Festival with a 2.5 year old and a nine month old…

[Hiphopopotamonster]

So next month my DH and I are taking our toddler and baby to a festival. It’s a medium size one (a few thousand people I think) and seems family friendly ish although it’s not particularly marketed at families. We’ll be camping in a tent. It’s seemed like a brilliant idea when we booked it a few months ago but im getting a bit jittery now and wondering if it’s just going to be awful.

So - is this a terrible idea? Will it all be ok? And does anyone have any tips to make it more ok…?

Well all 5 of the ones I've been to for a start; End of the Road, Latitude, Green Man, Black Deer and Red Rooster.

Just so, Camp Bestival, latitude, standon calling, glastonbury, deer shed, shambala

Beautiful Days, Bearded Theory, Camp Bestival, I second Black Deer.

There’s a whole website of info about festivalling with kids: https://www.festivalkidz.com/

We've taken our son to a local family festival. He was 16 months the first time, then we missed a year because of Covid and we've taken him again when he was 3 and 4. We're going again next month and he'll be 5 this time.

The first time we took him we tried to stick to his routine of nap, meal and bedtimes. There's plenty on in the day to make up for what we miss when he's in bed. But we try and camp near the arena and can always hear and/or get a glimpse of the main stage so we don't miss out completely. Last year we kept him up slightly later than normal but he didn't sleep in any later the next morning so he was a bit tired. He's a year older now though so may cope with a later night a bit better. We'll still miss the headline acts as they are always on later but that's our choice.

It is family friendly as they have a big inflatable 'village', free circus, outdoor/garden games like giant jenga, skittles, table tennis, bouncy castle, hula hoops, badminton etc. all in a separate children's corner of the festival. There's family camping areas too where they encourage silence after a certain time. So it is very family friendly. Yes there's lots of drunk people, but there's also lots of people that aren't drunk. It's walking distance from the town centre so you can escape the confines of the festival if you want.

Would I recommend it? You certainly get a different experience than if you were an adults only group, but it sounds like the OP knows that and is prepared. There can be a lot of walking so definitely invest in a little cart to pull the toddler round in. We've recently sold ours as he's a bit older now, but it came in really useful the last couple of years.

Go for it @Hiphopopotamonster. If it doesn't work out for you then try again in a couple of years. Our 5 year old loves camping and loves the festival. There's more families that go than childless couples/groups, but that depends on the festival and if it's promoted as family friendly.

I actually prefer the festival experience now we go with kids and moderate our behaviour compared to my teenage festival experiences that left me needing a week to recover. Although seeing how hard my parents hit it when they come, maybe I’ll rekindle my love affair of partying once the kids are more independent!

As I said up-thread, Shrewsbury Folk Festival certainly is. More details at: shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk/line-up/family-festival/

And as you will see in this second link, there's a programme of activities for the under 11's and a further separate programme of activities for under 5's (towards the bottom of the page): shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk/line-up/family-festival/kids/

If there wasn't demand for it, the festival organisers wouldn't go to the trouble of creating it, and if it wasn't good, there wouldn't be the demand year after year!

As others have commented, I do get the sense either (1) people are imagining larger more raucous teen-oriented festivals (of their youth) or (2) have never actually been to a festival and are imagining what's they're like from the TV coverage of Glastonbury and reports of abandoned tents and rubbish-strewn fields...

@Hihihihihihihihihi Kendal calling, beautiful days, camp bestival, latitude, green man, Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, just so, ynot! The list is very king

We took DD twice to festivals when she was 3 and 4 and it was great.

you do have to approach it at a different speed and we forgot the ear defenders and looked like really bad parents!

we headed back before the headline acts but you could hear them from our camping field.

take a potty even if they are toilet trained as the loos are gross and children touch everything.

m we’ve had blazing sun both years and you end up spending £4 for a glass of cordial and ice at the bel our tent to get them a coke cold drink.

we pack bubble machines, used a buggy rather than a trolley and lots of snacks as well as change of clothes in the buggy for spilt drinks and food.

I have a memory of being in bed in the tent whilst Nile Rodgers was singing Chic and looking over and DD dancing with her arms out of the sleeping bag having a ball.

We have taken our kids to a festival since they were tiny.

I would recommend a buggy or a trolley and a sling. At one point we had a 9 month old and a 3 year old, both in slings, it was a great way to keep them close.

We had a brilliant time. Just be prepared to wander and not see much. - just go with the flow Not sure which festival you are going to but the one we attend has a fab Parent Support Venue with baby baths and hot water for bottles etc as well as high chairs and sofas to sit on and chill. It was a lifesaver!

I find all the posts from people saying the kids will hate it, it’s ‘cruel’ (😂) somewhat wide of the mark.

The kids will love it! That’s not the issue.

The issue is how enjoyable it will be for their parents! So if the OP’s up for it, then she’s up for it … 🤷🏻‍♀️

Wasn’t going to comment but feel compelled to after reading some previous posts.

We did a festival last year with an almost 1 year old and an almost 3 yr, so very similar ages to the OP.

My now nearly 4 year old has been BEGGING all summer to go to a festival again and still asks to listen to the acts we saw when we are in the car.

We won’t be doing a festival this year and actually feel a bit bad about it. Point being, my then 3 year old DEFINITELY did not feel abused nor neglected by attending a festival.

Of course some children might hate a festival but it’s madness to make a sweeping statement that any kids in attendance are lost souls being dragged along by their satanic parents.

Sorry for the typos. The belvoir tent for a cold cold drink.

don’t want anyone thinking I was giving my child Coca Cola amongst all the ravers.

we like End of the Road and Big Feastival in the Cotswolds.

i can safely didn’t see anyone on Ketamine as we sat on the grass listening to Claire Smyth talk about running a Michelin star restaurant. DH buying her £50 coffee table book was the closest we got to being robbed that weekend.

From my experience going to lots of festivals (several a year from before I can remember to me leaving home) with my parents when me and my siblings were young- get a good big tent. We had a canvas bell tent for years so it was cool during the heat too but if it’s raining especially you’re going to want a big space so you can change layers and hang out without sticking to the sides of a tent. Having a canvas tent means you don’t have to leave it really early in the morning due to the heat too but I’d say the most important thing is size = somewhere to hang out in the rain.

Absolutely do it, what's worse that happens? You decide to leave early? Decathlon for a trolley, air mattressss all round, more snacks than you can shake a stick at! Plan ahead who's in charge of which child and on early night duty. Millions have done it before you. My kids were shit sleepers so wouldn't have worked for me, and I like a drink so would rather not do a festival than do it sober. But clearly it aligns with your choices so go for it.

more snacks than you can shake a stick at
Oh yes, top tip to get loads of extra snacks. Also to be careful when pitching your tent and ensure you have not accidently trapped the snack box under the groundsheet when you used it to keep your toddler entertained as you unpack. Definitely don't continue to not notice this until you have pitched the tent and then notice you have a trip hazard in the middle of it and no access to the snacks for 3 days.

Tradiwme wife on FB has similar age kids (baby a bit younger I think) and went to a festival recently. It looked really fun!

We've been to festivals with ours most summers since they were babies. The family friendly ones have somewhere to change nappies and chill out with over tired kids. Top tip, take a sling that works for both of them. We took an off road buggy to Green Man when ours were about the same age as yours, plus a sling. The bigger one (3) often wanted to go on my back of an evening when she was tired. 2nd tip...keep your expectations of festivalling low. You will have an amazing time, as will your kids. BUT, you will spend a lot of time entertaining them in kids areas, rather than watching all the acts you might want to see.

We went to a festival with our 2.5 year old last year, but we stayed in a local air b and b. I think camping with such young children could be tough - the sun coming into the tent at 4am and waking everyone up was the main reason for my decision not to camp. It’s much harder to settle young children back to sleep at that time. It can also get very cold at night whenever I’ve camped at festivals and not sure how you manage the huge change in temperature with what the children are wearing to bed etc.

Sleeping arrangements aside, it was great fun and we’ll do it again. I have a newborn so not this summer but yes we will next year. Our toddler loved it. Loads of new sights and sounds to take in. Lots of delicious food to try. Interesting people dressed up in bright outfits. He asked if we can go again this summer!

Must haves are - ear defenders, lots of SPF, baby wipes, changes of clothes, snacks and water for the children. We had planned on renting a trolley but we arrived on the Friday and they’d all been hired by the Thursday morning! So make sure you’re there early if that’s what you plan to rely on for ferrying them around. We had to use our YoYo - not ideal.

Have fun!

Hi
You are right to trust yourself and go with it. You know your limits and your kids. If you love festivals then crack on! Loads of resources out there for families taking kids to enormous festivals, such as glasto, get on fb and find the groups. People do this alllllllll the time. We've just come back from a weekend festival in the lakes where it rained non stop with 6 kids ages 1-6.
They loved it. My advice is take a set of water proofs for the kids for every day. Cuffs and lower legs end up wet and no one wants to put on wet clothes in the morning.
Wagons and slings and wellies are your friend. Go with the flow, enjoy yourselves. You're going to have a great time. ❤️
Plus if its not panning out, come home! Try again next time with all you've learnt this time x

We’ve done a festival with a 8-week old and a 4 year old. It was fab. Trolley with comfy blankets and baby in a sling. Think what small toys you can take out and about with you (pots of bubbles are a winner) but there is so much to see even outside the kids area. Colourful flags, fancy dress costumes, pretty lights… I’m sure there’ll be challenging moments but hey, I bet there are every day at home too! If one of them gets overwhelmed just be prepared to wander off and find a quiet space. And I agree with the person who said to pick one or two things you’d desperately like to do for yourself and make sure you/your partner gives the other one the time they need to go off and do this. That way you get to remember being “you” too!

I can’t understand why anyone would do this to themselves 😱.

Totally depends on whether it rains or not

At the end of the day, people have been taking their babies and children to Glastonbury - the biggest one - for years. I have never heard anyone say that they or their kids are permanently scarred for life over the experience. In fact, most of the teens/YAs I know that went as kids love to brag about the fact that they went to their first festival when they're tiny. I was sat waiting for Elton this year and realised I was surrounded by tiny babies (there was one who couldn't be older than 2m old) right up to 5/6 years old. The whole time I was there 95% of the time the kids (who weren't being dragged to inappropriate stuff!) looked happy and like they were having the time of their lives (and the littlest were perfectly content).

I got a lot of stick on another post for saying I was worried about taking what will be my 6mo on a long haul holiday next summer so I'm really surprised by the amount of people saying you're being unreasonable for taking your children to what is essentially a camping holiday with entertainment in this country.

Family camping will be fine - anyone camping in family expecting not to have children crying in the night has unrealistic expectations imo (and still better than the alternative which is pitching a tent in the midst of drunken screaming teens).

I don't have children yet (due in Dec) but have worked a lot of different festivals and dealt with lots of families at those festivals and the festival trolley suggestion is a great one but have a back up plan in case it's really muddy, otherwise you guys will be knackered dragging it through the mud. Keep an eye on your 2.5 yo with their wristband - they play with them and tighten them up pretty quick. Wristbanders will swap it for a new one if they do. I've also known them to put wristbands on ankles instead as they're less likely to play with them. Extra wristbands with a phone no on are worthwhile too, particularly if your 2.5yo is a wanderer.

And I'd just be prepared to come home if it's too much for either you or your kids. My friend took her 2 young boys camping and they both got D&V the first night and it was hell, so they packed up and left. Hoping that doesn't happen to you but try not to be too disappointed if something like that does happen.
If there is a town nearby, popping there on one morning for a bit of normality and stocking up on supplies is always a good idea (and saves spending a fortune on festival food all weekend!)

In the past 10 years of working festivals and of all the kids I've encountered in that time, I can only recall seeing one truly miserable child (and from the snippet of conversation I caught, it was because she hadn't been allowed more sweets). I know it's a snapshot in time and I'm not at all suggesting your kids won't get upset at some point over the weekend but as long as you're sensible and don't force them to stay up later than they can manage, or take them into moshpits or get yourselves into a state where you can't take care of them (which it sounds like you won't if you're not drinking!), I honestly think they'll have a great time and if they don't, lesson learnt, no lasting damage will be done and you know not to take them again.

It will be what you make it!

Just go with a relaxed attitude, you might get to see and do loads, you might not.
I’m sure it will be an adventure for the children and most kids love camping.

The one thing you can’t influence, like others have said, is the weather but worse case if it was constant rain you could come home early.