Taking Kids to Concerts
Taking Kids to Concerts
Packing Essentials
The BANZ® guide to planning ahead for loud music, big crowds, outdoor venues, festivals, arena shows, and family concert memories.
Concerts can be unforgettable for kids — the music, lights, crowd energy, and feeling of being part of something big. They can also be loud, bright, crowded, and long, especially for babies, toddlers, and sensory-sensitive children.
The right concert kit helps families enjoy the show without scrambling once the lights go down, the crowd starts cheering, or the first song begins.
"At a concert, hearing protection is not the backup plan. It is the first thing to pack."
Concerts Are Built to Be Loud
Concert sound can feel exciting for adults but overwhelming for children. Speakers, crowd noise, opening acts, fireworks effects, announcements, and echoing arena spaces can all add up quickly.
🎵 Put hearing protection on before the music starts
Do not wait until a child is already startled or uncomfortable. Put earmuffs on before the opening act, before the main show, and before any fireworks or loud special effects.
📱 Use the BANZ Protect App for Real-Time Sound Awareness
Before the music starts, open the BANZ Protect app so you can stay more aware of changing sound levels in real time. Concert volume can shift quickly between opening acts, crowd noise, announcements, the main set, and special effects.
The app gives families one more tool to help decide when to put earmuffs on, when to take a quieter break, or when it may be time to move farther from speakers.
What You're Packing For
Arena Shows
Loud speakers, cheering crowds, bright lights, echoing spaces, and long waits before the main act.
Outdoor Venues
Sun, heat, lawn seating, food lines, walking, evening chill, and sound that can still be intense.
Festivals
Multiple stages, changing sound levels, crowds, sun exposure, and long family days outside.
The BANZ® Concert Checklist
- Earmuffs for every child. Keep them on before music starts and during the loudest parts of the event.
- Use the BANZ Protect app during the event. Live sound awareness can help you stay ahead of volume changes, especially between sets, announcements, crowd surges, and special effects.
- Choose seats thoughtfully. More distance from speakers and sound stacks is usually easier for little ears.
- UV400 sunglasses for outdoor shows. Bright outdoor venues, afternoon festivals, and evening glare can be hard on kids’ eyes.
- UPF 50+ sun hats for daytime events. Hats help with long lines, outdoor seating, and festival days with limited shade.
- Plan a quiet break. Know where you can step away before your child is overwhelmed.
- Bring familiar comfort items. A favorite toy, snack, or blanket can help during waits and transitions.
Older Kids Need Protection Too
It is easy to think of earmuffs as something only babies or toddlers need, but older kids are often the ones standing closer to the stage, cheering with friends, staying for the full show, and trying to push through discomfort because they do not want to miss out.
Concerts can also be harder for older kids because they understand the excitement and want to be part of it, even when the sound is too much. Hearing protection gives them a way to stay in the moment without having to leave the fun completely.
For tweens and teens, frame earmuffs as smart gear — the same way musicians, DJs, audio crews, and venue teams protect their hearing around loud sound.
- Do not assume older kids will speak up. They may be embarrassed, distracted, or trying to act like they are fine.
- Let them choose their color or style. Ownership makes protection feel less like a parent rule and more like their own concert gear.
- Use the app as a neutral cue. If sound levels are climbing, the BANZ Protect app can help make the decision feel practical instead of emotional.
- Normalize breaks. A quick walk away from the speakers can help kids reset without ending the night.
Make Hearing Protection Normal
Kids are more likely to wear hearing protection when it feels like part of the concert routine, not a punishment. Put earmuffs on early, talk about why sound protection matters, and make it part of the same checklist as tickets, snacks, water, and getting to your seats.
Musicians, sound engineers, venue crews, and professional performers all understand the importance of hearing protection. That framing can help children of every age see earmuffs as smart, not babyish.
The Complete Concert Pack List
🎧 Sound Protection
- Baby earmuffs, 0–18 months
- Kids earmuffs, 18 months+
- Use before the show starts
- Keep accessible, not buried
📱 Sound Awareness
- BANZ Protect app
- Check changing sound levels
- Use during sets and crowd surges
- Pair with earmuffs and breaks
☀️ Outdoor Protection
- UV400 sunglasses
- UPF 50+ sun hat
- Sunscreen for daytime events
- Light layer for evening shows
🧴 Comfort
- Water bottle
- Familiar snacks
- Comfort item
- Small quiet activity for waits
Shop the Concert Kit
Let Them Enjoy the Music Safely.
Pack the BANZ® essentials that help kids handle loud music, crowds, sun, and the big energy of a family concert day.
Shop the Concert Kit →