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Festivals Feature
Family Festivals The Survival Guide Here in the UK, there is a plethora of family-friendly festivals you can visit. Claire Winter asked Families® Magazine readers to give their top tips on how to survive one! hether you opt for The Little Welly, Royal County of Berkshire Show, Camp Bestival or one of the boutique options, festivals offer oodles of fun for the whole family. However, a recurring theme when talking to readers is to be prepared! You never know what the great British weather or your kids (only joking) will throw at you...
Don’t Forget the Sunscreen and Hats You are going to be outdoors a lot – you can get sunburnt even if it is cloudy.
Pack Layers It’s always helpful to bring shorts, t-shirts and even swimwear to a festival but you are also going to need jumpers, woolly hats and maybe even onesies. It can get very cold at night even in the summer. Lightweight waterproof jackets are also a good option. You can carry them with you in case it rains and also use them as an extra layer if it gets cold.
Don’t Forget to Unplug Leave expensive gadgets at home. They are hard to keep secure and the whole idea is to get your kids off their devices. Mobile phones and battery chargers will be needed so you can stay in touch. We all love to document how much fun we are having – but keep some of it as memories instead of sharing it on Instagram or Facebook!
Bring Lots (and Lots) of Snacks Breadsticks, rice cakes, dried fruit, and nuts, you know the drill! Kids are always hungry and buying food on site can get expensive for a whole family. I would budget for buying some meals at the festival and doing some cooking at the campsite. Pasta with a variety of sauces is always an easy option!
Go with the Flow If you are a neat freak and like a schedule, this is the time to let it all hang out. There is no routine; your children will be filthy and running around in a onesie, wellies, and an Indian headdress. Wet wipes and fancy dress items are also essentials didn’t you know? Enjoy the fun and embrace the festival vibes!
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Stay Hydrated Make sure the kids have their own water bottle. A rucksack or a bum bag to carry their water and money in is also a good idea. Most festivals have water points where you can refill water bottles.
Here is some more advice from our readers: Festival convert Pernilla says: “Get a proper canvas tent! I love our bell tent. Even wet camping is fine in it. I was a very reluctant camper due to the whole ‘tent wet on the inside’ thing until I was introduced to canvas.” Cath says make sure you are easy to find. “The best thing we bought was a windsock flag on a telescopic pole so the kids could go off but locate our camp easily.” Avid festival goer Julia from www.concertini.co.uk says: "My festival essentials are a wine cooler bag, non-spillable wine glasses, solar lights, table, chairs, and a picnic or tent rug! Also, don’t make the rookie mistake of pitching up near the toilets. Those banging doors will keep you up ALL night.”
Henley Festival
24 • Henley • Reading • Wokingham • Bracknell • Newbury • West Berkshire
And the advice of a festival expert – Little Welly organiser, Tracey Beard, says: “Festivals are a great place to lose things (sunglasses, a jacket!) so my advice is don’t wear your best clothes or favourite sneakers - festivals are often wet and muddy or dry and dusty and you want to relax and have fun and not be thinking about keeping your new shoes clean!”
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