One summer while we were getting comfortable in our temporary home (at the Staybridge Suites), we experienced the “seasons” of a hotel. One week our hotel was host to the rowdy Brickyard 400 fans and the next week we met all of the Gen Con people. Since I wasn’t totally sure what Gen Con was, I had to ask my husband and he told me to check it out in Google images.
To put it simply, it’s a games convention. Think Renaissance Faire meets Home Show meets Gaming (live action, fantasy, board games, computer games, etc.) meets over 65,000 people! Kids LOVE Gen Con for many reasons but mostly because it’s highly interactive!
Gen Con with Kids
Gen Con takes place at the Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium August 1st – August 4th, 2019. Interested in checking Gen Con out? A daily pass is pretty costly at $60-75 per person age 11 and up, but Sunday has traditionally been considered Family Fun Day and a badge is only $15 per person!
This final day of Gen Con features special pricing and even more kid friendly activities and events than what is normally available during the convention everyday. Sunday has “events specifically designed for family involvement”.
While children age 10 and under are free for an attending adult, you’ll still need to wait in line to get a wristband for them. The wristband is a safety feature that I was super impressed with. While in the convention center, kiddos will wear their wristband and not be permitted to leave the main areas without an adult with matching identification. If parents and children become separated, this helps with reunification!
Check out the family fun pavilion where you’ll run into exhibitors including LEGO and Mattel. The Training Grounds is a game play area designed for kids ages 4-12 but would be a great time for any fun loving aged person who wants to check out and learn more about the gaming world. You will find ticket info here.
Many people come to buy games and learn all about new games and there are a large number of vendors that have kid-focused games, family fun games and they’ll span a variety of age groups.
If you see me, please make sure to say hi!
