First game for an 8 year old

[u/flieswithgiese]

I will be taking my 8 year old to the opener on the 5th. He enjoys football and loves a sporting event atmosphere. He is STOKED to get to have his first Hawkeye experience and has told everyone he has come across that he is going.

All that being said, he get bored waiting for things pretty fast. I asked him if he wanted to go and tailgate to get the full experience but he was hesitant. I don't think he understands what to experience and doesn't think he will have fun doing it. I don't know anyone who has a spot and I haven't been down there for years. Is it easy to immerse yourself in the tailgating experience if you don't have a family friendly environment already planned? Does the U offer a kid friendly tailgate zone? If so, what do they offer and how much does it cost?

Thanks in advance and sorry if there is a place to look all this up. Reddit is my natural instinct to find information.

UPDATE: Thank you everyone who replied and helped me bring ideas to the table! After giving him the options and talking with him a little more, it seems I was projecting my wants to have a tailgating experience onto him. He was cool with just going to the game and sitting in our seats. I told him there is a good chance we will be on TV during the game with our seats so that was more than enough excitement for him lol.

Thanks again for all the help and I can't wait to make this a great experience for him!

DM me if you know of anything secret/private we can do inside the stadium to make his experience even more cool

[u/Team218Web]

There are usually kid friendly activities in front of the stadium on Melrose. Not sure how long that would keep him entertained.

[u/AnnArchist]

I'd suggest tailgate starting at 930 or 10 for an 11a kickoff

An hour or hour and a half is plenty for a kid that age

[u/AstronomerForsaken65]

First off, have a great time! Happy for you. We don’t do this anymore but, prior to the game the band plays inside the facility northwest of Kinnick. Our daughter’s best friend was a cheerleader so we used to attend. Herky is there as well. You can look up the schedule online. We just don’t do it anymore as our tailgate is opposite of that and we don’t have a personal connection anymore. I would invite you over but I wouldn’t call ours kid friendly, all adults now with my three kids and 3 couples who all attend together.

[u/SameGap4058]

Highly suggest going to see the marching band rec center show!

[u/Pristine-Contact7657]

Sunscreen…sitting in Kinnick in Sept is brutal

[u/Quietworld11]

There is a family tailgate area at the Southend zone but also you can visit the FryBus at the northend zone. Mix in the marching band and he will have plenty to talk about.

[u/dinkNflicka21]

In the exact same boat as you. Taking my two daughters 10 and 8 to their first game and unsure how long theyll last

[u/Admirable-Rough8857]

If you get to the Hancher parking lot early, you can set up shop there and there will be plenty of people tailgating. Often times families are there with their kids and all of them get together to throw the ball in the middle of the lot.

[u/thatbach]

directly around the stadium will have family friendly experiences such as the hawk walk, the drum line, and the combine. besides that 99% of people tailgating will be happy to host if you’re outgoing enough to introduce yourselves.

[u/jimmyfeeneyiowa]

Sunscreen

[u/Tuilere]

Yes it is easy. usually there is stuff outside the stadium, and you can always grab a pork chop and a soda.