Tailgating Tips Archives -

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12 Tips for Tailgating with Kids

Tailgating with kids can be both a challenge but great family fun as well! For us, tailgating is truly a family adventure from the moment we park until we head into our event. Below are a few of the tips that help us make tailgating a breeze as a family.

Set Boundaries for Safety: As soon as you arrive set up parameters on where they will be allowed to play and how close they should stay within the tailgate area. Write your phone number on their arm and cover with liquid band-aid just in case they were to get separated especially if you are tailgating in a new area.
Lather up on the sunblock and bug repellent: Make sure the give the kids a good base of sunblock before tailgating. Even when it is overcast, it’s easy to get sunburned. If you aren’t sure about the bug situation, it’s always a great idea to bring bug spray to reduce the likelihood of bug bites.
Bring a First-Aid Kit: It never fails when our kids are playing rough and tumble at the tailgate someone ends up needing a band-aid. This First-Aid Kit is small and budget friendly and goes with all on vacations as well.
Set up a Tent and Chairs: Kids tend to wear down (read: get whiny) when they are out in the elements for a while. Tailgating can be a super long event especially when paired with an event to follow. A tent will help reduce sun exposure and give them a great place to rest in a chair.
Bring plenty of activities: Make busy bags full of crayons, coloring books, small games, books, bubbles, balls etc. We are fortunate that we often tailgate with other families so we can all bring our share of these items. The bonus to that is that it is then all “new” to my kids!
Pack Plenty of Changes of Clothes: It never seems to fail that our kids will inevitably end up wearing their food or tearing a hole in their pants after romping around at the Tailgate. Having an extra outfit on hand is super helpful for those accidents. Don’t forget to also pack for any other potential weather events (rain, snow, wind, etc). For more on that, see our Tips for Tailgating in the Rain.
Yard Games are a huge fun: There are so many awesome giant games on the market now. Adult me also loves a lot of these! Giant Jenga, Giant Connect 4, Giant Checkers, and Yardzee are just a few of the great ones available right now.
Bring Kid-Friendly Tailgate Food & Drinks: Let the kids know that they can help themselves to a certain cooler of drinks like small waters, juices, milk, etc. Bring plenty of food and snacks that all ages will love. Some of our most popular tailgate foods for our kids are popcorn chicken, chicken nugget trays, popcorn, chips, pretzels, cheese, and fruit.
Make sure a bathroom is close by: If you have a choice of parking, scope out spot that may be nearby a bathroom to reduce any potty accidents. You will appreciate not having to parade a gaggle of children through a large tailgate.
Bring Hand-Sanitizer, Disinfecting Wipes, & Baby Wipes: Kids are inevitably going to touch ALL of the nasty things despite our pleas in the port-a-potty. When you don’t have the access to a sink, baby wipes comes in majorly handy for wiping faces and messes. Don’t forget the hand sanitizer for post-potty!
Wagons are great for small kids: If you are going to do a lot of walking, it was much easier to use a wagon to bounce around from tailgate to tailgate with little kids. We got a lot of miles on our Step 2 Wagon during tailgating.
Bring a Fan: A portable misting fan is always a big hit with my kids. I think they see this as more of a toy, but it certainly minimizes the “I’m so HOT” conversations.

There you have it! The Tailgate Winners Tips for Tailgating with Kids but the most important of all, be patient and have fun! Being prepared and organized will go a long way in a kid-friendly tailgate. What other tips do you have?

10 Tips for Tailgating in the Rain

Excitement is in the air planning for the big tailgate but there is no bigger disappointment than a rainy weather forecast for the outdoor event of tailgating. It only took us one super soggy football season to put together a new game plan for there being rain in the forecast. We have put together our tips for tailgating in the rain so that you can stay dry and rock the tailgate!

Over-prepare for any chance of rain. We once went to a tailgate with a 30% chance of rain. At the last minute I ran back into the house and grabbed a light rain jacket. It poured the entire time from the moment we arrived. You can never be too safe with the weather reports.

A great tailgate tent makes a big difference. While we most often use our tent for shade, it is an absolute must have for a rainy tailgate. Our tailgate tent is also easy to assemble and comes with walls to help keep the rain out.

Use tarps as a flooring or tent walls. If you tailgate in a grassy area, it can easily become a mud pit. When we anticipate rainy weather, we put down a tarp as a floor to minimize the mud and surprisingly it does not become super slippery.

Spread out straw in your tailgate area to spread to minimize mud and pooling. Double check ahead of time that your facility allows for this but it will also keep the grass better intact.

Invest in quality waterproof rain gear. Having quality rain gear comes in handy not only for tailgating in the rain, but year round as well. It only took us throwing out pairs of water-logged, swampy smelling shoes to realize that we needed to upgrade our wardrobe. We currently love our Hunter rain boots and Columbia Waterproof Jackets because they keep us dry and have the added bonus of finding this gear in our team colors.

Use your car’s heater to help dry any wet layers before heading into your event. You can use the visors to hang your wet clothing items and point the vents towards them. It may not make them totally dry, but definitely more bearable.

Wear a Hat. A hat really comes in handy for those rainy tailgates. Even if you don’t have a large amount of rain gear, wearing at least minimize how wet the top of your head gets.

Bring extra changes of clothes to be on the safe side. It is absolutely no fun to go into a football game or another event with wet clothes. Don’t forget the extra socks and shoes too!

Bring more make-ahead tailgate food items or food that does not require cooking. If you are looking at a long day with downpours, skip the grilling and bring food that can be easily served. If you do want to grill, make sure you keep it away from your tent.

Don’t let a rainy forecast keep you from tailgating! Have fun and make the best of your tailgate no matter what rain might be in the forecast. With a little planning ahead of time, you will be more than prepared to tailgate in the rain. Happy tailgating!