Thank you in advance for any suggestions and guidance! I am surprising my 6yo girl with a trip to the swamp this weekend for the Ole Miss game. She loves some football and I am looking forward to time well spent. I’ve been to the Swamp plenty of times but always just to tailgate and get into the stadium. It’s been about 5+ years since my last Visit too. This time, I’d like to explore some with her and let her see plenty of highlights … like the Gator Walk, Cheerleaders, Statues, etc. What are some can’t miss experiences and sights to see that she would enjoy? Any other opinions on ways to make the afternoon as comfortable/easy as possible would be appreciate too … parking pass ideas, proximity, map (?), lessons learned from dads, lol! Thank you!
Good seats so she can see the action or at least see the cheerleaders/players. Buy her some Gator stuff (shirt, cheerleader outfit, stuffed gator, etc) Picture with the gator statue or Albert/Alberta, if possible. Catch the jumbotron for the gator chomp coming out of the swamp as the teams hit the field. Haven't met a kid that didn't like that. In fact I can recall making a Gator fan out of a Kentucky kid after watching it. Of course it's even better when the Gators win. We were lucky for my sons first game, wife got tickets behind the Gator bench about 10 rows up from a bull gator and the Gators won. Enjoy!
Oh, my goodness, how wonderful! My very first Gator "game" was the Orange and Blue Spring game my father took me to when I was around that same age. Daddy's girl. So I feel you. If she's a tomboy like I was/still am at almost 40 now LOL and into football this deep, these are my recommendations: Gator Walk - happens about 2 hours 25 minutes before kick-off so a very early 9:30am-ish this weekend. Will happen along W. University Blvd (which will be closed to traffic early) from around Gale Lemerand Drive intersection (road along west stands) down W. University into the North end of the stadium. Try and get a spot on the street roped-off area early so she can try and get little high-fives from the players as they make their way in. Bronze Albert and Alberta statues for visiting/photo opportunity outside of Emerson Alumni Hall also right there around that same intersection of W. University and Gale Lemerand. The walk south down Gale along the west stands outer area to see the three Heisman statues and outside the southwest gate entrance is a Bull Gator statue. I think there is also a bronze Gator statue outside the North end zone entrance area. Otherwise, I don't remember a ton of kid-friendly stuff. That also may be affected now that I am older and do not have children of my own, so I visit the beer tents, etc now. Get into the stadium with her early. Pregame show should start around 11:30am and that was... and still IS... my biggest highlight! Let her absorb the band performing and lead her through the cheers. If you need food or potty breaks near halftime, try to hit those mid 2nd quarter so she can enjoy watching the band perform during halftime... because by halftime, the lines for EVERYTHING are awful. Be in seats end of 3rd quarter for We Are The Boys and Won't Back Down. Lead her through those. Swaying to We Are The Boys is a never-ending delight, old or young, in my opinion. Towards the end of the game, if there's an opportunity or restlessness, can maybe try and take her near the band in the northeast stands. I imagine they, even though working, would be amused by a little one. Try to get low towards the field near the end to catch Albert and Alberta prowling around. Post-game, depending on where your seats are and how long a haul it is, the band exits out and performs along the street at the south end zone after the game so another opportunity to catch them performing close-up. Someone correct me if any of my knowledge is outdated or if there's anything new I missed. This game will actually be my first time in ages milling around the stadium early instead of tailgating up to pregame, so I'll be taking a dear friend around to see Gator Walk and explore the food/beer tents early.
I took my 9 yo daughter to the UF/UCF game this year and learned kids really don’t want to venture very far. Aside from the obvious around the stadium, there are some low key things that my daughter enjoyed. If you’re a dues paying alumni, you can take them to the Alumni Hall. They have food, big screens with games/pre-games on, Albert/Alberta photo ops. The cheerleading squad does cheers in the dining hall. There is face painting inside as well. They have tailgate games in the adjacent courtyard and clean bathrooms!!! There are the “French Fries” kids seem to enjoy. The pond behind the Reitz Union has turtles and small alligators that are always good for a few minutes of your time. The official bookstore has two levels of swag if you wanted her to have that opportunity as well. I hope y’all have a blast as a fellow Daddy/Daughter game day adventurer. The early nature of this game is a bummer in that you can’t take her to the Harn Museum and Butterfly Rainforest before going to campus for the Gator walk. Just something to remember for future trips as it is really kid friendly.
