We restarted our season tickets this year and have decided to start bringing kids one at a time up for their first regular season games. Any advice for Gameday with kids under 12? Where to take them around campus or town. Anything they would really enjoy seeing or doing? During the game any advice to keep them engaged better? Thanks y'all.
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Pregame you can take them to Hokie Village which is across the street from Lane in the turf practice fields.
Boston College game info
My experience has been that they're unpredictable. No matter what you plan, they're going to throw a curveball at you.
We are coming down on Saturday for first real game (We did the spring game this year).
Interested in Hokie Village as well as what to do about parking when you have just single game tickets?
There is public parking at a few different places (Prices Fork lot, others further away) Usually BT stops at those further away places. Runs around 20 bucks to park IIRC.
FYI for those who have not been to campus in a while, the Price's Fork lot is basically gone. They're putting buildings up. There's the parking garage and some surface parking, but much of it has been bulldozed.
Public parking on campus lots - Perry Street Parking Garage, Ag Quad Lot, Squires Lot - Pay with the ParkMobile app
Other private lots are around that you can pay cash.
Hokie village is good for the youngsters. They usually have some sort of special activity going on, whether it's the baseball team signing autographs or the wrestling squad putting on an exposition or something of that nature.
Edit: also take them to the war memorial and let them walk the pylons. I know my kids liked that when they were younger, and now that they're 11, 11 & 16 they remember that part of campus more than any other.
PKs for dining (lunch or dinner) is by far the best place in my opinion for families. Less bar like on gameday weekends than a lot of other places in town.
Hokie Village is pretty nice for people with young kids. I think skipper is there for them to see and they fire it off twice (I think). Bounce house, corn hole, some other stuff. Plus it's a big field for them to run around in.
Take a walk through campus. Hokie Village for sure. Hokie Walk before entering the stadium.
Advice for parents with toddlers?
Just that you're more brave bringing them than my wife and I have been to this point (4 & 2)!
Ours is turning 1 this weekend. We likely won't make it up this year, but hopefully next year. We're big bring-the-baby-to-the-brewery parents. I think if my we go up for a game, we'll bring one of her younger siblings and pay them a hundred or so to basically nanny. We'll all go tailgate, but little bro/sis can take our daughter home when it's game time.
We waited until they are now 9 and 11. Two littlest 6 and 7 are not ready for flying up and hotel and sitting for the game.
Reasonable expectations :)
We brought our 3-year-old daughter to a nooner last year and it was fine, but had to leave at the half so she could nap on the way home. We hit up the bookstore early, and did some minor tailgating and mostly hokie village. Was a fun experience.
Thanks for the thread, Fireman. We are taking our 4 year old twins to the UVA game (as long as it's not a night game). I don't expect they'll make it through the whole thing even if it's a nooner but you never know.
I may not want to watch the whole thing either...
We've been taking our kids since 'before they were born" (6 and 9 this season) It's all about setting your expectations. Don't be afraid to have a bag (clear bag of course) of fidget toys or other little things for them to play with. Even at 9/10 they may not be interested in the football. Hokie Village is definitely a must especially if you dont have a family friendly tailgate lined up. If you have friends that sit in different parts of the stadium - go wandering and visit them. The kids will get to see different parts of the stadium that way. Lean into their interests, if that means chasing the Hokiebird for a quarter, chase the Hokiebird for a photo-op. Oh, and buy them the darned cotton candy and kettle corn. Teach them to jump for sandman, scream and rattle keys on 3rd down and do the Hokie Pokey.
For around town, some of that will depend on kickoff but a campus walk showing them the drill field, pylons, and the Torgeson bridge is usually a must when we are just hanging in Blacksburg. A couple of places still have the Hokie Bird statues so you can keep an eye out for those as you walk downtown.
On a side note, it was cool that the Hokie Bird made it to Lot 18 last Saturday!
Truth! I got a pic with the Hokie Bird.
It was almost as exciting as when Beamer stopped by Lot 18 a couple of years ago before the Duke game.
We took our 9 year olds for the BC game. Pregame, we had our RV and tailgated with friends. They had a great time watching football on the TV, playing water pong, talking trash to the adults playing pong, and eating tailgate/junk food. When they started to get bored, we had art supplies in the RV for them to play with for some downtime. All in all, not too bad keeping them going and having fun for the 10+ hour tailgate.
For the game, one is a huge sports fan. No problem keeping him engaged. The other is not, but he still had a great time. There's enough going on to keep them interested. When interest starts to wane, take them to go get popcorn or cotton candy or something.
Thanks to everyone in Lot 18 for the great hospitality as always but also for welcoming my daughter. She absolutely loved it. She loved the game too, especially 3rd downs and shaking keys. Now to do it again for the 9 year old for an 11am game, this will be a new experience.
Glad you came. It was good seeing you again. Your daughter was a sweetie.
I told HokieEnginerd that your daughters will have 2 very different game day experiences... One had a crazy, full night game. The other one will have a "calmer" 11:00 kick. But I think Hokie Village will be a fun experience for both.
Have to get her out of the hotel early enough to get there. The two oldest would much rather sleep in.
Forgot to ask because I didn't think about it for an 11am kickoff, what is best place to take a kid to get dinner around town after? Think what a kid will eat not best food an adult would crave.
Macado's
Did that last night after we flew in. That's only one I knew to take her.
Cabo Fish Taco?
I've had slow service and bad food at Mcado last three visits. Won't go again. They need a real overhaul. Shame as they've been a long time favorite.
PKs!!
Ended up here now. Watching lolUVA losing to ODU
Ok,even though they had a completely different Game Day experience, did your girls enjoy their first Hokie games?
They did, I actually think the game and surrounding events for their personalities a little better. They have both asked to come back.