The festival season of 2015 is already in full swing, and its not just students crowding into the open-air grounds across the country. From time to time you’ll also spot some adults with their children in tow. If you’re one of these adults, there are a few things you should keep in mind to ensure that your visit goes well, and that it’s relaxed and fun for all parties involved!
Not every festival is suitable
Plan to visit a festival with your entire family? Well, the first question you ask yourself should be: which festival? There are only a few festivals that don’t allow children. However, even for those that do, you should familiarise yourself with the event before you purchase any tickets. Some organizers make it rather clear that their festival is inappropriate for children under a certain age. Certainly the smaller and quieter festivals, which offer programs in addition to the standard musical acts, are the most suitable for a family outing. Ticket rates for children vary from event to event, but children under six years of age usually enter for free. A wise choice would be a festival you’ve already visited before, one whose conditions and location you’re somewhat familiar with. You can find an overview of family-friendly festivals here!
The equipment for the job
General tips for festivals help to determine what to bring in terms of clothing and shoes, but with children you should pay a little more attention: you need headgear and sun cream for when it gets sunny; you should bring raincoats in case of inclement weather; you should have rain boots on hand for when the soil becomes muddy and soggy. It’s not always an easy thing to find gumboots for kids, as they also need to appeal to the wearer aesthetically. However, there is a wide selection of sizes and designs online, and here you can find a wide variety of models: http://www.limango-outlet.de/kindergummistiefel. In addition, it’s definitely a good idea to also bring along toilet paper and antibacterial hand sanitizer – if there’s one thing you can’t rely on, it’s the toilets at any festival!
Protecting young ears
Hearing damage is irreversible. Never put your child in jeopardy! You should definitely pack earmuffs for children (also known as “Mickey Mouse ears”.) They are available in different colors, adjustment options and sizes, and can also come in handy on New Year’s Eve or at noisy street festivals. Of course, you can’t go to a festival or a concert with a child standing at the very front of the crowd, i.e. right next to the stage. The farther away one is from the speakers and the heaving crowd, the safer it is for them. Standing at the fringes of the crowd also makes it that much easier to move to a quiet corner, or to pop quickly to the toilet in case of an emergency. In this case, the best options are festivals where you can listen to the music from the comfort of a shaded meadow and without having to fight your way to the middle of the action!
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