For parents, summer can feel like a bit of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it is great to have your kids home so much, as they are free from the school schedule for a while and able to enjoy activities that just wouldn’t fit into the calendar otherwise.
At the same time, it can be demanding to find enough things to do to fill up the summer and keep kids engaged and happy. Sure, you may be able to take a vacation or two, but there will still be plenty of time that you need to fill with other outings and fun events.
This is where going to a concert might be able to fit into your agenda. With a concert, you can expose your children to the world of live music, which is only likely to enhance their love and passion for this type of entertainment. If they are already enjoying listening to music with you at home or in the car—and maybe they have started to make a little music of their own—going to a concert is a natural next step.
But is it okay to take kids to concerts? At what age can you take a child to a concert? How do you plan this event to ensure a good experience for everyone? It’s the details that can make or break this kind of experience, so let’s take a closer look below to ensure your summer concert with the kids is a hit from start to finish.
Before you go any further in planning this type of outing for your family, you’ll need to find a list of appropriate concerts to consider. Not all music concerts that are happening in your area are going to be a good fit for kids. While most concerts don’t specifically exclude kids from attending (some do), the type of music being played and the atmosphere being created will pretty much rule out young attendees.
One of the best ways to look for suitable concerts to take kids to is to look at the schedules of the popular venues near you. Off the top of your head, you can likely name a few concert venues in your area, and you may find more with a quick Google search. Go to the websites for these various venues and look over their schedule for the summer. You could write down any dates that look like a possible fit so you can do more research later into the performers and what kinds of music they offer.
For adults, it’s common to want to get as close to the action as possible when attending a concert. If you are used to going to concerts only with other adults, you might be in the habit of buying tickets as close to the stage as possible while still staying in your price range.
That makes sense if you want to see the show up close and personal, but it might not be the right approach with kids. There will likely be a lot of people near the stage, which could be intimidating for young people, and the music will be quite loud. And, of course, tickets are more expensive when you get closer, and the cost can really add up when buying seats for an entire family.
All of these issues can be avoided just by buying cheaper tickets further back in the venue. Here’s a little tip that a lot of people don’t know: the audio quality is usually the best when you sit right in front of the sound engineer which is usually towards the back in the center! (just look for the section roped off with all the equipment.)
If there is one thing about a music concert that can make it tough for kids to enjoy, it’s the sheer volume of the music. The speakers are sure to be turned up, and it can be extremely loud even in the back of the venue. Even concerts for kids tend to have the volume up at a high level.
You can get around this problem by bringing hearing protection for your kids. This is especially important if you are going to be bringing particularly young kids to the concert. Provide them with over-the-ear headphones or earplugs so they can dampen the sound throughout the show. The beauty of this strategy is that they should have no trouble hearing the concert even with the protection in place; the headphones or earplugs will just dampen the volume down to a reasonable level.
The rules on what you can take to a concert will vary from venue to venue, so that’s a good thing to explore ahead of time so you can plan your outing. For example, are you allowed to bring in any food or drinks, or do you have to purchase those items at the concert? If you can bring water and snacks with you, that’s an excellent way to save some money while keeping the kids happy at the same time.
This is going to be a new and different experience for your children—which is always exciting but can also be a little tricky to navigate. Start talking to them well in advance about what they will be expected to do in terms of staying close to you, listening to directions, not getting in the way of others, etc. You don’t want to take all of the fun out of the event, of course, but you also want to make sure they are clear on expectations and how they’ll need to act in order to have a good time.
A concert is far more fun for everyone when you know the songs that are going to be performed and can sing and dance along in the audience. So, once you have found a good concert to attend, start to play some of the music for your kids in the car or around the house. They will gradually get to know and love the songs and will be so excited when the band starts to play tunes they know on the day of the concert.
So, can kids go to concerts? Absolutely, as long as you do it right! At Go Fish, we are thrilled to offer some summer and fall concerts this year at various locations around the U.S., including in Minnesota, North Carolina, and Colorado. Check out our schedule for dates and information to see if you will be able to join us. Even if you can’t see us in person, we welcome you to check out our music anywhere you get your tunes, including on YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. We hope you enjoy!
