get the kids into the stadium to soak in much of the game-like experience and sprout an early fandom, you can get your pics, and best of all the events are free so you can leave whenever you need to without wasting $ or missing much of consequence. Bonus: I found you can bring food into these events, so I was able to eat Maize & Blue IN the stadium, achieving complete euphoria.
I once heard not to take your kids to an actual game until they can sit through a whole one with you on the couch. This seems like sound advice, and that is the plan I'm sticking to.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:45 AM ^
and I used to sit in the blanket fort under the bleacher seats for most of the game. It wasn't until about 11 or 12 that I actually started caring about what was happening on the field.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:40 AM ^
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August 27th, 2014 at 10:42 AM ^
I can say that even though mine are now 8 and 7, we're still not quite at a point where we make it through a whole game, but we do make it through much of the game if we keep them fed and reasonably entertained.
You might maximize the amount of time by keeping them entertained / distracted inasmuch as possible - so plenty of walks around the concourse are probably in order. We didn't even attempt a game with the kids until a couple years ago but if you plan it like you would a normal daytrip, although even at that, as others said, it ultimately depends on the kid.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:43 AM ^
since about age 2. We talked to someone on Hoover, right behind the stadium and reserved a spot for the whole season. We would arrive about 15 min before kick off and make it to our seats just in time. We buy them lots of food to keep them happy. We walk and run around a lot. One child even sat on my lap and slept through 1/2 of a game (it was naptime). We generally missed a lot of the action and would leave sometime in the 3rd quarter. Now that they are older, we can come a little earlier and leave at the end of the game. We still need to pump them full of food and drink, but now they enjoy the game! I also second the call for ear protection.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^
as a person who doesn't like to miss any of the action, I love the fact that I have DVR. Just trying to get through a saturday game at home with my son (1 last year) while my wife is at work, I am constantly pausing and fast forwarding through the commercials. I don't know how parents survided without them.
August 27th, 2014 at 10:48 AM ^