X Games is Aspen’s biggest party of the year, and while certainly geared toward teens, it can be a fun, if hectic event, to attend with younger children. Here, a few tips on navigating the scene from local moms and dads in the know:

Bring your skis! Don’t forget, you’re at a ski area—and 99 percent of the people there are doing something else. Take advantage of the uncrowded slopes, the great views of the X games courses from the Summit Express chairlift, the easier access to spectator spots. And if you’re skiing, you can try parking at West Buttermilk or Tiehack, though you better get there early.  We currently have 4,396 acres open and we’ve received 18” in the last 7 days with more on the way.

Winter boots with good traction are a must, for you and your kids. Remember, it’s a lot colder standing around on snow than riding or skiing on it. And walking uphill alongside the superpipe is slippery.

Before you do anything else, find the guest services tent and designate it as a meet-up spot in case you and your kids get separated. Make sure they’re carrying your contact info (or have it memorized), too. Your child’s ski pass can be a handy form of ID.

If you’re bringing younger kids (under 7 or 8, say), check the event schedule in advance and come close to start time rather than just showing up. Otherwise, you may spend a lot of time between events milling around or trying to stay warm.

Don’t forget snacks and water. Food is available in a couple of locations and at Bumps, but once you finally work your way up to that prime viewing spot, the last thing you’ll want to do is leave it if your child gets hungry or thirsty. And, per X Games policy, you can only bring in store-bought water in sealed plastic bottles.

Bring a bag for schwag, so your kids can easily collect the various doo-dads, geegaws, sponsor stickers and more handed out by exhibitors in the X Fest area. After all, isn’t that the real reason they wanted to go?

Taking your toddler? Plan a short stay. With all the hoopla, tots can get overwhelmed and/or distracted pretty quickly. When my husband brought our then-3 year old, our son watched a bit of the snowmobile comp, then became more interested in crying for a ride on the snowmobile shuttling riders to the superpipe start (which, of course, he couldn’t do).

Your child is in elementary school? Be ready to spend more time trolling the X Fest booths for schwag than watching the games.

Let middle-schoolers explore on their own, but have them check in with you periodically during prearranged meet-up times.

When riding the bus after a night event, be prepared for some rowdiness, little of which will be G-rated. Ear muffs, perhaps?

For more info visit http://espn.go.com/action/xgames/winter/2012/ or call 970/925-1220.

—Cindy Hirschfeld