10 Tips for Visiting Baseball Parks with Kids

Baseball is BACK! The MLB’s 2026 season kicked off this week and we’re looking forward to checking out a few games in person and rooting for our hometown favorites, the Boston Red Sox. One of the first road trip adventures we enjoyed with our children was visiting Major League baseball parks around America (our third post on the blog way back in 2017 highlighted taking kids to a ballpark); to date, we’ve watched games at 24 of the 30 stadiums (including in Toronto). 

As families gear up for a busy spring and summer (and all the sports that compete this time of year), we’re sharing our tips for planning a trip that includes touring a baseball park and watching the hometown team, as well as some of our favorite memories from our own adventures. 

Tips for Visiting Baseball Parks with Kids:

1. Check the schedule for promotional events, programs, and giveaways: Teams always seem to have a giveaway (usually to the first few thousand people who enter the venue) that include everything from shirts to bobbleheads to other souvenirs. Other popular events include running the bases after Sunday home games (and there’s usually a photographer who will capture your child stepping on home plate), interacting with team mascots, and contests in between innings. 
2. Consider joining a Kids Club: Most teams have a promotional club that include discounts on tickets and food and include kid friendly souvenirs like lanyards, miniature mascots, and even apparel for them to wear to the game.

3. Check out maps of the park to see the location of attractions like playgrounds and Kids Zones, even a ferris wheel at Comerica Park in Detroit and a merry go round at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and choose seats near those locations. Many parks now have a “Kids Zone” with activities like a pitching area and athletic contests.  Some parks also have a miniature “Hall of Fame” exhibit with World Series trophies and monuments honoring players and special awards.
4. Choose seats under a higher level overhang to shield the sun during hot summer months and the rain on colder days. We think it’s worth it to spend more money to be on a lower level towards the back of a section to be under an overhang and closer to the exit to the main concourse- less stairs (less opportunities to trip on stairs and less dirty stair rails for little hands to touch!)
5. Visit sensory friendly areas and nursing stations geared towards families with young children. Designated rooms have changing areas and quiet spaces for nursing (some parks have multiple nursing pods on multiple levels) as well as spaces for families to bring children to decompress and recalibrate with reading nooks and lounge spaces. 

6. Stop by Guest Services to receive a (free) first game certificate: Anyone (any age!) can receive a fun souvenir. Some parks also have pins and stations to make signs celebrating birthdays and milestones, which might get you on the jumbotron or television.
7. Buy a souvenir scorecard and teach kids how to keep score: This is a great way to keep them engaged in the game (upper elementary and middle school kids tend to like this activity) and it’s another easy souvenir to collect. 
8. Collect passport stamps: Many sports have a passport book that includes all of a league’s athletic locations and Guest Services will stamp your book with the location and date. 

9. Check what you can bring into the venue: All venues post online what is and is not allowed inside their facility; many places will allow a specific sized see through bag, which can fit sealed drinks and snacks for kids. While food inside a venue tends to be expensive, there are now a lot more options for people with allergies and food sensitivities. We usually bring in water bottles and single size snacks and then purchase hot food like burgers and chicken fingers. 
10. Dress appropriately: We always dress in layers so we can peel off sweatshirts and coats if an afternoon game warms up or put on a sweatshirt once the sun goes down during an evening game. You’ve surely noticed Red Sox shirts in many of these photos- we always like to show our pride for our favorite team, and it usually leads to camaraderie from other fans (except, maybe, in New York). 

Bonus: If you’re in town when the home team is on the road, try to take a guided tour of the ballpark– It’s a great way to see inside the park, maybe even get on the field, see locker rooms and luxury suites, and learn all about the team’s history. Note: Tours may still be offered on game days, but usually with limited hours and limited stops on the tour.

Looking for other adventures when in a new city or area? Check out our index of over 40 city guides for tons of family fun. And follow along on our adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.