Festival with kids for the first time!

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Hi. Its our first time to Beautiful Days this year and our first time to a festival with kids (One 2 year old and one 6 month old!)

I'm just looking for some advice about how people get from their car to the campsite? We have been to other festivals and usually use a sack truck, but this is normally full with just our stuff. Now we have all the equipment that comes with two kids as well. I was planning on still using the sack truck and my wife will have the two little ones in a double buggy, getting in and putting the tent up, then I will have to do at least one more trip back to the car.

How far is it to the campsite? Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom that would make arriving at the festival easier? Or any tips about where/where not to camp?

Thanks for any help!

[5co77ie]

There's now two car parks both are at the top of the hill above what is quite a long family camping area. My advice would be once you get there head downhill to the flat and then look to camp either near the food outlets if you're not bringing your own food, as it's nice for one of you not to have to walk too far for a hot drink for you both at the end of the night. However there are also two stages there and with one little one - I'd ensure you are far enough away not to be disturbed by noise (although neither are very loud).

They used to do storytelling under the redwood trees I don't know if they still do, but around them is always nice to camp. It's not far to the campsite from the car but the further down you walk the more level it will be and the nearer you will be to the entrance. You can easily do a couple of walks back to the car. I wouldn't bother crossing the bridge entering the site passing the main stage and heading for the other campsite - it's a long way, to trade for being slightly nearer the tent.

The double buggy is a good idea, is it waterproof and can the kids sleep in it? If not, a lot of people use carts for kids now, or those bike trailers, something like a Samax, (which provide a mobile waterproof shelter) - which also helps to transport your stuff.

You have sack trucks which if the wheels are good should be fine, but (and let's hope this isn't the case) in muddy conditions on the way home you may struggle in the clay mud, and I'd recommend a folding wheelbarrow left in the car as a back up. Unless you know your sack trucks will last, or you can carry the loads back if the worst comes to the worst. Something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosmere-Products-Ltd-W302-Wheelbarrow/dp/B004H5IM4K/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1376297628&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=fold+up+wheelbarrow available at most garden centres can be left in the boot.

One other thing - I highly recommend kids ear protection - like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kids-Ear-Defenders-Protectors-Protection/dp/B003PHJNXA/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376297335&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=childs+ear+protaction Really useful if they want to sleep - you can just put them in the buggy and let them drop off at the edge of the arena or one of the tents whilst you enjoy the music.

The other best advice I can offer is make sure you stick to their routine with eating times, it seems to help a lot keeping them happy, enjoy exploring the kids area it's great fun!

Edited August 12, 2013 by 5co77ie

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Wow! Pretty comprehensive reply there 5co77ie! Yes they can lay flat and sleep in the buggy and it has a pretty robust raincover. We bought ear defenders recently for the kids although getting them to wear them is another issue!!

We've learnt our lesson in the past trying to delay mealtimes so that wont happen! We are taking a lot of our own phone and we have BOTH sets of grandparents in campervans so we will have some help with storing food etc, but they wont be there when we first get in.

Thanks for your help about the campsites thats really useful. Do they ever release a site map before the festival? (I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to maps!)

We're really looking forward to it now. My wife took them both to a childrens festival last week and the oldest loved it. Just need to put an order in for sun now.

[5co77ie]

here's last year's map:

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Thanks that's great. Getting excited now! See you Thursday...