Top Tips for Preparing for a Family Festival #FestivalFever

With summer just around the corner, there’s so much to look forward to, beautiful weather, longer nights and festivals!
We are currently on countdown to Camp Bestival which is held locally at Lulworth Castle, Dorset, from 27th – 30th July and are looking forward to seeing what this years event has to offer.
Once you have decided to buy festival tickets it is then time to think about what you need to take with you and when going with your family, those needs change significantly.
Going to a festival with children is not as stressful as you think, especially if it is one that is geared up for families as there is usually more to do there than at many other holiday destinations. Last year saw mine climbing trees, competing in rolling down a really big hill races, singing songs around a campfire, meeting the Tudors as well as getting to groove along acts such as Professor Green and Fat Boy Slim.

For first time festival goers, it can feel a little bit daunting. On our first time we pitched our tent on a hill, which whilst ok for us adults, created havoc for the kids – especially the newly walking toddler!

Planning a festival break is all in the preparation which can make a big difference to how smoothly the weekend will go and I have some top tips to share with you.
1. Get good quality camping equipment and practice putting the tent up before you go – there is nothing worse than attempting to read an instruction manual in a windy field whilst trying to keep an eye on excited small people.

2.  Invest in warm sleeping bags and decent sleeping mats. It might be the height of summer but it still gets very chilly overnight.
3.  Get a trolley. You can hire them, however we have our own Outwell Transporter that folds up small in the car. Not only does it help carry our equipment to the campsite but doubles up as a kids transporter during the festival, which we decorate with bunting, solar lights and a canopy to protect them from the sun.

4.  Good quality ear defenders for kids are an absolute must.  Children’s ears are very sensitive and prolonged exposure to loud music and noise at festivals can cause permanent damage.

5.  Get in the spirit of the festival and take fancy dress. We have been as the characters from the Gruffalo, spacemen and this years theme is Pop & Rock stars so we are still deciding on our costumes.

5.  Waterproofs and wellies, sun hats and sun cream, warm jumpers and jeans, t-shirts and shorts… British weather can be so unpredictable and although we have been lucky so far we like to be prepared as there is nothing worse than being wet and cold. We also invested in a Gigsak which is not only a picnic blanket but doubles up as a shelter from the rain too.

6.  Take toys and games for the kids to play with, for when you are in the tent. I recommend colouring books and pens, a book, bubbles, glow sticks, a ball and we even take a skateboard as the kids love hurtling down the hills on them.

7.  Food & Drink – There are so many places to eat and drink that apart from snacks you do not need to take any meals. We budgeted £200 on food last year and only spent half that for 6 of us which we thought was very reasonable. Take refillable water bottles as Camp Bestival has free access to fresh water so we find it easier to take our own bottles and keep them topped up.

8.  A good quality powerbank for any technology. I have a RAV Power battery pack that hold enough power for 6 phone charges. I normally drain my battery taking photo’s and videos.

9.  First Aid Kit containing plasters, paracetamol / ibruprofen liquid, piriton, alka seltzer and insect repellant for any incidents.
10.  Toiletries – Camp Bestival has warm showers available, although do expect to queue for up to an hour to use them, depending on the time of day.  We take plenty of wet wipes to clean up the kids or freshen up ourselves and take small travel size bottles of shampoo, body wash, toilet rolls and toothpaste which is plenty to keep you going over a weekend.

11. Invest in the program. Knowing who you want to see perform and which stage or tent they are in can help you plan your day. We tend to alternate between something for the kids and then something for us adults to enjoy so there is a good variety. It always amazes me how packed the main stage gets when Mr Tumble or Dick n Dom are performing.

12. Take a torch! You will be out and about in the dark and although the paths back to the tents are dimly lit, having a torch makes things much easier and the toilets have no lights so any late night trips to the loo will need a torch.

Are you planning on going to any festivals this year?
Disclaimer:  Written in collaboration with Contact Numbers UK

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