I just got back from taking my kids to our first festival as a family, and I’m giving my diligent research on what to pack for camping with children as much credit as the programming for it being a hit. Okay, that is a slight exaggeration (we’ll be talking about the skateboarding, soft play, bubble machine and banana museum at We Out Here festival until next year), but as someone who usually throws things in a bag 10 minutes before leaving for any trip (more like 20 minutes now I’m in charge of two toddlers’ packing too), I was happy to be unusually prepared.
Taking kids to a festival requires a militant approach to packing. I have a one- and three-year-old so am never without pockets full of snacks, Hot Wheels and wipes, but the realisation of not having a supermarket on hand to grab extras from really does up the stakes. It’s been a summer full of camping trips for us, so our camping set-up is pretty tight, but festivals add a new level of logistics. There’s everything you need for sleeping, eating and getting everyone dressed, plus the extras because you want to add a bit of festival fun, and make sure everyone is happy in the confines of a field all day (and night) long.
