10 Top Tips For Taking Kids To Glastonbury Festival

Top 10 Tips Taking Kids To Glastonbury Festival

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The Glastonbury Festival is easily one of the happiest, most vibrant & exciting experiences ever (& that's as an adult!). There are so many awesome things to see & do, a kaleidoscope of colours, wonderment, incredible people & entertainment await! So why not take your kids along? It’s seriously so much fun & its a super engaging way to introduce your younger ones to live music, different cultures, foods & entertainment that aren’t in the everyday - plus under 12's get free entry with a full paying adult (free entry to Glastonbury! Seriously cool!)


We love Glastonbury, its the happiest place on earth & the first time we went, we went with our two boys (aged 6 & 9 at the time) so we did lots of research before taking them & we wanted to compile our Glastonbury with kids hints & tips with lots of things we found super useful.

Glastonbury Festival With Kids Top Tips

1: Prep for Weather

weather at glastonbury festival with kids

Checking the forecast online beforehand is useful (obviously!) but be prepared for any weather. We were so lucky to be at Glastonbury on a lovely sunny weekend however the sky surprised us with two little flurries of drizzle, while still being pretty warm so layers are your friend! 


Grabbing a few pack-away rain jackets, lightweight raincoats or waterproof ponchos are awesome, they can sit at the bottom of your bag or rucksack on the off chance of watery sky surprises! - Tip: Ponchos are fab for going over your body & rucksacks at the same time while keeping you hands free for helping little ones (just don’t buy those disposable packet ponchos - the earth with thank you!) 


Shorts, sun hats & sun-cream for all the family are essential if it's going to be sunny, hats are great because shady spaces are snapped up quickly so keep protected! Take a spare hat or two for the kids because for some reason they always lose them (where do all the lost hats go?)


Taking light outerwear like over shirts, hoodies & jumpers are super handy for the chilly evenings while camping or for later nights exploring the festival in the evening - take the opportunity to grab yourself & your kids a cool hippie festival top, hoodie or shirt (the people at Glasto are all the colours of the rainbow & everything in between, no outfit will ever be too outrageous!).

Head over to our Festival Essentials to find our top picks for festival season!

 

2. Snacking Kids are Happy Kids


The Glastonbury Festival lets you take your own food in your bags into the festival, this may not be the same at all festivals so check this out if you’re attending a different festival but for taking kids along to Glastonbury it's a game changer (I mean who isn’t happier with a snack in their hand?).


Take ample snacks, pack your own sandwiches (or pita breads, flat bread or wraps because they are nice & flat to fit in your bag). Other snacks like biscuits, flapjacks & cereal bars are a great alternative to chocolate bars because hopefully you’ll be enjoying a sunny weekend & chocolate will 100% melt all over little fingers, and in your bag! Err! 


The bonus with taking a bag full of snacks is that you’ll keep your kids super happy & your bag gets lighter as the day goes on! Winner! 

 

3.Keep Hydrated


Grown-ups can take non-glass containers of drink into the festival too, take advantage & pop some nice cans of Somerset cider in your bag, or whatever else takes your fancy, but be sure to take your own reusable water bottles, one for each of the family & stay hydrated. 


There are at least a billion water taps at the Glastonbury festival (thanks WaterAid) so you can fill up fresh drinking water for free so take advantage of it & take a bottle. 


If you’re limited on space in your bag or tent & a big stainless steel bottle is too cumbersome then you can find cool collapsible bottles that fold flat when they are empty. 

 

4. Pack Mule

Pack a backpack for glastonbury festival withkids

If you've been a parent for a while, or you go for days out with children at all, you’ll be used to being used as a mobile storage unit, or some type of pack mule at least. So our next tip is to take a rucksack, or shoulder bag, whichever helps you comfortably carry all the things you need & keeps your hands free to be able to help your kids without having your hands full. 


We prefer backpacks as they keep the weight of all your belongings on your shoulders & are super easy to carry around, but a shoulder bag would work fine. 


Extra Tip: Don’t take the kitchen sink! We found that on our first day out in the festival we were super loaded-up & our bags were weighty! So the following days on the festival we trimmed down a little to make it a bit easier. 

 

Glastonbury Festival Peace Garden Kids

5. Money


You will definitely not be able to resist spending some cash with you at Glastonbury, be it the amazing variety of food & drinks, or the epic amounts of stalls & traders. It's super irresistible so here are a few little tips we found useful…


  • Take a bit of cash as well as your debit/credit card. Most vendors take card payments but if for some reason they don't, then you've got cash as back up.
  • Keep a spare debit/credit card with you as back-up if you lose one of your cards (you won’t then be stuck without being able to pay for the things you want)
  • Have your banking app on your phone, if you lose a card, or want to check your balances you’ll be able to sort things on the go.
  • Get a payment service added to your smartphone (Apple Pay or similar) so you have even more payment options.
  • Have a secure purse or wallet that holds all your cash & cards neatly without risk of anything falling out. Clear out your loyalty cards, business cards or any other little clutter so you’re organised & leave those safe at home & make sure it's easy to find everything - even take the opportunity to buy yourself a new wallet or purse & get updated ready for those festival vibes!

 

6. Staying Safe & Keeping Kids Safe 


Glastonbury Festival Kids Field

Glasto has great security & essentially everyone has paid for their ticket to go & have a nice time. It feels like a happy place filled with happy people but keeping safe & feeling safe, especially with your little ones, is vitally important. Below we added a few points for keeping you worry free & having a great time…


  • Have an extra small bag like a money belt, bum-bag, little passport bag or similar for holding your cash, cards, any I.D cards & tickets, any of the super important things. Then keep this bag close to you at all times, Dan had a lovely comfortable bum-bag & Jess had a small flat hippie passport shoulder bag, both comfortable to wear & had a secure zipper or button fastener to keep the super essentials safe. 
  • Having your money bag/pouch separate from your rucksack & attached to you on your front where you can easily see it gives you an extra level of security - being pickpocketed is unlikely but it never hurts to be cautious, plus this way if anyone is bold enough to try and steal anything from you it’ll most likely be from your rucksack & all they’ll have away with would be a tupperware of sandwich crusts or some kids socks! 
  • If you’ve got small children & you’re worried about them wandering off you can write your mobile phone number on their arm, on a bracelet secured around their wrist, or on their clothing should they end up at the Lost Kids station.
  • Yes! Glasto has a place where they take any lost kids so they can keep them safe while they call the parents, luckily we didn't need it, but apparently the kids get free juice & biscuits while they wait to be picked up.
  • Having hands free bags, rucksacks, money belts etc makes it much easier to keep your eyes on your kids because you're not worried about losing or dropping anything & your focus can be on your kids & having a great time!
  • Take a photo of your kids on your phone in the morning just before you head into the festival, if they get lost you have a photo showing what they look like & how they are dressed so you’ll be able to give an accurate description & It’ll make any visit to the lost kids station much quicker - not that you’ll need to because you’ll all be having a great time making epic memories all together.  

 

7. Kids Entertainment

Glastonbury Festival Big Top Circus Field

The entertainment at the Glastonbury Festival is top notch & among the best in the world, the same can be said for the kids entertainment (& its all free!). The festival as a whole is an epic sensory experience with so much to see, hear & do. You’ll definitely find what you & your kids like to do on your own but check out our top kids picks for the festival below…


  • The Kidzfield: Exactly how it sounds, a huge field of kids entertainment & it's all included in the ticket price so all activities & shows in the field are free! Everything from shows, circus performances in the mini circus tent, work-shops, craft tents, dancing, music, instruments to play on, huge climbing frames, slides, bouncy castles, puppet shows (the list could go on!). 
  • If you're a parent who has seen any BBC kids shows too then you’ll be quite likely to pop along to a show & see your kids favourite kids TV characters, presenters & hosts & they even get on the ground & start playing big party games with the kids! Go along because it's awesome!
  • Go to the opening of The Kidzfield: If you can get there for the opening time (usually midday on the Thursday just before the weekend). It’s a huge celebration welcoming the families into the field with lots of music & people in costume waiting to greet all the kids as they come through the gate - carnival chic!
  • Check out the Big Top Circus Tent: It’s huge & has so much space to sit down, lie back & relax while some of the world leading circus performers put on shows, some of which are super mind blowing! The turn around between shows & performers is really quick so it's worth sitting a while.
  • Green Kidz: There are lots of eco crafts & a little library tent around the edge of a huge play area with sand pits & climbing frames, usually themed (It was a huge wooden pirate ship while we were there). It's not as entertainment heavy as the Circus or the Kidzfield but it is a lot quieter if you need a break from the hustle & bustle.
  • Wonder Around: It sounds crazy but go for a walk around the festival site & performers, magicians, jugglers & an array of costumed acts walk around the site & do mini shows in the open air. Along with all the colours, flags, sounds & vibrancy of the event it's too cool not to take in!

Tip: Relax & feel secure because lots of the kids areas are gated, or manned by friendly security staff to watch no kids wander out of the fields alone & also to prevent any adults that aren’t accompanied by children coming into the area - it's a kid zone after all! 

Check Out The Glastonbury Offical Kidz Field Page which has lots of awesome info on what's on. 

 

8. Get Into The Groove.


If there’s ever been a time to wear those festival clothes, it's now! Grab some cool threads & don’t be afraid to accessorise - colourful bracelets make your Glastonbury wristband so much cooler & getting festival outfits ready beforehand is a great way to get the kids excited about the festival too! Our boys had new bucket hats & tie dye t-shirts in awesome popping colours & they were super psyched about wearing them at the festival!

 

9. Food & Drink Tips

Kids At Glastonbury Festival Food

Taking a bag of your own snacks is fab but there are so many awesome food stalls with a world of cuisines all around, you will definitely want to sample some fab treats! Below here’s a few hints & tips to saving cash (& waste) while going festival foraging with kids.


  • Kids love an ice lolly & they are a great bribe to get the kids over to see the rest of the arena because you’ll want to check out the other awesome entertainment on offer. It was an ice cream each that got our dudes to stay out nice & late to watch Elton John! Fab!
  • Sharing: Buy one between two portions wise, this sounds a bit mean, but it's not because the food stalls give out large portions! We even took our own plastic picnic knives & forks & some plastic tupperware tubs for sharing it between the kids. Buying one main to share gives the chance to buy a dessert too. Many vendors will happily split your portion between two plates for kids which is great.
  • You can take your own drink into the festival which is a super saver if you have a tipple of choice! Just make sure you get some water down you & stay hydrated! 

 

10. Taking Kids to the Toilets

To be fair here most of what you read on the internet about Glastonbury toilets may be a slight exaggeration, yes they aren’t up the cleanliness standard of your loo at home but here’s a few little tips for getting you & your kids Glasto toilet prepared!  

 

  • Keep some of your own hand sanitiser & a small pack of wet wipes in your small money pouch/bag, that way you’ll always be able to keep your hands, and your little ones hands fresh on the go.
  • There are several thousand toilets available including portaloos (great for kids & pretty clean), Compost loos (also great for kids - especially the one painted in fun colours & funky patterns) & long drop loos (not so good for little ones). The long drop toilets require a walk up a metal staircase & they can feel like you’re high up so we wouldn’t recommend them for smaller kids.
  • ‘Kids don’t wait’ - There is a great rule in the kids areas at Glasto, exactly as it sounds, those with little ones move to the front of the queue! Epic! This applies in The Kidzfield & Green Kidz areas so if you’re an accompanying adult who goes into the cubicle with your child, we’re not saying use the loo while you're there - but who’d know? 
  • Toilets in the kids areas are pretty clean which is a real winner - be sure to keep them that way for any festival goers that use the loo after you.
  • Not all toilets have loo roll in them so it's worth packing a small amount in your bag, so much better than being caught out!
  • A tip seen elsewhere online was as a help for the fussier toilet user, we didn’t do this but we thought its worth a mention. Taking a loo roll, a small antibacterial cleaning spray/antibacterial wipes (biodegradable & plant based if you please!) & a few disposable paper toilet seat covers. We went with using some plant-based wipes with a dollop of hand sanitiser as it didn’t require as much to carry around.
  • The loos nearest the camping areas are the cleanest, the ones nearest the bar areas are the least clean - Simple! 

 

Extra Bonus Tip: If you are on social media there are hundreds of Glasto & festival based pages & groups, all with their own chats, hits, tips & advice. It's really worth having a browse & checking out what people have to say, a few pearls of wisdom might be on offer!

 

Above all, have the best time, whatever the weather, whatever the festival! Make memories, have a laugh, love life & it'll love you back! 

A big Namaste to all you beautiful people!

Dan & Jess @thehappyhippiebus 

For more on taking your kids to Glastonbury Festival check out their website. 

Campervan at Glastonbury Festival With Kids
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