Monster Truck Show: 5 Tips for Attending with Kids

I was provided with complimentary tickets to Monster Jam®; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Don’t miss the last Monster Jam show at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento on Sunday, January 25!

To be completely honest, if you had asked my pre-child self to rate her interest in going to a monster truck show, she would have put it somewhere above spending an evening flipping channels at home, but quite a bit lower than say, an evening spent catching up on Downton Abbey.

How having children changes you!  Especially having children with interests that are very different than yours.  With two very active young boys, I don’t spend many evenings either flipping channels or catching up on Downton Abbey; yet, thankfully I have found that I really love monster truck shows!

There is a visceral thrill that even the most tea-sipping among us feel watching those gigantic machines roar up into the air and land with a bounce on those improbably big wheels.  How do they not flip over?  Especially when, like Grave Digger, they drive along almost sideways on just two wheels?

And, of course, there is the joy of attending with kids who are big-eyed and open-mouthed throughout the show.  It is hard to miss just how much fun these shows can be when you are sitting with someone bubbling with excitement over every jump and turn.

So do plan on going to a monster truck show with your kids – if you are in Sacramento, you can still catch the last Monster Jam show tomorrow, Sunday, January 25, at the Sleep Train Arena! – and keep in mind these tips before you head out the door:

5 Tips for Attending a Monster Truck Show with Kids

These tips are based on my experience with the Monster Jam® show at the Sleep Train Arena and may vary from other shows.

1. Bring ear plugs/headphones: If you remember nothing else from this article, be sure to bring some protection for your kids’ ears (and yours!)  Monster trucks are LOUD, and the kids will enjoy the show much more if they don’t have to keep covering their ears.

2. The house lights are always on: Since we are still at the stage of taking frequent bathroom breaks, I really appreciated that this was not the kind of show where the stands are constantly in the dark.  The house lights were up through the entire show, making it easy for us to make our way through the aisles; plus, this is much less scary for kids.

3. The atmosphere is laid back: A monster truck show is very relaxed, so if you do have to get up to get a drink or go to the restroom, you don’t feel awkward about sneaking out.  Of course, you don’t want to jump up and block someone’s view during a performance, but these are all relatively short, as each truck takes a turn around the arena before a slight break as the next gets ready.

4. The show is family-friendly: Before attending, I did have an idea that most of the audience would be beer-soaked men, but this was far from true.  Even at the Saturday night show, the vast majority of attendees were young families.  At 5 Monkey was far from the youngest there – I even saw a number of babies – as well as older kids and teenagers.  Everyone is very friendly and careful of the many kids in the crowd, which was especially nice when it came time to move with the everyone toward the exit at the end of the show.

5. They save the best for last: If you do need to take a break, try to wait until the end of that segment, since the stars always perform towards the end of each.  Of course, all of the trucks are fun to watch, but you really don’t want to miss someone like Grave Digger!

Have you been to a monster truck show?  What are your tips for going with kids?