Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour is Vroom-tastic!

   

'Tis the season for staying indoors, thanks to Mother Nature and her chilly weather! And we're on the hunt for indoor activities that will entertain the whole family! We recently attended The Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour  in Toronto and it was just that! As much as this would not normally be my personal cup of tea, I have to admit, I enjoyed it! I have been challenged to expand my range of interests as a mom of 2 boys, and most of the time I have been pleasantly surprised. 

The Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour is action packed and chalked full of not only testosterone, but also estrogen! They have a few female drivers as well who are driving these 12ft tall and 10,000lb pumped up monster trucks. They race around the obstacle course impressing you with their tricks and skills and it is good ole' rip roarin' fun! These trucks each have their own personalities & style and your kids are sure to find one or more that becomes their favorite! The dirt bike attraction during intermission was also pretty impressive to watch! 

The tickets are surprisingly affordable given the type of event.  Ticket prices are geared towards most families' budgets and range on average from $20-$135 per ticket depending on the location. Despite that being said, check for promo codes for discounted tickets in your area to get the best deal possible if you plan on attending the event. Why spend more if you don't have to? You can also buy a Pit Party Pass, which allows you 2 hours of access in the pit before the show to meet these vehicular beasts and their drivers! Some locations even include this in your ticket price, so check your location to see if this is the case for you. *Note - be sure to buy your tickets ahead of time, as they are usually more expensive the day of. 

It's a good thing that these drivers are buckled in with a 5-point harness and wear fire resistant outfits, shoes, gloves and a helmet as they do some crazy and amazing stunts!  You will see typical Side-by-Side racing and the Freestyle Competition, which was our favorite! Seeing each driver show off their skills and abilities was pretty darn awesome! The kids were loving the full size vehicles getting crushed right before their eyes. Turns out that the drivers for the Monster Jam tour usually end up crushing about 3,000 cars per year! To see them in action, check out this YouTube video! You can also Follow them on Twitter or Like them on Facebook to get updates. And if you want to see Monster Jam goers' personal experiences and posts, search the hashtag #MonsterJam on social media! 

Word To The Wise: In my naiveté in never having attended one of these events before, I highly recommend that you get quality and certified noise suppression ear protection headsets for your children, or for those with noise sensitivity. It really is very LOUD! Did I mention it was LOUD?! (Foam ear plugs will not be enough for the little ones.) I have a 6yr old and a 2yr old and they were needed for both. It is especially essential if you have toddlers and/or preschoolers who don't necessarily understand where the noise is coming from initially, or when it will occur.  It can completely catch them off guard and may even frighten them at first. My advice on this is to try and put the headsets on the younger ones as soon as you grab your seats before the loud noises start, or at the gate if you are running behind and the show has already begun. I would not recommend this event for babies.  They do sell noise suppression headphones at the event, and offered 2 kinds for children. They had some cute Monster Truck wheel type headphones, and blue ones. The vendor told me that the blue ones were certified for noise suppression, and that the Monster Truck wheel headphones were not as suppressing. I would say the Monster Truck ones might be more suitable for a 4yr old and above, where I think the blue ones that are certified are ideal for a toddler or preschooler. I ended up getting the blue ones and they worked great for my youngest. In Toronto, the Monster Truck wheel headsets were $20, and the blue certified ones cost $25. For an additional $5, I strongly recommend that you consider the certified ones for your younger kids, or come prepared with the equivalent that you have purchased elsewhere. Prices and availability may differ at each venue, but that would give you a ballpark figure on how much noise suppression headsets would run you at the event. 

Most cities have 2 shows - one in the evening and one in the afternoon. If you are going with young children like toddlers, the afternoon show might be best. With a typical start time of 7pm and end time of 9-9:30, it might be too much stimulation with all the noise and travel time if you do not live in the same city as the event. Each child is different and you want to make sure that you can take advantage of the entire show.

All in all, we give this event a rip roarin' loud thumbs up! I would say that it's best suited for kids 4yrs and up, but if you need or want to bring your toddler with you, just be prepared and have proper noise suppresion for them or they will likely be too startled to enjoy the show. If your children like to colour, check out these Monster Jam coloring pages! 

For 2015, the Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour is visiting the following cities here in Canada:

Jan 17 & 18 - Toronto, ON @ The Rogers Centre

Feb 7 & 8 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place

Feb 21 & 22 - Winnipeg, MB @MTS Centre

Feb 28 - Vancouver, BC @ BC Place Stadium

Mar 7, 8 & 9 - London, ON @ Budweiser Gardens

Apr 25 & 26 - Hamilton, ON @ First Ontario Centre

May 30 & 31 - Halifax, NS @ Scotia Speedworld  

Sept 12 & 13 - Calgary, AB @ Stampede Grandstand

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****