In the past, the trip to Melbourne for PAX Aus has always been a child-free retreat for me, and I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that, but this year, plans have changed, and now I’m bringing my 9-year-old son along to his first PAX – PAX Aus 2024!
And yes, you guessed it… I am kind of freaking out a bit!
If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation or if you thought 2024 was going to be the year you would bring the kids along and are starting to get a little worried about how they’ll go at such a huge event, especially the younger ones, I thought I’d share the tricks I have up my sleeve to ensure both my son and I have the best PAX Aus ever!
First and most importantly of all, I will be keeping an open mind when it comes to the whole weekend. As a parent/caregiver, you very quickly learn to accept things won’t go to plan when you venture out with the kids, so I’d recommend coming to terms with the fact you probably won’t get to the panels you were hoping to see or spend as much time playing Magic The Gathering as you wanted to (or was it only me planning on spending all three days doing that?), so flexibility is key, at least it is for my sanity.
With that said, I have started having conversations with my son about what’s on offer at the event, perusing content from past PAX conventions with him, answering any questions he may have and highlighting the things that align with his interests to drum up some excitement and to help him gain a bit more of an understanding of what PAX Aus will be like. This is also helping me come to terms with the fact that this year, Mummy won’t be able to do all the things Mummy wants to do, and instead, I’ve been looking for things on the schedule that will cater to both of our interests. Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing some family/child-related panels and activities later in the piece if you’re after some ideas.
To help with his sensory issues, I will be packing his earmuffs and headphones. How he will handle being in such a noisy, crowded environment is what has sent my anxiety through the roof because I know how easily overstimulated I can get there at times! If you aren’t familiar with the layout of the Convention Centre, there is a grassed area by the river just outside, and we will be utilising that quite a lot for chill out/run around time! The Handheld Lounge is also a fantastic option to take a moment to rest your feet and hang out for a while so you can bet we’ll be frequenting there too for a little Switch or iPad sesh. Plus, let’s not forget the PAX Together Lounge and AFK Room! Another great place to seek refuge momentarily are the higher levels where the theatres and meetup rooms are (thank me later for that one).
I know it goes without saying because we parents and caregivers do it anyway but in case this is your first PAX Aus and you weren’t sure if you could – you can bring snacks. I’ve started meal planning the whole weekend so I can get everything prepped. You know I’m going to have everything and more in my backpack. Sandwiches, fruit, chips, drinks, I’ll have it all! Speaking of packing, again, this wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for the parents/caregivers out there, but have a change of clothes, Band-Aids, and wipes handy too!
If you are bringing littler ones, unfortunately you won’t be able to bring your prams/strollers into the Expo Hall, however, Pram Parking is available next to the cloak room at the Convention Centre so just keep that in mind.
Of course, all children are different, and no one knows the children in your life better than you, so please take all this with a grain of salt. Heck, there’s a chance absolutely all of this will go out the window for me, and we’ll spend all day playing Mario Kart or dancing with Fortnite cosplayers, but at the end of the day, it comes down to spending quality time with your kids, getting to share your love for gaming and let’s not forget seeing the moment their little minds are blown when they walk through those Expo Hall doors!
Now, before I wrap things up, here are some of the panels and activities I’ve stumbled across that cover all things parenting/children/fun stuff for kids:
- The W’s and L’s of Parents in Video Games
- Meet the students changing the game: How to go from the classroom to Steam!
- Kids Learn to Play TT RPGs! (Running at different times over the weekend)
- Cooking with Tabitha (Collaboratory)
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Racing 100CC – Junior Tournament)
- Pokemon Australia Meetup
You can also find the full schedule here. And don’t forget there will be stacks of booths in the Expo Hall suitable for the kids, too! Stay tuned after PAX Aus to find out how it all went because I will be updating y’all. But remember, above all else, have fun! The kids are going to go nuts, and you’ll all have the best time guaranteed!
PAX Aus Tickets Are Still On Sale
PAX Aus 2024 will be taking place at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on October 11-13, 2024. 3-day passes and Saturday badges are sold out. Friday and Sunday badges are on sale now.
