MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — September 27, 2026 (Minnesota Nice News)
Theo got to Target Field too late in the game for an ice cream helmet last fall, then could not find one at all in April. Finally, on Sunday, at the last Minnesota Twins home game of the season, the publisher’s nephew ate soft serve out of a tiny batting helmet.
It was Kids Day at Target Field, and Theo covered it the way a good reporter covers anything. He skipped the hotel continental breakfast hoping for greener pastures at the ballpark, ate everything that was in front of him like an MLB color analyst on Opening Day, played every game he could find and let his mother, Mandy, handle the note taking and security.
The family’s seats looked out over the backyard and the field.
By the way, the Twins beat the Texas Rangers 6-4 in front of 26,839 people.
The helmet, at last
Theo had been waiting a full year for this. The family missed it last fall by waiting too long into the game, and on an April visit they could not find it at all.
Sunday, they found it. The ice cream helmet ran $13 and change with tax, which Mandy called “honestly, a decent deal for the souvenir mini helmet plus a good amount of soft serve ice cream.” There was plenty for the two of them to share.
The choices are chocolate, vanilla or twist. Mandy ordered chocolate and vanilla side by side in the same helmet, because Theo does not care for chocolate as much as she does. A helmet with a demilitarized zone down the middle is the kind of compromise that keeps a Minnesota family together through a long winter.
Target Field food on Kids Day
Every Sunday home game is Kids Day at Target Field, presented by Target, and kids meals are half price. On Sunday that meant $4.25 for an entree, fries and a small fountain drink.
The entree choices are two chicken strips, a hot dog or, at a couple of stands, pizza. Theo wanted pizza. The stand near their section was closed. He took the chicken strips and a Cherry Pepsi.
The whole meal came tucked inside a paper bag printed with a Twins cartoon for coloring, along with a three-pack of crayons. Three dipping sauces rode inside the cup.
Theo’s verdict: the Target Field chicken strips were better than the chicken strips he had the night before at Lucky’s 13 Pub. Ballpark food does not often win that matchup.
Mandy’s chicken strip basket cost $15.19 for three strips, a small helping of fries and three dipping sauces on top: barbecue, ranch and honey mustard.
“Not worth the price for 2x the cost of a kids meal and not much more food,” she said.
Her better buy was at a value stand, where a Cherry Pepsi she put at 16 to 20 ounces cost under $3.
The lesson for families is right there on the receipt. Go on a Sunday, order the kids meal, split a helmet and let the grown-up basket sit this one out.
The best part was not on a plate
Asked for the best thing about the day, Theo did not pick the ice cream. He picked Bullseye’s Backyard, the Target-sponsored kids area, where he did everything: a baseball throw, a keychain charm bar and a skee-ball character race.
He won the character race both times he played.
The lanes are named for the racers, including Wanda the Walleye and Gracie the Grey Duck. A child who can beat a walleye at skee-ball has a future in this state.
Meanwhile, on the field
The Twins hit a home run in the eighth inning. Mandy did not catch who hit it. For the record, it was Royce Lewis, a solo shot to left-center off Rangers reliever Cody Bradford, his 15th of the season. Watch the game highlights on MLB.com.
Theo recommends the trip to his friends and other kids for next season. He already has two items on his list.
The first is one of the food items served in the large helmet, which, Mandy said, “would probably fit on his head.” She added that she might be willing to try the nachos.
The second is a TC Bear stuffed plush and small rolled blanket set he spotted in the Twins team store.
Mandy said the weekend was a gift she was glad to give. It included a night at a hotel so Theo could go swimming, the game and the long-awaited helmet, and he thanked her for all of it.
“I’m so glad I was able to take Theo to the game so he could have a fun time,” she said.
She called it an all-around fun day, with beautiful weather and a fun, safe atmosphere in the stadium.
The Twins are done at home for the year. Theo has all winter to decide what goes in the big helmet.
Have a ballpark, bleacher or concession stand story of your own? Reach the Newsroom.
Writing By: Gregory Moyer | Editing by Jodi Moyer
EDITOR’S NOTE:
SOURCES:
Kids day
MLB.com, Kids Day at Target Field. Sunday is Kids Day, with half-price kids meals of a hot dog, chicken tenders or pizza slice with a side and a drink. Pizza is sold only at select stands.
The game
- MLB.com, Rangers 4, Twins 6 Final Score (09/27/2026). The Twins beat the Rangers 6-4 on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
- The Minnesota Star Tribune, Texas Rangers’ playoff hopes end at Target Field. The final score, and that the Twins were playing their season finale.
- CBS Sports, Texas Rangers vs. Minnesota Twins Box Score, Sept. 27, 2026: Lewis homered to left-center in the bottom of the eighth, his 15th of the season.
- FOX Sports, Rangers vs. Twins, Sept. 27, 2026: the solo homer came off Cody Bradford.
- MLB.com, Condensed Game: TEX@MIN, 9/27/26: the video link.
- ESPN, Twins 6-4 Rangers, Sept. 27, 2026: attendance of 26,839.
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