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Rally activities for pre-teens

jgebhardt

New member
I'm bringing my 12-year-old grandson to this rally, his first, my third (after Sedalia and Salem). What sorts of things may be planned to entertain his age group at a typical national rally? We will be in a sidecar rig, which should improve his mood and comfort while traveling. I want to ensure he has a great time so that he will want to return to the rally annually (with me, of course!). Aside from a couple of seminars that I will be assisting (Owners News and Deep Vein Thrombosis) and volunteering, I plan to spend all my time with him and his father, who is new to the sport and BMW. We can't come early for Camp GEARS. Any suggestions are welcome.

Jim Gebhardt
Leavenworth, KS
 
while not strictly on the fairgrounds, the Como Park Zoo and the park itself are good for a morning.

A little different but certainly fun is the Wabasha St. Caves tour in downtown St Paul. Learn the history of where the Chicago mobsters spent their summer holiday!

When you get done with the caves tour, get into your hack rig and go down Grand Avenue back to the river, turn over one street and meander up Summit Avenue to see some of the grand estates from the Banking/Lumber/Miller/Railroad barons of the 19th century.

Just a couple of ideas for activities near the fairgrounds.
 
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That depends a lot on what his interests are. Here are a few suggestions that might work.

Music: When you get there check the schedule for bands and performers. Some will be evening but often there are afternoon performances. He can pick what he likes better than you can I suspect. He might even recognize a band name or two.

Mechanical Things: If he is at all interested in mechanical things he would probably enjoy the bike show and the vintage display. The vintage display ought to run most of the rally. The bike show probably only one day or part of a day.

Seminars: Skip the oil and tire seminars with him. Take him to at least one commercial tour seminar - preferably Africa or other exotic sounding place just so he can enjoy the pictures and get the bug for going places.

Volunteering somewhere: There will be opportunities for him to volunteer doing something. Probably not the beer garden but he could help the Gophers (find Lee Hunt), or maybe at Pin and Patch. Plan for a short shift - an hour here, an hour there. If there is a welcome booth he could help hand out bottled water and get to meet a lot of folks and maybe ride around the grounds in a golf cart. Or, help sosrt boxes or something and meet lots of people at receiving.

And of course - a good tour of the vendors.

I am sure others can think up things - these are just a few that I thought of.
 
Some others:

The GS Giant group will likely have a few skill competitions that will be fun to watch.

If he is really into mechanics then at airhead central he may be able to watch someone perform anything from an oil change to something near to an overhaul.

Get him a new camera and turn him loose. He may be able to get something published in the Owners News.

There is a Run/Walk one morning.
 
All good suggestions

These are all good suggestions. Thanks for the ideas, and more that will come between now and July. I really enjoyed watching the GS Giant event at Sedalia and Salem, and I'm sure he will as well. Volunteering is on my list, but loud music is not. What 12-year-old would not like a task that involved in riding in a golf cart? Perhaps there will be a sidecar field event in which we can participate. Just getting his mother to "authorize" this long ride (500 miles each way) was an accomplishment, so I want him to have fun.

Jim G.
 
These are all good suggestions. Thanks for the ideas, and more that will come between now and July. I really enjoyed watching the GS Giant event at Sedalia and Salem, and I'm sure he will as well. Volunteering is on my list, but loud music is not. What 12-year-old would not like a task that involved in riding in a golf cart? Perhaps there will be a sidecar field event in which we can participate. Just getting his mother to "authorize" this long ride (500 miles each way) was an accomplishment, so I want him to have fun.

Jim G.

Jim...unfortunately the Nationals no longer have field event, so sidecar event is out :cry

Someone suggested the Como Zoo, and it's an excellent suggestion.
Also we're planning to have a raptor demonstration on grounds at least once. You and your Grandson might also enjoy visiting the world re-known Raptor Center. http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/AboutUs/home.html It's almost "on-grounds", and less than a mile walk (slightly further ride). Someone mentioned talking her son and his friend to Como zoo (about the same age)....maybe we can convince her to take a few more kids if they're interested.

A little further away (7 miles) is the Children's Museum of MN: http://www.mcm.org/ I've never visited, but head good things about it.

I think he'll be so overwhelmed with all the bikes, and activities....he'll a a great time.

See you in St. Paul
 
Oops, forgot about the Science Museum of MN, downtown St. Paul. LOTS of good stuff, including history and interpretation of the US defining river, the Mississippi.

BTW, riding down one side of the Mississippi and up the other should definitely be on everyone's ride plan for the Rally.
 
Tweens

Jim...unfortunately the Nationals no longer have field event, so sidecar event is out :cry

Someone suggested the Como Zoo, and it's an excellent suggestion.
Also we're planning to have a raptor demonstration on grounds at least once. You and your Grandson might also enjoy visiting the world re-known Raptor Center. http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/AboutUs/home.html It's almost "on-grounds", and less than a mile walk (slightly further ride). Someone mentioned talking her son and his friend to Como zoo (about the same age)....maybe we can convince her to take a few more kids if they're interested.




Karol's probably talking about me.
:)

I've been consulting with my expert here (he will be 13) and we were trying to come up with some ideas that Tweens could do at the rally. There are literally tons of things to do in the area but we are trying to come up with ideas specifically on the rally grounds.

There are usually a bunch of kids in this age range at the rally but there really hasn't been anything to get them together. Once they near the magic age of 16 then there is camp gears:groovy

Of course anything formally put together would have to be approved by powers that be (and have some volunteers)
 
'Tweens at the Rally

WI Sharon:

Let's meet up somewhere at the Rally. I volunteer to give all the 'tweens you can round up (informally, of course) a ride on the rally grounds in my sidecar. Some may never have had that experience. Good photo op also.

Jim Gebhardt
 
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