How to prepare for family-friendly festivals?
Photo by Krists Luhaers on Unsplash
Want to go to a festival as a family? Well, the options have grown dramatically in recent years – so here are some tips.
Be selective when choosing a festival
There are lots of amazing festivals around that are family-friendly, however, you need to read reviews thoroughly. Think about what will work best for your family. Do you want to listen to bands late at night going into the early hours of the next day, or do you want a child-centered event where most acts are finished by 10 pm?
Attend with friends
In my opinion, going to festivals with lots of friends always make events more fun, especially if there’s a downpour. You can all help each other, share children’s toilet duty trips, share trips to the bar, and overall have fun making lasting memories together. The more the merrier.
Bring appropriate clothes
Everyone knows what British summers are like – raincoats, Wellies, suncream and sun hats are essential. If you’re camping at a festival, remember that it can get cold at night when packing. If you’re not camping out, you need to think about where you will put all your essential clothes during the day as the weather alternates between wind, rain and bright sunshine.
Get the style
Just because you’re with your children doesn’t mean you can’t get the fashion for the festival. Glow in the dark items and LED necklaces are big for 2020 – so why not order now and get ahead of the curve.
Avoid overpacking
While in the previous tip we advised you to bring all the right clothing, you also need to avoid overpacking. It can be easy to overpack. If you’re camping, you are going to have to figure out how to get everything from your car to your camping spot. It’s unlikely that you will be able to park your car next to your tent spot. During a recent trip to a festival, some of my friends had to make multiple trips between their cars and tents as they packed too much.
Remember the anti-allergy tablets and pest repellents
British Summers and rural fields come with pollen and midges, and the midges bite. I always pack Piriton just incase allergies flare-up. Calpol is also a good medication to pack as it can cure many symptoms.
Food & drink
Do you plan to buy food and drinks once you arrive at the festival? Have you considered the high cost of food and beverages on-site and are on okay with that? Most festivals do not ban you from bringing picnics and even alcohol – be sure to check the rules for individual festivals. It only makes sense to bring some snacks and water when you have young children, as many kids won’t like any of the food on offer at the festival.
Bring ear defenders
Packing ear defender should be a big consideration. Even older children often find music at many festivals to be too loud and will want some respite from the noise. My 7-year-old kid found the music at a small stage at Nozstock 2017 painfully loud. Meanwhile, my younger twins wanted to get on the stage, so you can’t often tell which kids will want ear defenders.
Sling/Trolley/Pushchair/Pram?
Think about what would be best to bring with you. You can read from people who have attended a particular festival before to find out what they recommend. If the ground is too soft or bumpy for a pram, a sling could be a good alternative.
A plan in case you get lost?
A festival can be a chaotic place. You should have a plan in case you and your family get separated. Many festivals will recommend writing your mobile number of your kid’s festival wrist bands. In the past, we wrote our number on our kids’ shoes. This is because when kids are small, they often remove wrist bands or they come off as their hands are small. Consider decorating some old t-shirts with your mobile phone number. Alternatively, buying a kids wrist-phone, like the Tinitell watch, could be a good option, as children can use the watch to contact you if they get lost.
Remember to relax and have fun.
Music will play late into the night. Campfires will burn. Fizzy drinks and sweets will be used to keep kids up for an extra hour. Marshmallows will be toasted on the BBQ. Most importantly, however, is the fact that you will have fun and so will your kids if you relax and embrace the festival spirit!