My 8 year old nephew really wants to go to a NFL game. I’d be taking him.
Is 8 too young? His parents (my sis and his dad) didn’t say yay or nay.
Do you think 8 is too young?
Might check with the team or the stadium to see if they offer a “family friendly” seating area or something.
not too young if you get a large foam novelty hand (for the boy, not you).
will the temperature be tolerable for the kid (stadium or time of year)?
does the kid have some hand-held entertainment device to take for when not excited by football?
Good point. I’ll have to check into that.
Hey–if he’s getting a large foam novelty hand, so am I! JK!
Yes, I’d take him to a game this month. Between the home team’s schedule, the weather (NE Ohio), and the custody schedule, I have limited Sundays to choose from.
As for handheld games, he can bring his DS, but I’d be shocked if he uses it. He’s pretty into football and will watch an entire game at home without a problem. Better to be safe than sorry though.
Not everyone goes to the game to get drunk. Most people have a few but don’t over indulge to the point of being obnoxious to a little kid; no worst than some families picnics / reunions in the park. And then there is food, be prepared to buy the kid lot’s of comfort junk food to keep him occupied; he will love you for it! If you can sit close to the cheerleaders, because even at 8 years old they are fascinating; they jump, do tumbles and dot on cute little kids.
Unfortunately, the NFL team doesn’t have cheerleaders. So no doting on a cute kid.
The family friendly zone seats aren’t that great, and are quite expensive. I’m thinking about getting front row seats right by the end zone. The price range is comparable to the family friendly seats, and well, a better view.
The nice thing about the stadium is that I can bring my own food/snacks/juice boxes. Hopefully that’ll save some $$, but doesn’t mean we won’t indulge in nachos to share.
Your biggest problem are going to be the other fans, which is something that is more luck of the draw than anything else., but don’t almost all stadiums have those 'text if you have a problem" things? That’ll help
I think it should be fine if you go soon. Once the weather gets cold, if you’re talking Browns Stadium, it’s fucking cold there. Like…omg I am a well-padded grown-up and I wanted to cut my own feet off to get rid of the cold.
Check out the Family Zone at the stadium. I don’t think it’s 100% necessary to sit there to keep a kid safe, but it would probably be more fun than being in the middle of Drunk Zone (everywhere else).
ETA: You posted about the Family Zone while I was composing my post. Oops!
You shouldn’t have an issue then. At all the NFL games I’ve been too the crowds have been pretty tame. They take security and rowdy fans seriously and before the game they’ll announce the number to text if you see anyone getting out of hand.
My 6 year old has never been to a football game but he and I have been to about 50 baseball games together and his main gripe is that we’ve never seen an extra inning game. Yes, his complaint is that baseball games aren’t long enough.
I wouldn’t see any reason not to take the boy. I went to a baseball game as a kid younger than that, and several college football games from about 8 onward. Highlight memories, to be honest. I got to hang out with my dad, uncle and cousins and participate in the same activity, which isn’t always something an 8 year old gets to do.
Just make sure and stuff him full of stadium food and get him a t-shirt or something!
I’m not sure if they have a text if there is a problem thing. Its well worth looking into though.
While the family zone is a good idea, but I want him to remember his first game and buy good seats. At the same time, I don’t want him to remember all the drunken stupors happening either.
Bingo! I was referring to the Brown’s stadium. That is why my goal is this month. Even October near the lake may be a bit chilly for the little lad.
He doesn’t know it, but he’s my wing man that day. LOL, jk.
That is what my goal is-- make sure the lad has a good, safe time for his 1st game. His parents aren’t into football, so here I am stepping up to the plate…or field goal.
I already got him a tshirt, and a kick ass hat that looks like the mascot 
Whew! If you were planning to take him to a Raider game, minimum age there is 18.
(I kid, but that stadium is known to be very rowdy, and the fans rabidly dress for the occasion).
I took my kids to a football game around that age. They had a good time, but the temperature was a bit of an issue. By that age my kids understood that adults sometimes acted inappropriately and used language that they weren’t allowed to repeat. I looked at the game, like most things, as a learning experience.
Isn’t one of the endzones there called the “Dog Pound”? I might avoid sitting there with a child. Alcohol and language issues may arise…
I’ve been telling him he can’t go to the game because he’s too short! He thinks there is a height requirement 
That is how I see it. I’ll explain to him that he’ll see things and hear things he likely never came across. What happens in the stadium stays in the stadium.
Yep-- you got the Dog Pound right.
We will not be sitting anywhere near there! And we’ll be staying away from tailgating too.
you should belly paint the kid with the team logo.
if you do it before the game then he could show it if he wants.
if you did it after the game you and him could put on a good story for the parents.
I was one seat away from an 8 YO yesterday at the Rams-Vikings game. The kid was very good at the game and enjoyed it. He’s normally very active, nearly hyperactive, but stayed in his seat and watched the game closely. He likes to watch football at home.
Of course the next time his family takes him, he could be completely different.
That’s not one of the louder stadiums, but earplugs or other ear protection isn’t a bad idea, either, if things get really loud.
Guess I hung with a rowdier crowd. My kids didn’t see anything new at the game.