The Pirates are stuck in the sixth inning and trailing by four runs. It's blazing hot and the ballpark wieners and ice cream are long gone. Three-year-old Jane is squirming. Six-year-old Jack is whining to go home. And the pierogi race is over.

Imagine if you could just scoop up your kids and take them over to a Sony Playstation pavilion and a Build-A-Bear Workshop. Or how about the karaoke stage and the build-your-own peanut butter and jelly sandwich bar?

You could if you were at the new state-of-the-art $611 million Nationals Stadium in Washington, D.C. The 41,000-seat ballpark includes Strike Zone, a 15,000-square-foot family area that represents the ultimate in ballpark kid entertainment. It also has batting and pitching cages, a jungle gym and playground.

		Kid's Stuff FAMILY FUN ZONE Located on Federal Street from 11 a.m. to game time (1:35 p.m.) before each Sunday home game. This is free to all fans and offers a variety of kids-oriented games, activities and entertainment, for kids 12 and under. KIDS RUN THE BASES Following select Sunday games, the Pirates invite all kids 12 and under to run the bases on the field. Families wishing to participate should exit PNC Park at the Right Field Gate. The line begins forming in the 8th inning at the Mazeroski Way cul-de-sac; Canonball Crew members will be on hand to direct guests. It may be canceled during inclement weather for safety reasons. BUCAROOS KIDS CLUB Offers member-only benefits for kids up to 12. It includes a welcome packet with T-shirt, Very Important Kid membership card, a Let's Go Bucs wristband, vouchers for free Pirates tickets, invitations to autograph sessions and exclusive events. For membership information or to join, call 412-325-4408 or visit pirates.com/bucaroos.

Here at PNC Park, parents can take their restless children to the Kids Play Land near the right field gate. It features a miniature PNC Park configuration and multipurpose play set. Or you can just walk them around.

But as one mom exclaimed, "Why do I want to spend $50 to go to the game and then have my kid play in the playground?"

Yes, entertaining the youngest Buccos can be a challenge, especially during those games that go into extra innings, such as the 12-inning home opener last week.

But experienced parents have devised their own strategies to keep their kids engaged -- and to retain their own sanity.

It may be simpler than you think.

Bob Lingan, who brings his family from Fairfax, Va., to PNC Park for two series a year, got his daughter focused on the game -- not all the other hoopla -- from the time she was 8.

"I taught her how to score, which she loves to do," he said. "Whenever we enter the ballpark, she makes a beeline to the scorecard booth. At $1, which includes the pencil, it seems like a bargain in today's world. When the game is over, she has a nice reminder of the day."

Josh Dziomba, of Erie, agrees. He recalls keeping score at ballgames when he was as young as 4. "Which means I was watching the whole time." (The Pirates Web site, pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com, has instructions on how to keep score).

Getting kids to understand what is going on on the field is the key, said James Spence of Plum.

"When I was a kid, my dad and brother explained to me all the nuances, and I had no problem sitting still, even through doubleheaders," he said. "There's so much more going on than what most people are aware of.

"Baseball is a thinker's game, and a youngster who understands the many facets of a baseball game will learn a lot about life and be a thinker as he or she grows up."

Baseball purists sniff at all of today's on-field and off-field entertainment -- the dancing Pirate Parrot, hotdog shoots, pierogi races, guessing games for prizes, picking-the-favorite-song contest and JumboTron videos -- that are designed to move the game along.

"I am 53 years old and remember my childhood of rare occasions when my dad took me to a game at Forbes Field," said Larry Belin, of Birmingham, Ala. "I didn't have to be entertained by some pitching machine, video game, mascot or any other stimuli. I loved baseball and back then, adults didn't really care whether kids enjoyed it or not."

Still, today's parents are always looking for ways to keep their kids focused on the game.

Many praised how easily fans can move around PNC Park to view the field from different angles.

"My experience is that kids LOVE the view from the left field rotunda," said David Glass, of Clearfield, Clearfield County, who has what he described as a "Brady Bunch" family of four boys and two girls, ages 5 to 14. "They like walking around and seeing different parts of the park, and breaking up the game like that makes them calmer for the seventh through ninth innings."

He feeds his family before they enter the park ("A fed kid is a happy kid," he says) to cut down on cost, but other families strategically have their youngsters graze at various times throughout the game (hamburgers during the third inning; ice cream during the seventh) to reduce the squirming factor.

There also is the Bucaroo's concession near the left field gate, offering standard but smaller-portioned, and lower-priced, ballpark fare.

Another parent said some of the best spots for kids to sit are the outfield sections 139 through 147 because when the game gets boring they can watch boats on the Allegheny River.

They also have a chance to catch fly balls there, or can play underneath the bleachers while the grown-ups sit in the stands.

"Our favorite seats are at the top of the stadium," said Amy Hilton of New Castle.

"There usually aren't many people up that high, so the kids have more freedom to move around. Also, near the top you can look out of the stadium to see trains and boats."

She also takes snacks and small presents that the kids -- ages 3, 5 and 7 -- open after each half-inning. "A treat of Smarties, fruit snacks, baseball cards or a pencil and note pad keeps our kids occupied for three outs," she said.

Eric Parsons of Columbus, Ohio, who has two boys, ages 5 and 7, said his oldest son wasn't really interested in the games until he started playing ball himself.

Even so, they bring a portable video game system for when the game gets too boring for them.

"There are other times that we make up our own little games, like 'Hey, I bet this guy hits it OVER the river!' or 'He'll run three feet and fall down.' Making up our own stories makes them laugh quite a bit."

Other suggestions: With your kids, play a name game with the player at bat, or try word association or rhyming games with players' names, says Joe Olszewski, a former Sharpsburg resident who now lives in Taylor Mill, Ky.

Krista Bryce, of Bethel Park, has two daughters, ages 8 and 6. "My husband and I try to get them involved in the game in several ways -- taking gloves to hopefully catch a ball; noting what the count is (because they love to say, 'Oooh, it's a full count').

"The best part of the game for the girls is the organist. They have learned that when the catcher and manager approach the mound, they will get to hear the theme song from 'My Three Sons,' and at various times, 'What can we do with a drunken sailor' as well as the 'Let's Go Bucs!' chant.

"Of course, if none of that works, cotton candy always does the trick."