How to Do a Dodgers Game with Kids

DODGER STADIUM ON A SUMMER DAY is one of Los Angeles’ great pleasures. Doing it with young kids can also be a real joy, but it requires strategic planning to avoid meltdowns and make the most of the game.

We talked to more than a dozen Dodgers fans who routinely bring kids to games, scoured online forums and consulted the team to distill the best tips and advice on maximizing your experience. 

There are a few high-level things worth knowing as you begin to plan your trip.

• Kids three and under can enter without a ticket, but they won’t be eligible to receive their own giveaway at qualifying games without one. 

• If you’re worried about your kid getting lost, the Fan Services station on each level can issue them a wristband with your family seat location on it.

• Dodger Stadium has several playgrounds, plus lesser-known kid perks scattered throughout the ballpark. 

• Download the Ballpark app ahead of time to identify family restrooms and playgrounds in advance, and keep the interactive stadium map handy for quick reference. 

Stadium gates open two hours before game time, and our Dodger-parent experts strongly advise arriving early to take advantage of the stadium’s kid-friendly perks. 

“We always get to the games at least an hour before game time and go to the outfield [seating area] so our kids can get their wiggles out. … We tire out our kids before we try to get them to sit in their seats for a couple of hours. It's almost the same strategy as taking your kids on a long flight,” said Morgan Miller, a partner at a public affairs agency who has season tickets and usually attends about 20 games a season with her husband and two kids.

Fans can watch pre-game batting practice from the field level, regardless of where their seats are.

“You can bring your glove, and tons of kids will go to the outfield, where the home runs are hit. Because in batting practices there are tons of them hit and the players often will play catch and engage,” said Dodgers spokesperson Erik Braverman. “You get super close to the field and the players, no matter where your seats are.”

Dodger fans are infamous for leaving early to avoid gridlock. Our Dodger parents recommend leaning into this trope with young kids — it’s much better to beat the rush than risk spending an hour inching out of the parking lot.

If you do stay to the last at bat, linger 5 or 10 extra minutes in your seats so you’re not going straight into the crush.

This is a polarizing topic, and the right answer ultimately depends on your tolerance for either heat and sun or delayed bedtimes. (If you do prefer a night game, Saturday night games typically start a bit earlier than weeknight games.)

Miller has a hard rule: No weeknight games for her 7- and 10-year-old kids, except for the occasional irresistible bobblehead night.

“Our favorite games are on Sunday afternoons (sitting in the shade). A Friday or a Saturday evening will work too, but you have to be OK with throwing in the towel and leaving early. We almost always leave after the seventh-inning stretch to get out of the parking lot and home at a somewhat reasonable hour,” Miller said. “After evening games, I usually put my younger kiddo in her pajamas when we get in the car because she'll inevitably fall asleep on our way home.”

Sean Cochran, a TV writer in Glassell Park with 3- and 5-year-old sons, acknowledged he might be in the minority, but he thinks day games “are just too much and too hot, even in shade.”

There are enough opinions on the “right” place to sit at a baseball game to fill several dissertations, so we’ll skim the surface here: Dodger parents recommend prioritizing shade above all else for day games. Here’s how to do that.

“It’s kind of common sense if you’re at the stadium: The further back in any section you go, you’re going to have shade because there’s overhangs from the levels above you,” Braverman explained. 

Because of the setting sun, odd-numbered sections — on the third-base, or Dodgers, side —  tend to get shade earlier than even-numbered sections on the visitors side. 

Regardless of where you’re sitting, podcast lawyer and Los Feliz toddler dad Eric Spiegelman recommends entering through one of the outfield gates for two reasons: Spiegelman contends that those gates are less likely to run out if there’s a promo; plus, all the best kids activities are in nearby Centerfield Plaza. 

As with anything with young children, you can never have enough snacks. Especially at a ballpark where you’ll be facing long lines and paying a steep markup on food.

You can bring in as much outside food as you want, so long as it’s in a clear, soft-sided bag that’s no bigger than 12 X 12 X 6 — so no picnic baskets. But, as one parent noted, your own provisions will likely pale in comparison to the popcorn, pretzels and ice cream your kids will soon spot. Set expectations ahead of time about what you will or won’t buy. Several parents also advised setting expectations around souvenirs ahead of time.

Sonia Baschez, a marketing consultant in Woodland Hills with two young kids, advises planning to buy a treat in the sixth or seventh inning: something to look forward to that will also last until it’s time to leave. (Baschez is the rare parent of young kids who stays until the bitter end.)

Given the long concession lines, Miller likes to take advantage of the Uber Eats option to order food from ballpark stands and pick it up: “It isn't a perfect system. Not all of the stands have Uber Eats available, and sometimes Uber will say certain concession stands are unavailable. I'm also aware I'm paying a premium for this service. But the lines can be horrendous, so it's worth it to get our food and go.”

Dodger Stadium has more to offer than the game itself, with most kids activities clustered near Centerfield Plaza.

• Check out the fun photo ops, like the giant blue Dodger fire truck in Centerfield Plaza (yes, you can climb aboard) and big bobblehead-style statues.

• There are four playgrounds at the stadium. Patrick MacFarlane — who works in nonprofit government relations, lives in View Heights and has two young kids — recommends leaving time to visit multiple play areas. (This video offers a good breakdown of each of the playgrounds.) 

• There are also two free pitching cages that kids can use near Centerfield Plaza (Miller describes them as “hidden under the right-field bleachers”).

• After select Sunday afternoon games, kids can run the bases — a wildly popular attraction. 

• If it’s a birthday or your kid’s first game, you can visit Fan Services for a special pin or certificate. Dodger parents sing the praises of Fan Services and find them generally very helpful. 

• There is a sensory room on the first level of the Right Field Pavilion for guests with sensory issues who need a quiet place to recharge. Sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones and a fidget toy can also be rented for free from Fan Services.

Changing tables are now in every restroom, including the men’s rooms. There are also a couple of family restrooms throughout the stadium. (They are categorized as all-gender restrooms on the interactive stadium map.)

You can bring in regular diaper bags (an exception to the clear bags rule) so long as you’re accompanied by a baby or toddler. 

Nursing mothers are welcome to feed their babies anywhere in the stadium, but if you prefer privacy, there are nursing lounges located in Centerfield underneath the Left Pavilion and Right Reserve adjacent to section 32.

Parents also recommend bringing noise-canceling headphones for kids under two or three because of how loud games can be. 

This is the first in a series of guides to maximizing classic L.A. summer experiences. Tell us what you’d like to see next and feel free to send in your own tips!