Last fall, my husband, five-year-old daughter, and I packed up and headed down to Detroit to see “Disney Presents: Frozen on Ice”. It was a great show! We don’t often venture into downtown Detroit. Plus, this was our first time checking out the new Little Ceasars Arena.
I have some helpful hints and tips to share after our evening downtown!
Bring money. I knew that the souvenirs would be costly. I also joked that we would be spending a hundred dollars on a pizza. Personally, I will not spend $15 on cotton candy. But if you will make sure you have some cash on hand! If the event is somewhere that has parking fees, you will also need money for that. I will be honest {and embarrassed}, I brought $100 cash and expected that to cover the evening. Between parking, a light up toy, dinner for three my $100 bill quickly dwindled down to $10.
Stash Some Snacks. This is probably against the rules, but I carried juice boxes and snacks in my purse. When my daughter wanted some $15 popcorn, I was able to pull out something from home and save a little money. One of my husband’s customers said she did a similar thing with souvenirs. She purchased an Elsa Barbie doll at the store for $10, snuck it in her bag, and gave it to her Granddaughter at the event. Brilliant!
Stop for your big meal on the way. You guessed it, this is another financial tip. Food at event centers can be pretty pricey! A quick $3 Happy Meal is a little easier on your pocketbook!
Plan for Traffic. This might sound like an obvious one to most people. This country girl has become accustomed to our light “tractor traffic.” Because of my lack of time planning, we were about 10 minutes late for the show. Luckily, my little girl is pretty understanding and easy going, so it was not a big deal.
Bathrooms are busy. My husband took our daughter because the men’s bathroom is usually empty at these kinds of things. They were in and out in two minutes, while the line for the women’s bathroom was wrapped around the hallway.
Take a moment to breathe and enjoy the trip. It can be stressful to go to an event with your little ones but do not forget to have some fun. In all of the chaos, you are making lifelong memories!
What other tips do you have for parents planning to go to a kid friendly event?
