Sports Parenting: 10 ways to entertain little ones at sports events

It's one thing to watch your child's games; it's yet another to watch your child's games when you have younger children tagging along.

As a coach's wife and sports mom, I've had plenty of opportunities over the years to learn how to keep little ones content at sporting events.

First of all, designate a decent sized tote as the official keep-your-child occupied-at-the-game bag. Some things will always be kept in there; others will be changed out.

Here's what to put in your arsenal:

Toys saved only for games. Have a box of toys and games that are only brought out for sporting events. Pack one or two in your tote bag for each event. Simple and cheap is good because quality is not the issue; a new toy is.

Snacks only served at games. Take a couple of snacks that your child really loves and only hand them out at games. Give them out at intervals during the event.

Paper and pencil. Assign them a story to write, that you will read after the game, and even share with the family at dinner.

Puzzle books. And several pencils. Because they are so easy to lose in the bleachers.

A list of things to find on a scavenger hunt. If you are at a game where you feel comfortable letting them roam a bit, send them out to find "treasures" around the field.

A magazine or picture book. If you'd rather they didn't wander, send them on a scavenger hunt in the magazine or book. On each page, pick one item that your child has to locate.

Let them play handheld video games (reserved for this occasion only) or games on your phone. If phone games are used as a special reward or treat, they can be strong motivators!

If you'd rather think outside the bag, try these ideas:

Give them a job. If they are older, teach them how to keep stats. If they are younger, have them just count one or two simple things, like how many hits are in each inning or how many shot attempts big sister makes.

Designate a check-in time. If they are old enough to walk around, such as at a football game or baseball game, have them check in with you at certain times, like at the beginning of each quarter or inning. If they fail to check in one time, make them sit for an inning or part of the quarter.

Find games for them to play with other younger sports siblings when there's room for them to run around. Re-introduce them to the oldies: red light green light, Simon says, or I spy. Check out websites like for ideas and have a list of suggestions for each game.

Even if your tote bag is full of snacks, books and games, there will be times when the little ones will still get antsy. Kids will still be kids. They will get bored, they will get tired.

"A two-hour basketball game or a three-hour baseball game is a lot for a child of the 21st century to take in," says Josh Tinley, sports dad and blogger. "Just because your 7-year-old wants the home team to win a game doesn't mean that he cares if he's there to see it. The moment he decides that he'd rather be on the playground, playing video games or eating dinner (because you promised to take him to Subway after the game), Row GG Seat 26 becomes a prison from which he must escape."

When that happens, the tote bag is empty, and all entertaining options have been exhausted, there's only one thing left to do: pray the game doesn't go into overtime.

Contact Janis Meredith, coach's wife for 28 years and sports parent for 18, at Follow her blog at or on Facebook at