If you’d told me 20 years ago I’d be a mom of three boys frequenting Monster Jam, I would’ve laughed in your face. But, here I am, bringing my guys to Monster Jam and keeping up with the latest monster trucks (I’m partial to Monster Mutt, the Dalmation version).
If you’re about to jump on the Monster Jam train – or truck – check out my 7 tips for attending Monster Jam with your brood.
TIP #1 – Bring Ear Protection for Your Kids
If you only listen to one of my tips, make it this one. Monster Jam is ridiculously loud, and if you don’t want your kids to damage their ears, bring noise-blocking headphones for kids. We use Baby-Banz, but if your kids are older or have larger heads, you may need something bigger.
Keep them on for the duration of the show.
Helpful Tip: Don’t forget to bring ear protection for you too – it’s really that loud! I use my noise-cancelling headphones but also put foam earplugs in. My dad uses industrial strength ear protection (like what you’d use when operating power tools, loud lawnmowers, etc).
TIP #2 – Bring Snacks if You Can
Find out what you can and cannot bring in to your Monster Jam venue. If you can bring your own water and snacks, do it. We’ve found the refreshments at Monster Jam to be more expensive than other events we attend (like sporting events and concerts). I usually don’t mind paying for food and drinks at events, but the prices were steep.
TIP #3 – Stock Up on Monster Trucks
I’m starting to sound really cheap, but… bring a couple of Hotwheels Monster Trucks with you instead of paying 4-5 x more at the venue. You can get them on Amazon or at places like Target and Wal-Mart.
TIP #4 – Invest in the Pre-Show if You Think Your Kid(s) Will Enjoy It
You can purchase an additional ticket to walk on the arena before the show and stand next to the trucks, meet the drivers, and soak up the Monster Jam atmosphere. Or, you can stick with the regular ticket and just show up for the main show.
We’ve done both, and it was right choice for each kid. One of our kids was absolutely obsessed with monster trucks and loved being up close to the trucks, taking photos with them, and meeting the drivers. Our other son was just thrilled to be at the show and could care less about the pre-show.
TIP #5 – Learn the Lingo
If you want to slide into ‘cool mom territory,’ make sure you know some of the Monster Jam vocab. Even more impressive – teaching some of the words to your kids. You can find the lingo on Monster Jam’s site. For example, do you know:
- MASH THE THROTTLE = Step hard on the accelerator
- WALK IT = A one-wheeled wheelie that rocks back and forth between the two rear tires
- POGO = The truck bounces on the rear tires while standing up into a wheelie
Source: Monster Jam
TIP #6 – Let Your Kids Vote on Your Phone
Of course they found a way to add screen time to Monster Jam… but it’s actually fun and it’s not for the entire show.
The audience gets to participate by voting for the performance of the individual monster trucks. You’ll go to judgeszone.com, enter a code the announcer gives you, and then you can vote at the end of each performance. Your vote counts! We enjoyed this interactive part of the show and we had a blast ‘doing our part.’
TIP #7 – Use Public Transport if Possible
Check out transport options to and from the show. We weren’t able to get to the show using public transport (in Phoenix or Tucson), and we ended up sitting in a lot of traffic leaving the events.
And, that’s a wrap! I hope you found a tip or two to help make your time at Monster Jam with your kids fun, stress-free, and hopefully a little less expensive. Enjoy!
