How To Find Family Friendly Conventions For Geek Minded Kids
Let us be your guide to finding a kid friendly convention!
Kids have all kinds of different nerdy interests: one might watch anime and play video games, another might draw Pokémon and read sci-fi, and another might make steampunk jewelry and play Dungeons & Dragons. The geek scene is ever-expanding, and plenty of kids are flocking to what were previously fringe interests. With that interest can come a desire to participate IRL – to participate, oftentimes, by going to a geek convention. And parents, understandably, have questions. Can kids go to comic con? Is there an anime convention for kids? Where can I find family friendly conventions? Underlying all these questions is this: how do I let my child explore their interests while keeping them safe? I’ve been to conventions from anime to sci-fi, from 200 people in a hotel ballroom to tens of thousands in a sprawling convention center, and I’m here to be your guide to finding family friendly conventions!
Are Kids Allowed To Go To Conventions?
If you know where to look, you can even find comic cons specifically for kids and families [Photo from Gen Con]
In a word: yes. Kids are definitely allowed to go to conventions. No convention (at least, not the ones I go to!) will turn away someone based on their age, provided they have a parent or guardian with them. Conventions can be a great place for kids; when I brought my art to conventions, there would always be kids elated to see their favorite Pokemon, pick out an Avatar sticker, or recognize the giant Totoro on my table. Some of the kids I’ve met while running geeky events have excitedly shared stories about going to conventions where they find cool merch, play awesome games, or get to meet their favorite voice actor.
That being said, not all conventions are created equal. Some are designed with families in mind from the beginning; some have a few accommodations put in for kids, and some have not put any effort towards being kid-friendly. At one convention artist alley, my cutesy kid-friendly table was kitty-corner from a very NSFW anime art table – I saw several parents turn their kids right around and walk out the door! Let this story not instill fear, but a lesson: do your research ahead of time to find a geek convention that’s a good fit for your family.
Comic Cons For Kids - Not the Only Kind!
The best comic con for kids is one that supports their interests in a safe environment [Photo from Origins Game Fair]
If you’re first hearing about conventions from your child, it can be a lot to take in. There’s so much to learn and understand – and that’s on top of all the lingo from the internet, fandoms, and beyond! But here’s a primer: Conventions, or “cons,” are gatherings of people with a shared interest. They often include events like seminars, panels, meetups, and signings and will often feature special guests, like actors, writers, and other creators within the geek scene. Many of them will have a hall filled with comic-book artists, fan artists, game publishers, authors, merchandise sellers, bookstores, and more. Perhaps the most well-known type of convention in pop culture is a “Comic Con” or comic-book convention. This started out referring to conventions specifically for comic books, but it has grown to be a catch-all term for a general geek convention (though I’ve been to my share of comic-specific cons in my day). Some conventions are for specific fandoms, like Star Trek conventions, Harry Potter conventions, or Transformers conventions. Other cons are for general geeky interests: anime conventions, furry conventions, tabletop game conventions, sci-fi conventions, fantasy conventions, video-game conventions, even steampunk conventions! It’s worth asking your child what kind of convention they’d like to attend so you can know to search for a family friendly anime convention, a kid friendly comic con, or a family friendly furry convention. You’ll have to do your research for each specific convention, but in general, smaller, more local cons, single-day cons, and nonprofit cons (like those put on by libraries) tend to be more geared towards kids and families.
What To Look For In A Family Friendly Convention
Kid friendly conventions have specific activities, badges, and even whole rooms just for kids! [Photo from Motley Kids]
Now that you know the lay of the land as far as conventions go, it’s time to look into individual conventions. If the description of the con is clearly geared towards young attendees or has key words like “families welcome,” you’re usually good to go. But some require a little more digging. Check to see if there are badges specifically for minors. If so, that’s a sign that cons anticipate young attendees, have systems in place to contact parents in case of emergency, and may even give a reduced rate for children under a certain age. Also look through the event listings and see if there are age ratings (PG, 6 and up, etc) for individual events, and, if, so, how many events are appropriate for your children. Putting in age recommendations is another sign that a con anticipates kids – some even have their own “Kid Track” or “Teen Track” of games, panels, and activities specifically for young attendees: no (non-parent) grown-ups allowed!
In addition to the convention events, do some research to see what amenities are at the location where the convention takes place. For babies and toddlers, see if they advertise lactation rooms and changing tables; if the convention site doesn’t clarify, you may be able to look up the event space they’re using and see what resources are available. (One con I went to had a nursing room with mood lighting, comfy chairs, and – get this – a self-cleaning changing table!) For older kids, see if the convention area has a variety of locations instead of one big loud room; it’s better to find a place with outdoor areas, smaller breakout rooms, quiet/sensory rooms, or, ideally, a designated kids’ area. The Motley Kids room at Gen Con is a huge double room with stroller parking, crafts, foam sword fighting, kids games, and, my personal favorite, the box-fort building zone!
Guide to Finding Kid Friendly Conventions
Family friendly conventions give kids activities they can enjoy, like crafts and games [Photo from Motley Kids]
With these tips in mind, it’s time to explore conventions in your area. One of your best resources (for this and all things!) will be your local library. Librarians, especially children's and teen librarians, keep on eye on events in the area (my local library even puts on their own convention every fall). Your local comic store, game store, or book store probably brings their wares to a convention or two, so they may be able to point you in the right direction; check out their bulletin board or ask a knowledgeable staff member. There are also plenty of global convention finders online that let you browse in your area; you can look for sci-fi cons, tabletop game cons, comic and anime cons, or take your pick among anime, comic, costume, fantasy, film festival, furry, gaming, horror, media, sci-fi, steampunk, toy, and video gaming. There’s something for everyone!
The Perfect Activity For Your Geek-Minded Child
Board and roleplaying games are the perfect comic con activities for kids, but you can keep them going year round! [Photo from Gen Con]
Like many things in life, there’s a season for conventions that comes and goes. As much as they might want to, your child can’t spend every weekend cosplaying as their favorite character and wandering the artist alley. Might I humbly recommend an activity that goes year-round and is accessible no matter your location: online Dungeons & Dragons (or, as we call it around here, D&D). D&D is a great way for your child to connect with other geek-minded kids and teens, learn important social-emotional learning skills, and have fun doing something they love! Here at Young Dragonslayers, we run games of D&D for tweens and teens 100% online, and we put players in groups with similar ages, play styles, and support needs (D&D is great for neurodivergent players) that are run by professional adults who know the game well and are experienced working with children. If you think that our games might be what you’re looking for, you can join our waitlist, get on a call, play a trial game, and see if it’s the right fit for your child. And if you’d like to meet us in person, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to hear about our upcoming con appearances — you may find your new favorite family friendly convention!
