I am a photographer, so I do love bringing my camera and taking artsy photos at the track. And…well…I seem to be a bit obsessed with the Pagoda. But it is such an icon! It is just one of those things that when you see the photo, you KNOW where it was taken! So here is some of my fun from Saturday (Opening Day) and yesterday (Practice).
My goal as IndyCar Mom is to make more fans of IndyCar, and I believe I personally can do that best by inspiring parents to make their kids into fans. But as I write on the eve of Opening Day 2012, I want to champion my cause by telling you that in order to make your children into fans, you need to fan the flame of your own interest in the sport, and I actually 100% believe that you must do that WITHOUT your kids as well as with them! If you only went to the track when you were taking your kids, you would not fully enjoy it all as an adult. It would be like Christmas now that you have kids. Christmas was still pretty cool when you and your spouse were just the two of you and you gave each other great gifts and did fun things. But now, Christmas does seem to be 100% about the kids!
But with IndyCar, you have many opportunities to enjoy the sport. Many in the Month of May, if you live here in Indy. And more if you can make it to other races. So I really encourage you to enjoy some of the events without your kids. It will make the times you take the kids all that much better!
Aaron and I are going to the track in the morning…YAY! We get bronze badges every year and we see it as a date. Yeah, the bronze badges are $100 each, but it gets you in the gate all month free and into the garages too. My in-laws see the Month of May as a fun time with the kiddos, and we get to have lots of adult time together. We like to enjoy Opening Day, Pole Day and one weekday practice together, and then we bring the kids for a Sunday practice and the IMS Kid’s Day event. Aaron and I also love to find outside-of-the-track Indy 500 events to attend like the Carb Night Burger Bash (which people also bring kids to), IndyCar Nation events like the Pole Day evening event at the Dallara Factory, and we have done random things like the A.J. Foyt Wine event at Ruth’s Chris, Mike King’s Live Audience Radio Show, and the Last Row Party. That is just the tip of the iceburg. I think I need another blogger who would calendar all the “adult” type events so I can know everything that is going on in this town!
I do hope to meet some of you tomorrow. We all share our love for IndyCar in common, and it is great to make friends at the track that you can see each year. Here is what I look like…I will be wearing a brown IndyCar Mom shirt. Please say hi! And, my name is Jill…in case you didn’t know!
If you read my blog, I can only assume that you are pretty into IndyCar, and know that during the Month of May you can purchase a Bronze Badge for entry into the garage area during all the May track events. Well, what you may not know is that the IMS is now allowing kids ages 9-17 to buy a Junior Credential that gets them into the garage area with an adult who also has a Bronze Badge. The cost for the Junior Credential is $75 and can be purchased at the IMS Credential Office.
Here is a copy of the paperwork we received from the track so that you have all the details! Hope to see more kids out at the Garages!!! Just 2 more years until our Nathan can get a credential…Oh Boy!
So about two months ago, after I did the blogger night for Trackside, my husband says to me that I should get an IndyCar Mom T-Shirt to wear so people can find me at the race events this year. (……Loooooong…..Pause…..) Hmm…it is hard to describe to you how I felt the moment I realized that I would not be hiding behind a computer for all of this. I said, “Yeah, I will look into that.” And over the next week I got kind of anxious thinking about being “recognized”. Eeeww!
I guess if I am going to do this thing, I really want to meet any of you who read my blog. So…I got a screened T-shirt. Find me in May in a brown T-shirt with the IndyCar Mom logo on the front. Now I realize that you don’t know what I look like and so I’m just going to get it out of the way here. I am just a MOM…and I really get that haggard 40-year-0ld look down when I dress in summer clothing and don’t wear my makeup for hot track days! Here goes…
So FIND ME at the track…I will keep you updated on Twitter & Facebook if I will be there. I will be excited to meet you…AND your kiddos!
The IMS 2nd Annual Easter Egg Hunt was last Saturday and we were able to go. It was CRAZY! Like crazy amount of people! They put out a press release that said they had over 1000 kids coming. It was a great event and I’m always so happy to see any kind of event for the kiddos that is held at the track. Kids need more opportunities to be there, and I say thank you to IMS and the Kid’s Club for putting this on. I know they were blown away by the registration this year and they already have said that they are going to go bigger and better next year! I hope this event will become THE Easter Egg Hunt to be at in Indianapolis.
Here is a photo of my kiddos with the Easter Bunny!
Today I volunteered for the 500 Festival Education Program. So fun! DID YOU KNOW???…what the connection is between the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Wonder Bread?
From Wikipedia on “Wonder Bread”:
“Wonder Bread was originally produced by the Taggart Baking Company in Indianapolis, and debuted on May 21, 1921, after a blind promotion with ads that only stated a “Wonder” was coming on May 21, 1921. When it was launched, the new brand was named by vice president for merchandising development Elmer Cline, who was inspired by the International Balloon Race at the Speedway. Cline was filled with “wonder” by the scene of hundreds of balloons creating a kaleidoscope of color resulting in the iconic red, yellow and blue balloons featured on the Wonder Bread logo.”
91 years later, the bread still displays the same “balloons”…take THAT McDonalds, for a recognizable, almost a century old logo!
The 500 Festival Education Program is for Indiana fourth grade students. From the 500 Festival website:
“The 500 Festival Education Program opens up the world of the 500 Festival and Indianapolis 500 and their important place in Indiana’s history and culture. Indiana Academic Standards based lesson plans are designed to give students an appreciation of the events and history of the 500 Festival and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and provide a unique opportunity to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for an educational Study Trip during the months of April and May. Lesson plans are free to schools enrolled in the program.”
PLEASE ask your local school district if they participate in this program, and if not, encourage them to do so! I even told my school that I would volunteer my time to help the 4th Grade teachers with the curriculum! This is a great program and one that I support 100% for educating kids and getting them interested in racing. Be sure to visit the 500 Festival at their website for information about how you can volunteer for this program and many other events they put on from now through the Month of May! “Like” them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/500fest and follow them on Twitter at @500Festival.
Since I started blogging, one thing that keeps coming up is the subject of taking kids to the Indianapolis 500. Obviously, if you are interested in this post, you have already been to the 500 yourself. So, you know that it is a very unique event…an “all day” affair. And you know that it is a challenge for adults, let alone kids. So let’s talk about how to bring the kids, because when your kids are ready, I don’t want you to be scared to take the plunge!
So our kids are Nathan, who is 7, and Faith, who is 3. We took Nathan to his first 500 last May when he was 6. And, to be fair, we did our trial run the year before by taking him to the IndyCar race at the Kentucky Speedway when he was 5. We mainly did this because he was pretty young, and we didn’t know when he would be ready to really enjoy the race. In my opinion, you either have to have a young kid who is VERY interested in IndyCar, or you wait until they are a little older if they are marginal or just want to go for the experience. I don’t think there is a magical age, but I hope some of these suggestions will help in any case.
First of all, I think the best thing you can do for your kids and any group of people going to the race with you, is invest in a set of INTERCOM Headsets. You have seen plenty of people at the race with their headsets on, connected to their race scanner. But Intercom Headsets are the kind that have a microphone and you can connect them and talk to the other people you are connected to. Can you still have your scanner? Yes! Don’t worry that you will miss something. Really, the race experience will be best for the kids when they can ask questions and you can experience it with them. And honestly, that can’t happen while the cars are on the track if you don’t have an intercom. The race is a very solitary 3 hours without the intercom…total downer for anyone who is marginal or just along to support you, the “big fan”! Headsets and scanners are available for rental on race day from Track Scan, but the Intercom Headsets have to be purchased. Track Scan usually has some on hand, but if you want to be sure to get them, buy them in advance here: Track Scan Intercom Headsets
Second, this is again, not always a possibility…because of money or even availability. But…GET GOOD SEATS! Especially for the first race your kid goes to, get some seats where they can see the front straightaway, some of the pits and the flag stand. Otherwise, it will be a little confusing really. EVEN if you, the “big fan” has to sit in crappier seats (like you move from a high row in the SW Vista to a lower row in Stand A)…the race action isn’t as great, but the whole experience is important to get your kids interested and understanding the event. And there is always more movement going on in the front straight with pit action.
You may be one of those people who I see walking a mile east down 16th Street after the race, but I beg you to please get a reserved lot parking place for the race! Any amount of excessive walking you can eliminate for the kiddos is going to make their experience better. I’m going to tell you that we park in the reserved grass lot across 16th Street from the Brickyard Hotel, and we get back to our house in Greenwood within 30-45 minutes of getting in our car after the race. I’m serious! They force the traffic east and it is so quick. Now, we have relatives from Columbus, IN who park in the Coke lot and they are usually still in the lot an hour after we are home! So find out how the traffic exits from a lot before buying! Anyway…we like the grass lot because it is great for hanging out in the morning with Nathan. We can play ball or bring games and enjoy the weather before heading into the track. This is a great way to start the day off well, and not feel rushed. We are required to arrive in our lot by 8:00 am, so we get there early and bring stuff to do.
There are all kinds of experiences you can have on race day, so just know that taking kids can be done…you just have to think ahead and adjust your regular routine a little. Make sure you are thinking about their needs. Think about their level of endurance for the day and their attention span. I think my biggest advice is to only take one kid the first time, and add them as the others get older. If I had 3 kids age 7, 9 and 11 this year, I would probably only take the 11 year old the first time, and add another kid each year. But I am no supermom and I’m not married to superdad…so if you are that type, you can probably take your whole family without a thought and have a perfect day! I however, have to OCD the experience…plan it, orchestrate it, succeed at it, and then blog about it! 
So I hope if you have been on the fence, that you will consider taking your kid(s) to the race this year! Please send me any questions you have…if I don’t know the answer, I’m sure one of my readers will!
The Big Reveal! Here is the cake for tomorrow that the kids and I worked on this afternoon! THE FIRST RACE OF THE SEASON IS 4 DAYS AWAY!!
THE RACE PARTY IS THIS WEEK! Sunday is the first race of the IndyCar season and we are planning to have the 4th Annual Levenhagen IndyCar Season Kick-off Party this weekend! I hope I have inspired you with some ideas for the cake and decorations in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. Most of all I want this to be an “activity” that your kids are involved in. That is what gets them excited about an event. So, while our actual Race Party only lasts a few minutes, it is always the planning and the prep and decorating before that the kids enjoy. The result is that my kids start associating a very fun event with IndyCar and then they get excited about the race season.
Last in this Family Race Party blog series, I just wanted to give you some ideas of the activities you can do with your kids leading up to the party which will build excitement for them and get them involved. I will tell you some of the things I have done myself and I am going to post some links to some highly themed race parties I have seen posted online.
First, most kids love crafts…mine do. So last year we decided to make a “favor” for everyone in the family. We made checkered flag necklaces out of pony beads. I bought some plastic cord and black and white pony beads, and showed Nathan how to thread the beads and he made one for each member of the family. Below is a few photos that should help you figure out how to do this.
We love Legos around here, so anything with a racing theme that we can imagine building with Legos, we try it. A few years back, we made a Lego Pagoda, which we plan to use on our cake for this weekend’s party. And we also made a checkered flag “stand” that Nathan likes to use to display his diecast IndyCars. I would love to see any of your Lego creations that have to do with racing…please post them on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/indycarmom.
Another element of the party that I try and involve the kids in is the invitation. Below was the first one when Nathan was only 4, so he helped with some stencils and watercolor paint. We don’t really invite anyone outside our family, but we like to make a special invitation for Daddy. And, that way we only have to make ONE!! Sometimes I just get out the craft supplies and let Nathan go wild. I also found a printed one online that I thought was cool. This link (http://www.tangledandtrue.com/2010/03/race-car-party.html) will take you to a page where a whole themed party was described, and I especially loved the invitation and signs they used.
I did some searching online for ideas, and found some really cute cakes and race themed birthday parties that will hopefully inspire you:
Here is a special “road” tape that you can buy that has great possibilites for a party, or just playtime! http://blogs.babble.com/family-style/2010/11/11/the-world-is-your-race-course/
I LOVE this idea to make a racetrack on the driveway, porch or sidewalk for party fun! http://www.speckledfreckle.com.au/blog/?p=277
Um…OH MY GOSH I love this racetrack! And guys…there is even plans for building this on this webpage! http://www.gwynnwassondesigns.com/2010/08/tips-hints-race-car-party.html
Here is a few more I found, that you can explore if you are interested:
http://www.saraspartyperfect.com/2010/09/race-car-party-2/ - I really like the tablecloth they found for this party.
http://www.babylifestyles.com/2009/09/at-dylans-first-racecar-birthday-party-he-races-to-the-checkered-flag/ - Did you see that CAKE???
http://thepurplepug.blogspot.com/2010/05/monster-jam-dirtfest.html - I like the “Refueling Station”.
http://bellyfeathersparty.blogspot.com/2010/03/race-car-party-calebs-disney-cars-3rd.html - The party games were especially good on this one.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/77209432/ready-set-go-cupcake-decorating-kit?ga_search_query=race%2Bcar&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5372145 - Cupcakes are really “IN”…so I found these little decorations you can buy for your cupcake creations!
I hope you are “getting me” here…the race party is not about partying. If so, we would invite all our adult friends and have an adult party. The kids could hang around and enjoy it, but it would not really be for them. The whole purpose here is all the excitement leading up to the season opening race. The actual race party we have at our house doesn’t even last long. It is all the fun prep and activities the kids and I do in advance that builds up the excitement for them. And honestly, if we didn’t do this party, the opening of the season would come and go and they would probably hardly know. My kids are only 7 and 3, so we are working on building fans here…it takes time! If you have kids who are in middle school or high school, doing a race party might not be your best avenue for getting them excited. I encourage you though, to figure out how to get them excited…not just for the 500, but for the whole IndyCar season!
The IMS recently release information about their 2nd Annual IMS Easter Egg Hunt. We did not get to go to this last year, so we are really excited! I am really happy to see the IMS sponsoring holiday events for the kids that get them out to the track. Some people might wonder what this does for kids getting excited about racing, but I assure you that being at the track gets kids excited about what goes on there! There is just no substitute for the thrill it is to be in that place. Any opportunity like this that you have to be at the track for a kid-friendly event is a MUST ATTEND for our family! I hope to see you all there!
