There are some sport experiences you need to witness in person. The taste of a hotdog at a Mets game, watching the hurried feet of the New York City Marathon’s incredible athletes, seeing a Knicks player take flight and dunk a ball from the arena sidelines. I’m here to tell you – visiting a Jets home game with your family needs to be added to the list. It. Is. Magic. We just attended last week and are still talking non-stop from the experience, and can’t wait to go back.
But isn’t football just a game that you can catch on TV? Not even close. Nothing compares to seeing an actual game in person. The immersive pre-game experiences, then feeling the infectious energy under the bright lights of the stadium, and of course, the excitement from cheering on your home team with 85,000 fans is something you can not recreate.
Quite simply – there is no substitute to experiencing the NFL on game day. To share this experience with a child is even more special. Seeing their eyes light up as they enter the stadium for the first time, their excitement during the game, to being full engulfed and immersed in the action of the plays, sharing this experience together is a memory they will never forget.
Below find a step by step journey on how you can experience a family Jets game day with kids.
Getting There
Great news city dwellers – It’s very easy to get to MetLife Stadium. There are also two public transportation options. One option is to take the Coach USA 351 Meadowlands Express. The 351 Meadowlands Express is a Coach USA express bus service providing door-to-door, round trip transportation from The Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City to the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ. Couldn’t be easier. You can buy tickets online and they can also be purchased inside of the Port Authority South Wing, main floor (windows 11-15).
The second option is to take
New Jersey Transit (which is what we took for our visit). A train service runs from Hoboken to the Meadowlands starting three and a half hours before the game starts and for one to two hours after the game ends. Those in Manhattan can either travel from Penn Station and connect in Secaucus Junction or take the PATH to Hoboken and get on the train there. While busy, we found this to be super simple, and quite easy.
Before the Game
The fun starts before kickoff! We were surprised to learn of all the awesome (and FREE!) pre-game activities that were available for families. The players aren’t the only ones taking the field! There was a fun section dedicated to putting fans into the game in an area called “The Turf.” This section included lots of drill-type training experiences – such as a field goal kicking station, a chance to run through obstacle courses, and toss passes, all on AstroTurf. Highly recommend (how often do you have the opportunity to kick a field goal?) . We stayed and tried all of them.
There was also a large front yard known as “Jets Island” that was buzzing with activity, such as juggling stilt walker referees, ping pong tables, football toss games, along with lots of vendor activations that offered free prizes. A wide variety of food and drink options were available for purchase, and there were also food trucks to satisfy any pre-game hunger pains. Don’t forget to grab a pic with the large JETS sign, which sits in the center of the island.
If you have a car – another option for fun before the game is to tailgate! When we arrived the parking lots were buzzing with fun tailgating, fan cheering, football tossing and grilling. A full list of regulations can be found online .
Ticket to Fun
Don’t have tickets? You can buy tickets through the Jets either online with Ticketmaster, or at the MetLife Stadium box office. Typically, as with most sporting events, the only tickets available on the primary market are in the upper level (which is the highest in the stadium). Ticket prices in this level generally start at $120+ but this of course changes depending on when you are booking.
If you’re looking for better seats, you’ll have to hit the secondary market such as Stubhub and the NFL Ticket Exchange. When viewing premium tickets – keep in mind that the Jets have four different club levels. Two are located on the lower level with the Toyota Coaches Club behind the Jets sideline and the MetLife 50 Club behind the visitor sideline. Both club areas include unlimited food, non-alcoholic beverages and access to an outdoor deck right behind the teams on their sideline (and often these premium tickets have access to one of these areas included). The unlimited foods and ease of restrooms and more can be great for families!). Learn more about the club Levels here.
More tips: Section 224B is an alcohol free section and intended to be less rowdy. Sections 201, 202B, 225B, and 226 are smaller and easier to navigate – and many have an overhang that protects them from the weather.
Image Credit : Infatuation.com
Hungry Football Bellies
There are plenty of awesome food finds at MetLife Stadium come game time. The stadium was built with the stadium concession food craze in mind. Aside from the famous Sloppy Joes and the steak sandwichs, there is also a “Home Food Advantage” food court between sections 137 and 140. Also known as MetLife Central, this food court offers something for everyone – including a wide variety of food carts serving up an Asian, Mexican, Italian and other fare. One Highlight: Nonna Fusco’s famous Meatball sandwich is one of the most popular item in this area, inspired by the grandmother of MetLife Stadium chef Eric Borgia (find it Sections 118 and 341).
Game Time
It’s game time! Sit back, relax, and try to catch a t-shirt from the stands! Aside form all the action on field – Have the kids watch for Ed Anzalone — aka “Fireman Ed” — a retired firefighter who famously has led the cheer, J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS! for years. He usually makes an appearance on the large score board to start the cheer at least once per game. The Flight Crew (the Jets Cheerleaders) will also take the field, and there is typically a few games and quizzes to engage the audience. Most importantly – soak in all the action. This is one special moment.
Gen Jets Kids Club
Take the experience beyond the game! How would you like to meet your favorite Jets players, tour the locker room, or help welcome Jets players on game days? It’s all possible with
Gen Jets Kids Club! All kids ages 4 to 16 are invited to join the FREE Gen Jets Kids Club. Membership includes exclusive invites to one-of-a-kind experiences and events, such as kids-only autograph area at training camp practices, locker room tours at selected events, kids tunnel formed for the Jets on game day, and be a honorary captain during the Jets Coin toss, and so much more.
Tips for your visit:
- Allow at least one hour for the fun pre-game activities.
- Children up to 34” inches in height may enter MetLife Stadium free of charge but must share a seat with an accompanying ticketed adult (this includes all New York Jets football games).
- Traffic is quite awful leaving the stadium. Expect hefty fees and extreme wait times with Uber (we tried). Best bet – public transportation! Our suggestion is to leave a bit early and take the train/bus back to the city.
- Don’t forget – the new NFL rules are in effect! Visitors to any NFL game are allowed only 1 small clutch bag (4.5″ x 6.5″ or smaller) and also one clear NFL approved bag. Only bags that are CLEAR plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12” in size are accepted. More on these rules here.
- Forgot abut the bag policy? There is a bag check facility between parking lots E and G.
- No umbrellas, no strollers in the stadium. Still-photography cameras with a lens that is 6” or less in length are permitted.
- Food contained in a clear plastic bag, and factory-sealed, plastic bottles of water or soft drinks that are 20 oz. or less in size are permitted.
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