Camp Bestival 2013 will be my first festival with kids - what do I need to know?

[PyroclasticFlo]

Hello all, am a long time MNer but my first time on the camping board - DH loves camping, I'm a bit of a wimp.

Used to go to festivals all the time before children but have decided this is the year to take the nippers for the first time. DS1 is nearly 6, DS2 is 3 years old, and we're going to Camp Bestival this August (staying in the Camping Plus bit). Now it's only a month away I'm shitting myself getting a bit anxious and feeling the need to write lists and get organised.

Other than the obvious things like tent / sleeping bags / table / kind of stuff what do I need for children at a festival? What do I need to know about Camp Bestival in particular? What should and shouldn't I take? Do we hire a trolley to haul the kids about it after dark or is it a pain in the arse? Do we need to take food or is the food there good quality and picky bastard child-friendly?

All and any advice very welcome, I'm sort of looking forward to it but getting a bit panicky and really want to feel totally prepared so I can just relax and enjoy it! Thank you!

Hi

We went last year when dds were 1 and 3.5. And it was brilliant!! And we are going back this year. Can't wait for dd2 to see mr tumble in real life, she is obsessed.

A week before we went last year I thought what the hell are we doing taking a baby to a festival? but it was so so good.

Everything is set up for families so no one cares about your child having a strop, as their children are doing it too! everyone is friendly and everything is so much easier than you would think.

My tips would be, bring as much food as you can as although the food there is all very varied and delicious it's very expensive.
The w.i tent is best for sandwiches for the Kids and tea/coffee.

It's really chilly at night so lots of layers and blankets.

Bring some activities, colouring/ stickers and stuff for when you just want to sit and enjoy something the children won't get bored.

I don't think there is much else accept maybe think about how you will get the children about, it's early mornings and long days and late nights so having something they can have a rest in is very handy. We are taking a knacard old phil and teds.

Mainly just relax and have a brilliant time. Maybe we will see you there

Just wanted to add, the trolleys are £50 to hire and £50 deposit so you need £100 in cash before you even get in the gate! and they seem like a right arse to lug about. I wouldn't bother unless you have one you can bring with you. X

Thanks twotinygirls that's all very helpful, I'm hoping if I do enough panicking now it'll all be out of my system by the festival and I'll just be able to enjoy it!

We went to the first one a few years ago, and just looked on the camp bestival website.

You have to pay to park, so if you haven't done this it's cheaper to do it in advance.

You can't take glass wear in, so plastic cups, mugs, bottles for water etc.

Food at any festival is expensive. When camping we've normally taken some fruit in a plastic box (to stop it getting bruised) ie apples, satsumas etc, and long life things like pieces of flapjack, small cartons of juice, dried fruit, oatcakes, nuts, jelly sweets.

If you're taking a camping stove there are designated areas you can use these in. Take pasta and sachets of pasta sauce for a quick, cheap and easy meal. Take plastic bowls and cutlery. Make sure you have the right size gas canister!

Wet wipes are your friend

Take enough nappies (and learn from my experience of having to buy nappies from an on site camping shop which were double the price of the supermarket)

Take a flask, and fill it with hot water in the morning to use later for hot drinks.

A bucket can be used as a washing up bowl, to carry things in from the car, and to store things in.

Use a shopping trolley instead of a bag for your clothes.

Wind up torches are useful and keep children entertained.

It can get cold at night, so take some thermal base layers and hats. Brightly coloured hats are easy to spot in a crowd.

Have a lovely time

You have made me think I should start some packing! Eeek!

Thanks soaccidentprone all great tips - but not sure I understand about a shopping trolley for clothes?! Am I being thick? Do you mean one of those pull along jobs that old ladies use?

Yes, that's the one. Wot old ladies use.

You can get them in in stripes etc and are really useful for carrying sleeping bags, blankets etc

I love camp bestival, the kids love it too, me tumble is an institution, do not bother trying to leave it to the last minute to get a good spot to see him, he's best seen from the back of the crowds. The fireworks on the last night are amazing and you will not want to miss them.

Take lots of cash if you want to buy food there, WI tent is brilliant. There's an ongoing debate on their forums over which pie stall is best, personally higgidy is way better than pure pie. If you chose to take your own food it's a good opportunity for nap time and a bit of a break while you do dinner for the kids.
There is always a huge queue for the big wheel, it's only worth doing once and the jousting is fun for the kids while some of the knights are easy on the eye.

I would take an old double buggy rather than a trolley; they can climb in if knackered; have a sleep while night time bands are on so you don't need to go back to tent and miss stuff; sit in it to eat/watch things if weather wet; plus it's really handy for all the jackets, rugs and stuff I carry round for my children and they resolutely refuse to put on.

I have a giant 5 year old and am taking battered BJCM to festival this year, notwithstanding any opprobrium and judgeyness as I want to be able to see bands late on, and it is a long day with lots of walking for anyone, not just 5 year olds!

Have a great time

Loads of brilliant advice, thank you everyone!

Personally Mr Tumble is my idea of hell makes my teeth itch but DS2 likes him so DH can do that shift I'll offer to do the jousting shift, DS1 will love that and I can check out the tasty knights

I forgot, so you don't get completely robbed by you dc for fancy dress gear and bubbles take your own bubble gun and some of their dressing up stuff as its really expensive for them there and I've seen a few melt downs caused by them, not least of all from my nephew it was a doozy

Yes, lots of fancy dress outfits for all of you

Brilliant, both DSs obsessed with superheroes, they can wear their Batman / Spider-Man outfits until they're ruined and then I can throw the bloody things away!

We haven't got a double buggy we can use - only a single Mclaren techno.
Is it worth taking that?

Or would we be better off with a trolley?

I can't decide whether I'll be cursing the damn thing when I'm lugging two boys around in it or grateful that they're not wanting piggy backs / picking up etc!

Personally, I'd maybe try to get a second hand double buggy - it's a long time to carry dcs, and the price of hiring a trolley means you could buy one and keep it for next year, or sell it on when done.

Take some ear defenders and glo-sticks.

OK we're agreed on buying a wagon / trolley like yours TeamEdward, (excitedly planning how to decorate it, DSs and DH want camouflage and guns, I want fairy lights!) does anyone have any experience of the Retrowagen woody or Retrowagen plus?

We bought the retrowagen woody two years ago to go to CB with three small children (6, 4 & 1.5). Personally I thought it was perfect. We didn't take the red cover thing, just used the wagen to move camping equipment from the car to the camping plus place and then took it with us on a couple of the days for rugs, nappy bags, toddlers etc. In the evening, DS (then 1.5) went in it in his sleeping bag and we pulled him round. I liked the fact that the sides and ends slot into one another so it was easier to transport in the car as it wasn't so bulky as it looks in the photos.

I was also v smug when we got there and starting loading it up with the belltent etc, attaching it all with linking bungees. All of us, our gear, tent, food etc etc moved 1 km on foot with three small kids in 3 trips. I was smug mcsmug from smugsville.

Watch out for the little linky bit that the handle attaches onto, ours jiggled around a lot and needed tightening. We have now replaced it with a tight bolt. kids play with it daily in the garden, quite robust. Would use it again but we're planning CB for next year.

Otherwise CB excellent, I took posh packed chilli con carne in vacuum packs from waitrose which were perfect and we did half and half: two days cooking ourselves, two days buying food. It was fine and portions were big so we shared a lot. Took dried mango and apple for the last days.

Travel johns are handy for nighttime for the children you can get junior ones, take glowsticks and illoom balloons with you rather than buying anything there - prices are mad.

there are lots of very gentle activities for small ones: English national Ballet classes, clay modelling, knit tent, soft play, helter skelter, my children loved the early films in the big top tent from 10am followed byt the gruffalo live but wanted to see the mariachi (spelling?) band and punjabi circus acts again and again. The wooded area is a good break away from it all but we didn't discover that until the last day. Too much!

HTH

Thelion I've only just seen your post, thank you so much that really is helpful! Our Retrowagen woody arrived today and I can't wait to get it out of the box and setup. Am very much looking forward to being smug mcsmug from smugville at CB

I'm going to with dh and am a festival virgin with 3dc 12,5 and 21m and preg too.

Eek panicking now