Any parent who went to a music festival before having children will surely miss such events.
The good news is that life doesn’t have to change dramatically with the arrival of babies, preventing you from enjoying the pastimes of the past.
Just have to reorganized and reprioritized – there’s room for everything, if you really want it.
You will also have to learn to relate differently to what you knew to be “fun”.
In the first year of babyhood we did not venture to any festival with our little girl. But then I’ve met enough parents who have done it, to the fullest, even since their babies were only a few months old! This is to see that it is possible.
In the second year, no fear held us back, so we went to two Romanian festivals, which you can read about below:
WITH CHILDREN AT THE FESTIVAL – 4 DAYS IN THE FOREST, AT WAHA
WITH THE TODDLER AT THE FESTIVAL – ONE LOVE GATHERING
At one of them we attacked directly with heavy artillery and camped in the middle of the forest, all 3 of us – something that seemed quite unattainable just a short time ago.
So here is one mini-guide to surviving with the child at the festival, based on our experiences. We hope it will be of use to new parents looking for a getaway!
1. If you are parents of toddlers or babies, choose smaller and more underground festivalsas far as possible located in nature.
Put off big festivals until the kids are older and the responsibilities are more manageable.
Waha Festival, 2016
2. Organize yourself, as far as possible, o mobile mini-kitchen.
Don’t necessarily rely on the food found at the festival, especially if you have a young child who needs to be fed healthy and varied.
Here’s what our mobile mini-kitchen that we’ve been driving around all summer consists of:
- a tiny primus and gas cylinders;
- a set of camping dishes purchased from Dechatlon;
- a coffee pot and a kettle;
- an electric pot (which we use when there is electricity);
- a plastic box in which we store fruits and vegetables (we have a black one, taken from the street, in front of a market);
- a mini kitchen cabinet, which was a bit pricey, but worth it because it allowed us to cook on it and store food on the shelves; very easy to mount and tighten, only requires space in the car;
- camping table and chairs;
- and of course, of the mouth.
I know, it’s a lot of stuff, but believe me, it makes your life a lot easier when camping or at festivals, especially when you have a child in tow, and just as importantly, it gives you autonomy: you eat what you want , as much as you want, when you want.
3. Have a pair of headphones for children, intended for noise reduction. I used them quite often.
Play on some music, just a reggae music! One Love Gathering, 2016
4. If you stay in a tent, you must have for everyone etcthick socks and good sleeping bag, plus rain gear, even a hat for the children.
After the first cold and wet night of 2016 at Waha, if we hadn’t been prepared with everything we needed, we would have packed up and left in a hurry.
Waha Festival camp, since 2017
5. Avoid setting your expectations too high! The fun won’t be like it used to be, but it will be – with the drop and the portion, but as a parent you learn to appreciate these moments.
Going to the festival does not necessarily mean “partying hard” and dancing until dawn, as it used to be.
There are many other things you can enjoy: nature, people, socializing or simply the way the little one will discover, explore all kinds of new things and make friends.
Community Stage, Waha Festival, 2016
6. In the family formula, we spend quite a lot of time “at the base”, next to the tent.
Thus, a hammock, a table and camping chairs they become very useful objects for the parent who has to watch over the child’s midday nap or who has to wait for the soup to boil 😀
7. To have a blankets easy to carry around, for staying in various places other than next to the tent or in the room.
Waha Festival, 2016
8. Avoid pitching your tent too close to the stages! At Waha, in 2016, we had him quite close to the stages and this affected our rest (new, because Noria slept away). If we had gone into the forest a little further back, it would have been perfect, there the sounds only vaguely reached and it was really quiet. We know for next year!
9. Get ready for some sleep! Bring to you coffee stocks, green and black teas And so on The temptation to go out for fun at night, after the baby falls asleep, will be too much.
Overall, there is a good chance that you will leave tired at the end of the few days of the festival, but it will be worth it, because at the same time you will be left with beautiful memories, with new acquaintances, with whom you will probably meet next year, in the sea family of festival goers, with new energy and a beautiful mood, which will keep you going 😉
Waha Festival, 2016
10. Check if the festival has area for children’s activities. If it has, then you will have a daily milestone and you will definitely meet enough parents with children, and the socialization will go like clockwork 🙂
One Love Gathering, 2017
10. Don’t worry too much! Kids will love this experience. And their joy is worth every effort 😉
Disclaimer: We also received feedback that we should not promote Waha or other festivals as child friendly because of the noise that can affect children. In the case of us and our acquaintances, the experience was generally positive. But everyone must make an informed decision and take into account all the necessary aspects. We also allow negative feedback to be fair.
On Kinder Trips we write about traveling with children, education, urban exploration, communities and alternative lifestyles.
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