Festivals are one of the highlights of summer, especially in the UK, where we get so little opportunity to enjoy the outdoors in good weather. But taking children to a festival can feel challenging, so we’ve compiled top tips from some of our nanny candidates who’ve mastered the art of festival-going with kids
Pick your festival with care
The best festival for you is a a blend of cost, size, line-up, travel, facilities … each festival, and each family, are different, and picking the festival that will meet your families needs is a very personal choice. Do your research, get opinions from those who’ve attended in the past, and don’t be swayed by popular opinion; Glasto is not for everyone!
Safety
Every festival should have a lost child policy – make sure you understand it and teach your children, in advance, what to do. When you arrive, familiarise your children with stewards (they will have special clothing) and lost child gathering points. Don’t think one tour is enough. Festivals constantly change as people arrive and leave; take your kids to the key locations every day, on your way to and from events, so they feel comfortable finding their way from different directions. One nanny suggests getting your mobile number as a henna tattoo on your child’s arm – cool art and bound to last the whole festival too! Remember to pack sunscreen and hats, as sunburn is horribly common at festivals.
Bear queues in mind
Queues to get in, queues to get out, toilet queues, food queues … a lot of festival life is about queuing. Be prepared for this by having some queue resources:
- fidget toys
- modelling clay
- phone games
- tiny sketchpads and crayons.
Remember that crowd-watching can be its own pleasure but also that your kids may need many more queue distractions than you imagine.
Buy or rent good camping equipment
Being miserable while camping is the worst. Make sure you’ll be warm, dry and cosy, ensure you have plenty of lamps and lanterns, a spare pump for any inflatables and thermal nightwear (just in case). Make sure you have a first aid kit in the tent and think about how to make life manageable for your children. You can buy rinse-less shampoo and chewable toothbrushes for example, which, alongside lots of wet wipes, mean less time at the shower block. Toilets can’t be avoided; so make up a little atomiser spray with some water and essential oils or favourite cologne in water so your children can reduce the whiff with a quick squirt of something much more pleasant.
Remember to have fun
Pack some dressing up gear, face paint and bubbles – even teenagers will enjoy having that kind of fun, in the right environment. Good ear defenders are vital to enjoyment; especially for small children who can be overwhelmed by sound stage levels of noise. Give your kids a disposable camera and let them play photographer – you may be surprised by the pictures they capture.
Photo Creds to: Conojeghuo at Pexels