There’s a lot of traditions in football, but the most important are the ones that bond us. There is nothing more exciting than introducing your children to the sport and passing on the legacy of support for your favorite team. What better time to introduce them than your next tailgate where they can see all the excitement and community themselves. Unfortunately, not all tailgating activities are exactly kid-friendly.
We definitely do not want our children manning the grill or testing out the beer bong. However, with a little planning, you can make tailgating safe and fun for kids. Here are some family-friendly tailgating ideas to help you create some new traditions with your kids.
What To Plan Before You Go
Parents know that planning is everything. So before we get into all the fun tailgating ideas for kid-friendly activities, let’s cover some of the basics:
● Bring The Right Gear: Kids tire faster than adults, so make sure they have somewhere to sit. If they’re younger, they may even need a place to take a nap, some blankets, and a pillow. Also, make sure to have an umbrella or canopy. Shade is crucial for kids. If it’s going to be cold out, make sure to pack all the right winter gear like hats, gloves, and hand warmers to keep them comfy. Want something to load the kids and all that gear into to see the sights?
● Make Some Kid Kid-Friendly Foods: Most tailgating food is good for kids. They’ll love kid-friendly dishes like sliders, hot dogs, and chips and dips. However, it’s good to bring some simple snacks for them like bagged cereal, goldfish, or snacking vegetables.
● Pick Your Location Wisely: Before setting up in the parking lot, make sure to find the right spot for kids. Look for other families that are setting up, it will ensure your neighbors are kid-friendly. Try to avoid areas where people are having loud parties, people who are smoking, or any areas where there is heavy traffic or other risks. Finally, look for a spot that’s open with lots of visibility that way you can easily keep an eye on your kids.
Don’t forget to get them some official NFL gear to represent the family team (or for your family college football team). Once you’ve got these basics figured out, you can begin planning the fun!
Five Fun Tailgating Activities For Kids
Planning a tailgate with kids is probably more fun than planning your tailgating party for adults. There are so many tailgating ideas for kids that parents will love too. Here are just some of the things you can do together at your next tailgate:
1. Showoff Your Skills With A Football Toss
If you dream of your little one out on the field one day, introduce them to the basic skills with a football toss. Football toss is a simple backyard game that has a board with different holes. Each hole has a different point rating. The goal of the game is to toss the football into the holes to collect the most points possible.
Football toss isn’t just a fun game, it’s a great opportunity to teach your child the basics of proper form and help them develop their football skills. You can buy a football toss from most sports stores. If you’re a DIYer, you can also custom-make your own football toss. The Home Depot has a great instructional that includes a how-to video and a list of tools and supplies to get you started. We also love this inflatable receiver.
2. Play A Game Of Cornhole
Cornhole is a classic tailgating game. It’s a fun and simple game that kids can learn. Cornhole bags are the perfect size for kids, so they can easily play with each other or the adults. When kids are playing cornhole though, consider moving the cornhole boards closer together.
This will make it a little easier for kids to play and give them a fairer shot at winning against the adults. Our favorite part of playing cornhole with kids is they sometimes make up their own rules that make the game even more fun and challenging. You never know, their new rules may be the way you play cornhole going forward.
3. Have A Bucket Battle
Obviously kids are too young to play beer pong. However, they can get in on the pong fun with Battle Buckets. Battle Buckets is similar to beer pong where kids will toss ping pong balls and try to get them into the cups. However, unlike beer pong, the cups are empty. The game is made for four players and is perfectly sized for kids. You don’t even need a full pong table, you can use any flat surface you have at the tailgate.
4. Earn A Football Bingo!
Football bingo is another great game that both kids and adults can play. There are tons of free downloadable football bingo cards online. If you are feeling crafty, you can make one yourself. Football bingo is great because it not only engages and entertains kids, it can help teach them about the sport. When choosing a bingo card, look for one that has squares with football terms like “punt”, “blocking,” or “quarterback”. That way your kids can learn some of the basics of the game.
5. Meet The Mascot
Nothing excites kids more than the team mascot. These fun characters often provide a ton of silly entertainment and slapstick kids will love. Some teams let you meet the mascot and get a photo with them. The best way to meet the mascot is to check the team’s website. They’ll usually have everything you need to know about how to have a meet and greet.
These five tailgating ideas will entertain kids and help introduce them to the game and all the fun of tailgating. For more tailgating ideas and tips for the family, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We offer tons of tailgating ideas that will help you host the best tailgating party no matter the age of your guests. Be sure to visit our Amazon storefront for more gear ideas.
