Think your festival days are behind you now you’ve got children? Think again! Here is everything you need to know when taking kids to a festival. Taking kids to a festival can be an unforgettable family adventure – with a bit of planning and the right mindset, it can be just as fun (if not more!) than your carefree festival days pre-kids.
As summer rolls around, so does festival season. And while music, crowds, and camping might seem a bit daunting when you’ve got little ones in tow, there’s absolutely no reason to miss out. In fact, bringing children to a festival can open up a whole new way of experiencing it – through their eyes.
I’ll be honest – I was never a huge festival goer. I’d never done Glastonbury or Leeds, and the idea of camping didn’t exactly thrill me. But when we got a campervan, we started going to smaller, campervan, family-friendly festivals. We’ve got five kids between us, and while the van’s too small for all of us, our trusty nine-man tent has become part of the adventure.
We’ve learned a lot along the way – from what to pack to how to keep the kids entertained (and ourselves sane!). So, if you’re considering heading to a festival with the kids, here are my top tips to help make it a brilliant experience for everyone.
Festival tip 1 – Pick the right festival!
You might just discover you have more fun watching the kids enjoy themselves at a smaller festival than you ever did at a larger one without them. The smaller festivals may not have the huge line up of other festivals but many have well known names. You also get to see have amazing lesser known artists. Plus you’ll be able to get a lot closer to see and hear them too. Have a look at family friendly festivals to see what will suit your family. Some family friendly festivals include Just so festival, Camp Bestival and Camp Kindling. Festivals with chill out zones and kid friendly areas would be a good choice.
Festival tip 2 – Set realistic expectations
Festivals are absolutely packed with fun – live music, activities, crafts, food, and more. It’s easy to feel like you need to squeeze every last drop out of the weekend. But trying to do it all will likely leave everyone feeling tired, grumpy, and overstimulated.
Instead, a great tip we’ve picked up is to ask each family member to choose one thing they really want to see or do over the weekend. It might be a band, a puppet show, a craft tent, or even just a particular food truck! Hopefully, there won’t be too many timing clashes, and you can loosely plan your weekend around those key moments. That way, everyone gets at least one thing they’re really excited about – and no one feels like they’ve missed out.
We tend to stick to smaller campervan-friendly festivals, which have a lovely community feel. My kids often know lots of the other families, and they feel safe scooting around the site. Honestly, that’s usually all they want to do! They love the freedom and independence, but I still encourage them to get stuck into the activities on offer – there’s always something new to try.
If you’re used to a strict bedtime at home, it’s worth accepting early on that festivals are a different ball game. When you’re camping with kids, and it stays light until late with music in the background and the buzz of people nearby, sticking to the usual evening routine just isn’t realistic.
I’ve learnt not to put pressure on myself to get everyone into bed at a certain time – it just ends up stressing all of us out. Instead, we wind down when we can and let things be a bit more relaxed.
And yes, they might wake up early too! Tents get light pretty quickly, especially in the summer. That said, the first time we stayed in a tent, the kids actually slept in until 9am every day – thanks to the blackout compartments in the bedroom section. I seriously considered moving in permanently!
Now they’re a bit older, they’re usually up at their regular time regardless of how late they went to sleep. So it’s worth being prepared for early mornings, late nights – and maybe a few afternoon naps along the way.
Festival tip 3- Be prepared
When you’re taking kids to a festival, being prepared can make all the difference. I’ve got two boys – and honestly, that probably tells you all you need to know! If there’s mud, stones or puddles, you can guarantee they’ll find it within five minutes. It’s like they have a sixth sense for mess.
This is why I always make sure to pack plenty of clothes – and not just the basics. Layers are your friend. Even in summer, UK weather can throw anything at you, so pack for sunshine and rain. Don’t forget warm clothes for the evenings, sun hats, sun cream, waterproofs, and lots of spare socks. I also bring extra blankets, not just for the kids, but for the dog too! Just be mindful not to overpack – you may have a bit of a trek from the car park to your pitch.
Should I Bring Food?
In a word: yes. Snacks, snacks and more snacks. With two ever-hungry boys, I’ve learnt the hard way that bringing your own food is essential. Festival food can be expensive, and let’s be honest – it’s not always the healthiest, especially when it comes to snacks. Think donuts, fizzy drinks and sweets on every corner.
If you’re camping, most festivals allow you to bring in your own food and drink, so take advantage of that. If you’re only visiting for the day, double-check the festival’s rules first. I know someone who had their toddler’s snacks confiscated at the gate because they didn’t meet the entry policy – and there wasn’t anything suitable inside for the little one to eat!
Top tip: prep your first night’s dinner at home. A big batch of something like meatballs or bolognese that just needs reheating saves a lot of stress on arrival. Don’t forget a refillable water bottle, and I like to bring one of those little squash concentrate bottles too – perfect for keeping kids hydrated without lugging heavy bottles of juice around.
A Small First Aid Kit Is a Must
Scraped knees, insect bites, and random mystery rashes are all part of festival life with kids. I always bring a mini first aid kit with Calpol, antihistamines, plasters, antiseptic wipes, and other essentials – just in case. The last thing you want is to have to leave the festival in search of a chemist.
Prep the Kids Too
If your children haven’t been to a festival before, take time to explain what to expect – big crowds, loud music, and long days full of activities. Set some expectations around behaviour and what they’ll be responsible for.
My two (now aged 8 and 10) each get a small budget. I’ll cover food, drinks, and the odd ice cream – but if they want sweets or toys, that comes out of their own money. They don’t always spend it wisely, we have more 3d printed toys than we know what to do with! It does give them a sense of independence, and helps learn the value of money.
Festival tip 4 – Be safe
Festivals can be busy and overwhelming, especially for little ones. We’re lucky that at the events we go to, we know a lot of the other families, so there are plenty of familiar faces looking out for our kids. Still, it’s important to have a few safety measures in place.
First off, my boys know my phone number by heart – something they learnt at Beavers and a skill I’ve encouraged ever since. Most festivals hand out wristbands for writing a contact number on – just remember to bring a pen! And if all else fails, write your number directly on their arm with a marker.
There are also great tech options available, like child-friendly trackers you can clip onto clothing or pop in a shoe. We sometimes give the kids walkie-talkies, especially if they’re going off to explore or scoot around. Just make sure your channel doesn’t interfere with the festival staff’s radios!
Dressing the kids in something bright or distinctive can also help – easier to spot in a crowd and they’ll be rocking the festival vibes. Finally, it’s useful to set a designated meet-up spot, something big and bright is usually a good shout and something that will appeal to the kids. At a fete we went to recently the kids chose the ghost train as our meet-up point should anyone get lost. It was big and bright and they could spot it easily. Luckily nobody got lost, although they did get scared on the ghost train.
Festival tip 5 – Give yourself a break
Taking kids with you to festivals can be stressful. You are there to have a good time just as much as your kids though. Remember to enjoy yourself too. When looking at the line up, make sure you include things you want to do. If you are with your other half or other families let them know what you really want to see. It may be that someone else can keep the kids occupied so you don’t miss out.
Don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go as planned. It’s easy to want to do too much and for everyone to have an amazing time. If it doesn’t all go to plan, don’t be hard on yourself. These things happen – especially when kids are involved.
Festival tip 6 – Make memories that count
Here is the final tip in everything you need to know when taking kids to a festival.
At the end of the day, festivals are about fun – and the memories you make will last far longer than any schedule or perfectly packed picnic.
Your kids will remember staying up late, dancing in the rain, or when the tent nearly blew away. They’ll laugh about the scooter races and the dodgy toilets. What they won’t remember is whether you had everything organised to perfection.
Try to let go a bit and join in. At a recent festival, I had a go on my youngest’s scooter – much to everyone’s amusement. One of their new friends even asked if I’d try his electric dirt bike (spoiler: I politely declined). My eldest later told me I was “drippy” – which I’ve learned is actually a compliment and apparently means cool. I’ll take that!
It’s festival time!
There you have it, you now have everything you need to know when taking the kids to a festival. You can still have an amazing time at festivals with the kids, it may take extra organisation but it will be worth it. Don’t go yet though, i’ve got some bonus top tips for you below!
Bonus quick top tips you need to know when taking kids to a festival!
- Leave a large bottle of water in the sun all day. By the evening you have warm water for washing feet, hands and face before bedtime.
- No matter what time of the year it’s likely the grass will be damp in the morning. Pack crocs or wellies to avoid wet shoes in the morning.
- To get into the festival vibes pack facepaint, hopefully you are more artistic than me though! Light up necklaces or headbands make it easier for spotting your littlies.
- Remember at bigger festivals it may be a long walk from your car to the camping area. So consider bringing a festival trolley. This can also be handy for taking chairs, picnic blankets etc to the music area. We’ve seen many smaller children resting in them, some even sleeping – it looks super cosy. It taking them out in the evening consider covering them in fairy lights so they are easily seen in the dark.
- Consider getting some ear protectors if you are going to a particularly noisy music festival. Don’t want those precious little ears getting damaged.
Did you know I have other articles about camping on my page? You can see them here. Also if you have any other festival tips to share with others, let us know in the comments below. Us Mothers have got to stick together!
