And this is just what we did when the Washington Nationals played the New York Mets at the home opener. The fanfare has tamed and the crowds have diminished a bit since the Nationals’ first season last year, but the community draw to our Major League Baseball team is grand. Families seemed to dominate crowd attendance at the 1:05 p.m. game we attended. Babies in Bjorns, young adults decked out in Nationals T-shirts and hordes of families sporting Nats ball caps occupied lots of seats in the upper decks.

Even last year early in the season when attendance was greater, seats in the upper and outer decks tended to be partially filled, which is good for families because it gives you wiggle room and allows for some seat swapping. (This probably doesn’t occur in premium seats behind home plate.) Designated seats at the four games I’ve attended tend to be loosely assigned, and most Nats fans seem to sit in their general area but not necessarily in their assigned spots. I mention this because about half of the seats at day games at RFK Stadium are shaded and half are sunny, so you can switch around, which you can’t do at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

Some of you associate RFK with rock concerts, and yes, it still feels like the RFK you remember, although it received a facelift. The steps are shallow and the risers are high, which proves difficult for little legs — especially if your children are toting hot dogs and beverages. So be warned, if you’ve got kids about 5 and younger, you’ll probably end up carrying their things as they scale the steps. You do have the option of buying beverages sold by vendors walking around, so this will lighten your load.

Since we’re talking about food, vendor lines tend to be longer and slower than at Camden Yards. Concessions include standard ballpark food: hot dogs ($4), pretzels ($3.75), peanuts ($3.75) and popcorn ($3.50). A few portable stands offer ice cream, hamburgers, sausages and pizza, but don’t expect crab cakes, hand-tied wheat pretzels and microbrew beer like in Baltimore. But heck, most kids we know just want hot dogs and peanuts anyway.

What a lovely afternoon or evening — being able to sit back, hear the crack of a bat and relax, especially for a baseball family like mine. But we only made it through 4 _ innings on opening day because my son’s missed nap took its toll. Although sad to depart early, I chuckled as I saw several other parents with sleepy children leaving at the same time. So, depending on whether your child still takes a nap, and depending on when bedtime is at your house, a night game might be better. And if you make it to the end of the game and the Nationals win, fireworks from the stadium illuminate the sky. Also, if you attend a Sunday afternoon game and make it to the end, kids ages 12 and under get to run around the bases afterward (the Diamond Dash).

When you’re selecting your game, also note that certain games have promotions. On opening day, all fans received opening day pennants sponsored by The Washington Post. On June 10, the first 15,000 fans receive a free Chad Cordero bobblehead doll. The Nationals’ website lists all promotions and special ticket packages.