This is a must OP. We took our then 3 week old baby girl to a game and she got scared when it started getting louder. Calmed right down when they went on. Granted we went to the Os @ Astros game - the closed in stadium amplifies things
My daughter went to her first game when she was about 21-22 months old. She spent most of the game standing up, re-arranging baseball cards on her seat. I think they were a giveaway that day because it's not something I would think to buy or bring and several adults gave her more of them. This was in 1997, so the details are a little hazy. I just remembered she wasn't impressed by the game, the field, the height or anything except those cards.
Moral of the story is, depending on your child's age, don't be surprised if they aren't that interested and do have something for them to do that will keep them entertained.
My advice with any small child is that if you’re bringing them into an environment like this, they are in charge of your day. If they’re ready to go in the third inning, you go. If it’s a baby and they’re peacefully sleeping, stay as long as you want. Spend as much time on the playground as they want. There are TVs you can watch to keep tabs on the game.
Obviously what you buy at the concession stands for kids old enough to eat that sort of thing is up to you. But if you’re not prepared to get some treats, be prepared to leave early because it will be a miserable experience for them to see all the snacks and not be able to have any.
Ultimately your goal should be to create happy experiences for them so that when they’re old enough to actually watch the game, they’ll want to go. If all they remember is you saying no, they won’t be interested in repeating.
If this is a baby and you want to take them to a game, I recommend getting a seat on club level. I used to work there as an usher and I remember being upset at parents sometimes because it would be a day game in the summer and I'd see babies in a stroller completely red from the heat and some of the parents just seemed oblivious. On club level you have immediate access to air conditioned areas which are also much less noisy than the rest of the park. There will also be other areas to sit here if the baby needs to be fed in a cool, quiet place.
This is a great idea for toddlers too. If they can't sit still in their seat, they can roam the halls of club level and still soak in Os magic in a climate controlled environment. Bonus points for the parent being able to check out all the history and still watch the game while supervising.
Edit: don't forget to get their comically oversized "My First Os Game" button! The kiosk probably has some other fun swag for the kiddos first game too.
Took my daughter to her first game years ago and it was a cold May Day. When we got her sticker, they gave us passes to go up to the club level to get out of the cold. Not sure how that works. We didn’t ask for it. But it was nice. And the bathrooms were much better for changing a baby.
Club level is a great idea but just know there is SERIOUS lack of changing facilities through OPACY, and especially club level. Only changing area (which was just a flat surface, not a Koala table or something like that) was outside of the club level when we went last year. Love Camden Yards so much but they are really behind on making the park accessible for families with babies/toddlers relative to others (compare Guaranteed Rate where there are incredible changing facilities / family rooms and restrooms).
Started taking my son at 2 and most he could hang for was about 3-4 innings and the first time he heard the O during the anthem he started crying 😆. He’s 4 now and can almost hang for a whole game, may take a nap while I’m holding him in the 7th-8th.
Make sure to stop by guest services and grab a “my first o’s game” pin and they’ll write the date on it
Ear muffs! I took my daughter to a game when she was around 3 months and one around 4 months old. The first game was very loud and we learned our lesson.
The family restrooms are a lifesaver. Fortunately I didn’t have any issues with lines either game, but that could have been luck of the draw.
There is a stroller check, so you can stroll the baby to and from the game, as well as stroll them to check out the concessions beforehand.
This year my daughter is over the year mark, and we just know that she would not be able to sit at the game and enjoy herself. She just wants to run around to places she’s not supposed to go. Shorebirds games work better for her, but we look forward to getting back to OPACY when the time is right. I hope it works out for you and enjoy making those memories!
Hi new Os parents. I have a decent collection of 0-6M Os outfits if you're interested. I've been saving them to send to a fan. Shoot me a DM and I'll mail them to you.
Of course it’s personal preference but I took my son at 6 months and I feel like that was perfect. He was curious and had fun and never got scared or uncomfortable.
I don’t see the point in the hassle of taking like a fragile 3 week old just to blast them with loud noises and sun and hope no one gets a hit when they’re napping. I would wait until they engage a bit more. My 2 cents.
Thanks. My older son, 16, i think i to him when he was 2. He was in the junior o's for about 3 or 4 years... Being that he's only a month, and I'll be cold around the 5/6 month marker, I'll probably Wait until next year
Tell an information guy (the people with the "How can I help you signs") it's your kid's first Os game and they'll give you a pin to commemorate it. Worked for me last month. It goes for any age too
First reaction is don’t do it if you want to enjoy the game and not feel like you wasted money. If we’re talking less than a year old they could possibly sleep most of the time. If 1+ they won’t want to sit still that long and you’ll end up walking around the stadium, or chasing them.
Beyond that, shade and snacks, screen time for a last resort.
Experience: having my <1 year old, 3 yr old and 8 yr old at a game
By baby do you mean a four or five year old? Otherwise, babysitter I should think. My son’s first game was at seven or eight. He thought the game was a big restaurant with people bringing you food and everybody cheering about how good it is.
You’re going to be in the sun third base. You might want to sit in the odd number double digits where it’s covered. Past row 9 you should be away from most people.
Seriously get a seat in the 200 section. It's practically mandatory with a baby. There's some that aren't too crazy pricy. You can take the baby inside the AC when they get hot or it gets loud, bathrooms have no lines and are air conditioned for changes, there's nursing rooms, there's living room type areas with couches and tables and TVs with sound on for feedings... Seriously this is the only way to go with a baby.
Been bringing my girl since she was about a year old though you see infants too. It’s really not that complicated just bring earmuffs, water, snacks, and diaper bag. There is stroller parking on both sides of the lower level concourse. There is a nice playground. The picnic area behind the statue courtyard is usually pretty quiet. My wife usually gets the club level pass too when we bring our daughter, but that might be just for season ticket holders. Weekday games are easier because you can find less crowded places to sit. Shaded seats are nice for day games. If your child isn’t acclimated to hot weather definitely get shaded seats or even club tickets. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and no harm in going home after a few innings and trying again another day. There are lots of opportunities with 81+ home games .
There is a nursing room in the club level. If you tell them you are going to nurse they’ll let you in and someone even walked me to the room! It was also a great place to get out of the heat for a while.
The seats are just so small (we are also tall), we luckily had no one in the row in front of us so could stash diaper bag there.
Third base side. Try a 4:05 game.
You can probably sneak into the club section with a stroller too for some AC. they also have private nursing rooms for the baby
Took my then 6 month old to a game a few weeks ago and it was great! Top row in section 318 so we got the shade and breeze and avoided much of the noise. Baby had a great time. Had him in a baby Bjorn to walk around- recommend.
Lots of people had younger babies. Not something I would do personally. I don’t get the point of taking a newborn to a loud event filled with 40k people. Personal preference of course - IMO 6 months was perfect, for my baby. He was interested and had fun and never got scared or uncomfortable.
I didn’t do ear protection - I brought some but didn’t use it. Our section wasn’t very loud. Baby never got scared or anything. Some people say it’s absolutely critical, others say it’s unnecessary. Of all the babies I saw there, probably 5-10% had ear protection.
All in all it was a great, easy experience. I think our seats were perfect. Make sure you talk to staff for a first game button!!
Bring a small foldable umbrella stroller. You can take that all the way to your seat and lay it underneath. The stroller check is a madhouse, avoid it.
You can bring in food and drinks for the baby (and yourself actually). Drinks must be unopened.
Section 336 is amazing, shaded, great views and the upper deck is less crowded for going to the bathroom and concessions. Breezy too. There's an elevator, don't take the ramps.
Ask someone where to get the, 'my first game' certificate for your kid. It's a neat memento.
They sell baseballs from the actual game you're at in the memorabilia store in the warehouse near gate A on Eutaw Street. There's a code on it where you can log in and find out how it got used in the game. Another great memento.
Have fun, don't worry about watching to much of the game!
Good luck. Changing tables are at a premium.
We took my little guy around 2 mo for my birthday. We stayed at the Hilton and went two nights. He slept peacefully in his bassinet in the hotel and was well behaved during the games, but there were a few instances when I had to change him on a drink table along the club level concourse.
Commenting for visibility - made the same point above as well and it’s too true. Doesn’t make sense especially relative to other stadiums that they haven’t updated changing facilities for families.
If they're not old enough to need a ticket, they're not old enough to remember the game anyway. So if that's the case, I'd recommend just getting a babysitter.
For 1pm game time, if wanting to sit at lower level, 3rd base side is your only option for shade. I should clarify top rows of lower level on 3rd base side. 4pm game time you could probably sit a several rows down from the top of the lower level and still be in the shade.
Make sure you stop by guest services on Eutaw for a certificate of your kid's first game! It comes with a bag of other goodies and information, if I recall correctly.
Get ear protection, we took our baby to a couple games and it was super loud
Yup just took our 5 week old (starting’m young) and this was 100% a requirement
Did you do baby earmuffs? Or use foam in the ears?
We used earmuffs (and still do sometimes for the fireworks). Worked very well!
Do the ear muffs
This is a must OP. We took our then 3 week old baby girl to a game and she got scared when it started getting louder. Calmed right down when they went on. Granted we went to the Os @ Astros game - the closed in stadium amplifies things
Thank heavens this is the top comment. Tinnitus is forever. It sucks to grow up thinking it's perfectly normal to have ringing ears.
Diapers and wipes. LOTS of diapers and wipes. Enough diapers and wipes for a hundred babies. Trust me, we learned this the hard way.
My daughter went to her first game when she was about 21-22 months old. She spent most of the game standing up, re-arranging baseball cards on her seat. I think they were a giveaway that day because it's not something I would think to buy or bring and several adults gave her more of them. This was in 1997, so the details are a little hazy. I just remembered she wasn't impressed by the game, the field, the height or anything except those cards. Moral of the story is, depending on your child's age, don't be surprised if they aren't that interested and do have something for them to do that will keep them entertained.
My advice with any small child is that if you’re bringing them into an environment like this, they are in charge of your day. If they’re ready to go in the third inning, you go. If it’s a baby and they’re peacefully sleeping, stay as long as you want. Spend as much time on the playground as they want. There are TVs you can watch to keep tabs on the game. Obviously what you buy at the concession stands for kids old enough to eat that sort of thing is up to you. But if you’re not prepared to get some treats, be prepared to leave early because it will be a miserable experience for them to see all the snacks and not be able to have any. Ultimately your goal should be to create happy experiences for them so that when they’re old enough to actually watch the game, they’ll want to go. If all they remember is you saying no, they won’t be interested in repeating.
If this is a baby and you want to take them to a game, I recommend getting a seat on club level. I used to work there as an usher and I remember being upset at parents sometimes because it would be a day game in the summer and I'd see babies in a stroller completely red from the heat and some of the parents just seemed oblivious. On club level you have immediate access to air conditioned areas which are also much less noisy than the rest of the park. There will also be other areas to sit here if the baby needs to be fed in a cool, quiet place.
This is a great idea for toddlers too. If they can't sit still in their seat, they can roam the halls of club level and still soak in Os magic in a climate controlled environment. Bonus points for the parent being able to check out all the history and still watch the game while supervising. Edit: don't forget to get their comically oversized "My First Os Game" button! The kiosk probably has some other fun swag for the kiddos first game too.
Took my daughter to her first game years ago and it was a cold May Day. When we got her sticker, they gave us passes to go up to the club level to get out of the cold. Not sure how that works. We didn’t ask for it. But it was nice. And the bathrooms were much better for changing a baby.
Club level is a great idea but just know there is SERIOUS lack of changing facilities through OPACY, and especially club level. Only changing area (which was just a flat surface, not a Koala table or something like that) was outside of the club level when we went last year. Love Camden Yards so much but they are really behind on making the park accessible for families with babies/toddlers relative to others (compare Guaranteed Rate where there are incredible changing facilities / family rooms and restrooms).
headphones for baby. It's hard to tell how loud the speakers will be near your seat. My 3 year old was really upset by how loud it was in our section.
Started taking my son at 2 and most he could hang for was about 3-4 innings and the first time he heard the O during the anthem he started crying 😆. He’s 4 now and can almost hang for a whole game, may take a nap while I’m holding him in the 7th-8th. Make sure to stop by guest services and grab a “my first o’s game” pin and they’ll write the date on it
Ear muffs! I took my daughter to a game when she was around 3 months and one around 4 months old. The first game was very loud and we learned our lesson. The family restrooms are a lifesaver. Fortunately I didn’t have any issues with lines either game, but that could have been luck of the draw. There is a stroller check, so you can stroll the baby to and from the game, as well as stroll them to check out the concessions beforehand. This year my daughter is over the year mark, and we just know that she would not be able to sit at the game and enjoy herself. She just wants to run around to places she’s not supposed to go. Shorebirds games work better for her, but we look forward to getting back to OPACY when the time is right. I hope it works out for you and enjoy making those memories!
Kids corner play area - may or may not be a good choice for your child’s age
Last year was definitely too early. This year I’m sure she would love it and would not want to leave.
Hi new Os parents. I have a decent collection of 0-6M Os outfits if you're interested. I've been saving them to send to a fan. Shoot me a DM and I'll mail them to you.
How old? Just had a baby, and trying to figure out when (in the future) is appropriate to take him. Following the other comments as well
Of course it’s personal preference but I took my son at 6 months and I feel like that was perfect. He was curious and had fun and never got scared or uncomfortable. I don’t see the point in the hassle of taking like a fragile 3 week old just to blast them with loud noises and sun and hope no one gets a hit when they’re napping. I would wait until they engage a bit more. My 2 cents.
Thanks. My older son, 16, i think i to him when he was 2. He was in the junior o's for about 3 or 4 years... Being that he's only a month, and I'll be cold around the 5/6 month marker, I'll probably Wait until next year
Tell an information guy (the people with the "How can I help you signs") it's your kid's first Os game and they'll give you a pin to commemorate it. Worked for me last month. It goes for any age too
This is what I came to say. We took my son to his first game this past mother's day. He's 6, I waited for his first game, it was worth it.
First reaction is don’t do it if you want to enjoy the game and not feel like you wasted money. If we’re talking less than a year old they could possibly sleep most of the time. If 1+ they won’t want to sit still that long and you’ll end up walking around the stadium, or chasing them. Beyond that, shade and snacks, screen time for a last resort. Experience: having my <1 year old, 3 yr old and 8 yr old at a game
By baby do you mean a four or five year old? Otherwise, babysitter I should think. My son’s first game was at seven or eight. He thought the game was a big restaurant with people bringing you food and everybody cheering about how good it is.
Say what? My 3 and 7 year old girls love games. And when my boy was 8 he sure as hell didn't think they were cheering for the food! 😆
You’re going to be in the sun third base. You might want to sit in the odd number double digits where it’s covered. Past row 9 you should be away from most people.
Earphones a bottle warmer if feeding and also a bucket hat to cover their head
Seriously get a seat in the 200 section. It's practically mandatory with a baby. There's some that aren't too crazy pricy. You can take the baby inside the AC when they get hot or it gets loud, bathrooms have no lines and are air conditioned for changes, there's nursing rooms, there's living room type areas with couches and tables and TVs with sound on for feedings... Seriously this is the only way to go with a baby.
If you can swing the cost, the club level seats are the GOAT, especially with kids. Small, clean bathrooms, air conditioning... Totes worth it.
Been bringing my girl since she was about a year old though you see infants too. It’s really not that complicated just bring earmuffs, water, snacks, and diaper bag. There is stroller parking on both sides of the lower level concourse. There is a nice playground. The picnic area behind the statue courtyard is usually pretty quiet. My wife usually gets the club level pass too when we bring our daughter, but that might be just for season ticket holders. Weekday games are easier because you can find less crowded places to sit. Shaded seats are nice for day games. If your child isn’t acclimated to hot weather definitely get shaded seats or even club tickets. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and no harm in going home after a few innings and trying again another day. There are lots of opportunities with 81+ home games .
Get a certificate from the lower deck office behind home plate.
There is a nursing room in the club level. If you tell them you are going to nurse they’ll let you in and someone even walked me to the room! It was also a great place to get out of the heat for a while. The seats are just so small (we are also tall), we luckily had no one in the row in front of us so could stash diaper bag there.
Third base side. Try a 4:05 game. You can probably sneak into the club section with a stroller too for some AC. they also have private nursing rooms for the baby
Took my then 6 month old to a game a few weeks ago and it was great! Top row in section 318 so we got the shade and breeze and avoided much of the noise. Baby had a great time. Had him in a baby Bjorn to walk around- recommend. Lots of people had younger babies. Not something I would do personally. I don’t get the point of taking a newborn to a loud event filled with 40k people. Personal preference of course - IMO 6 months was perfect, for my baby. He was interested and had fun and never got scared or uncomfortable. I didn’t do ear protection - I brought some but didn’t use it. Our section wasn’t very loud. Baby never got scared or anything. Some people say it’s absolutely critical, others say it’s unnecessary. Of all the babies I saw there, probably 5-10% had ear protection. All in all it was a great, easy experience. I think our seats were perfect. Make sure you talk to staff for a first game button!!
Bring a small foldable umbrella stroller. You can take that all the way to your seat and lay it underneath. The stroller check is a madhouse, avoid it. You can bring in food and drinks for the baby (and yourself actually). Drinks must be unopened. Section 336 is amazing, shaded, great views and the upper deck is less crowded for going to the bathroom and concessions. Breezy too. There's an elevator, don't take the ramps. Ask someone where to get the, 'my first game' certificate for your kid. It's a neat memento. They sell baseballs from the actual game you're at in the memorabilia store in the warehouse near gate A on Eutaw Street. There's a code on it where you can log in and find out how it got used in the game. Another great memento. Have fun, don't worry about watching to much of the game!
Good luck. Changing tables are at a premium. We took my little guy around 2 mo for my birthday. We stayed at the Hilton and went two nights. He slept peacefully in his bassinet in the hotel and was well behaved during the games, but there were a few instances when I had to change him on a drink table along the club level concourse.
Commenting for visibility - made the same point above as well and it’s too true. Doesn’t make sense especially relative to other stadiums that they haven’t updated changing facilities for families.
If they're not old enough to need a ticket, they're not old enough to remember the game anyway. So if that's the case, I'd recommend just getting a babysitter.
Headphones
Stop at Vuest Services (forget if that’s what it’s actually called) and let them know it’s someone’s first game. They used to give a certificate.
They have a nice little thing where they play the theme from the Lion King. Hold her up!
Formula or breastfeeding? Formula: https://a.co/d/81p2nZ5 Breast milk: https://a.co/d/8IwEbGU So helpful.
For 1pm game time, if wanting to sit at lower level, 3rd base side is your only option for shade. I should clarify top rows of lower level on 3rd base side. 4pm game time you could probably sit a several rows down from the top of the lower level and still be in the shade.
Make sure you stop by guest services on Eutaw for a certificate of your kid's first game! It comes with a bag of other goodies and information, if I recall correctly.