Festival fun for kids

[foottappin]

Hi, New to this site, am looking to take the kids to a festival but am a bit overwhelmed with the choice. Something with music and entertainment for kids (who will be 2 and 4 by next summer) is what i'm looking for. I'm sure cbeebies have a stage at some but not sure which, but any kind of crafts/fun things/face painting etc would be great. I have been glast and reading but looking for something smaller really. Any suggestions greatfully received to narrow down my search!! Anything chilled/folk/indie ideal to suite our music taste and even dare i say it 'old timerish' ie anywhere neil diamond is playing too!! ) Cheers all

[jump]

Ben & Jerrys is good, there's a petting zoo, free ice cream and other kiddie stuff with a fairly decent selection of acts on for the price but there's no camping if you want a proper festival.

[eFestivals]

I suggest Wychwood or Womad.

I reckon there's no other fests which will suit your kids wants and your music tastes as well.

[fred quimby]

Have a look at camp Bestival, not been myself but it is family Orientated so maybe does the job.

The bigchill is starting to change it's kids stuff with seperate family camping and has a little chill focusing on the small ones. And Wychwood as the chap above has suggested

[fred quimby]

Have a look at camp Bestival, not been myself but it is family Orientated so maybe does the job.

The bigchill is starting to change it's kids stuff with seperate family camping and has a little chill focusing on the small ones. And Wychwood as the chap above has suggested

Edited November 11, 2011 by fred quimby

[5co77ie]

I'd suggest a few but it depends where about in the country you are based.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Ben & Jerrys is good, there's a petting zoo, free ice cream and other kiddie stuff with a fairly decent selection of acts on for the price but there's no camping if you want a proper festival.

[eFestivals]

Have a look at camp Bestival, not been myself but it is family Orientated so maybe does the job.

I work closely with someone with a young kid and who takes him/her to a large number of festivals.

They feel safer to let their kid wander around more at just about any other festival than Camp B, which says to me it doesn't do kids as well as it tries to.

The bigchill is starting to change it's kids stuff with seperate family camping and has a little chill focusing on the small ones.

that's very true. What five+ years ago was little more than a gazebo with a few plastic bricks has grown into a whole secure-for-kids field.

I didn't venture in there myself so i've no idea what it had within it, but it looked more substantial than I've seen at any festival* aside from Womad & Wychwood.

(* I can of course only base what I've seen on where I've been)

For ease of everything about coping with the kids, of Big Chill, Womad & Wychwood, I'd say Wychwood would be easiest because you can drive your car onto the campsite to unload, and the distances between campsite and arena would be the smallest (and flattest, tho Womad is also flat).

My perception is that Wychwood of those 3 would keep that age of kids most entertained with what they have, tho I've not used them myself.

Big Chill and then Wychwood would suit your music tastes the most, with Big Chill having the bigger bands of the two and a greater choice of stages (tho of course, those stages mean distance).

And Wychwood would, I think, work out the cheapest on tickets - tho that's based on the adult prices, I'm unsure how the kid ticket deals work for any of them.

But of those three, my very definite favourite is womad (then wychwood). So take your pick.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I work closely with someone with a young kid and who takes him/her to a large number of festivals.

They feel safer to let their kid wander around more at just about any other festival than Camp B, which says to me it doesn't do kids as well as it tries to.

[foottappin]

Thanks for all the replies. We live in the midlands and don't mind travelling a bit but would be towing a caravan so Cheltenham and Swindon look the best so far, although would love to goto Bestival some day maybe when kids are older. Thinking of maybe just a day ticket now to see what its like with young children, maybe wait til they are older for full weekend as I would worry about losing them!

We would therefore 'cheat' by staying at a nearby caravan park, but with the little research i've done so far looks like some allow campervans but maybe not caravans. Would be interested to hear about any of the smaller festivals around the midlands that we could just visit of a weekend.

Really grateful for the feedback, i should maybe look if there's a festival by district search! but you can't search on peoples experiences so glad I posted Really looking forward to experiencing a festival again and introducing the kids and my boyfriend to it as he's never been to one and I haven't either since 2000.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I won tickets to Womad in The Big Chill some years ago , so trotted along. As Neil indicates, this really could be the fest that's going to meet all your needs. Lot's of harmony - the antidote to what you have to go through in everyday life.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I meant the Big Issue. I feel so cold in this place that I'm getting too many 'chilly' vibes and starting to speak in tongues. Come January I'll mostly be communicating via algebra ( and possibly semaphore for those nearby).

[Katster]

Bearded theory. I would take kids, if I had any.

[grumpyhack]

The Croissant Neuf Summer Party in Usk had great kids workshops and activities this year and is on a small enough scale that you and the kids would feel comfortable. Only a small boutique festival but a good toe in the water.