10 Things to Do with Your Tween at Dragon Con 2014

Dragon Con is coming to Atlanta from Friday, August 29-Sunday, August 31.  In addition to being a Labor Day tradition for pop culture and comic fans it features the largest parade in Atlanta.  To give parents a fun starting point for smiles and memories that will last a lifetime, we’ve created our Top 10 of things to do with your 9 to 13-year-old at Dragon Con.

“As a convention by its members and for its members, Dragon Con is meant to be accessible to all ages of fans, including tweens and children,” said Convention Co-chair Rachel Reeves, “Parents and adults help foster creative thinking, fantastic imagination and an atmosphere of camaraderie through social fandom for future generations.”

Whether you are a new member or a seasoned one, here are ten things you should try to include in your weekend schedule:

1. Pop Culture on Parade. The annual Dragon Con parade kicks off Saturday, August 30, at 10 a.m.  Get there early to scout out the best location to view of all guests and costumed characters from television, movies comics and other imaginative realms.  The parade route is the same as 2013.

2. Build a Killer Robot. Introduce your kids to real-world engineering challenges when they design, build and program an autonomous robot using Lego technology at the Lego® FIRST® Challenge with the Kell High School Robotics Team.

4. Use the Force. Attend a light saber performance and training class by New York Jedi. Both adult and kids’ classes are held to encourage responsible use of the force.
5. Scope out the Sun. View the closest star to Earth through a Solar telescope. Sunspots, prominences, and maybe even a solar flare are safely viewable during the daytime with this special telescope. (Weather permitting.)

5. Sing a Tween Song. Enjoy Dragon Con’s first Family Friendly Dance with the Kaleidoscope Track. The theme this year is “Everything is Awesome” and geared for 9 to 13-year-olds.

6. Become a Mad Scientist. Take part in a dozen hands-on experiments during “The Science Power Hour!” on Sunday.  Extract DNA from strawberries, find out if you’re a Predator or an Alien, launch soda-straw rockets, mix up some non-Newtonian fluids, and to top it all off, make ice cream with liquid nitrogen.  Prefer to watch a mad scientist at work?  Don’t miss Beakman Live with the always amazing Paul Zaloom.

7. Discover a Great New Book. Meet young adult author Leigh Bardugo and join her in an hour-long discussion of Shadow and Bone and the rest of her terrific fantasy series.    

8. See the Puppet IMPROV!  Have a laugh during the hilarious improvisational puppet show for kids, starring puppeteers from Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Company.  Or, take part in a puppet-making workshop and go home with your own Dragon Con-shaped dragon puppet.     

9. Meet a Power Ranger. The cast of Power Rangers Samurai will lead panels and talk with fans throughout the weekend. Your tween can also meet other celebrities from television and Drew Roy, who played Jesse on Hannah Montana, Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy and Pluto, or a number of other famous stars on the Walk of Fame.

10. Share Something You Love. Add a few surprises into the mix for your tween. You never know what might pique your tween’s curiosity. Introduce them to the fandom you love and you might have a tween who shares your interests.

If your children are  younger than tweens Dragon Con can still be buckets of fun.  For tips on that you can visit our post on tips for your child’s first con.