Just So Festival
Best Festivals for Toddlers – 2013
TweetThe toddler stage is possibly the most difficult age to do festivals, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be done!
For really young kids we recommend small festivals, particularly if you are not an experienced festival-goer or camper. For a successful festival experience with toddlers you need space to run around or relax, less crowds, smaller distances between campsite, arena and carpark, a good selection of child-friendly food and a willingness to take things at your toddler’s pace (see also Naomi’s Top Tips for doing Festivals with Toddlers).
After much debate, we reckon this year’s best festivals for Under 5’s are:
Just So Festival 2012 Review
2012 Just So Festival weather: Sunny and warm, but with heavy showers.
2012 was the third Just So Festival. You won’t find commercialism or big children’s TV characters here, just boundless opportunities to play and explore in a magical journey through the woods. This is not just a festival… this is a place where kids and families can come together in the beauty of imagination. The organisers are not professional festival managers by trade, rather it is led by two incredibly artistic mums and a devoted team who are all inspired to create a special and creative weekend for families to share. They care passionately about the event and it shows.
————————————————————————————
Review by: Claire Archbold (with 1 child aged 2.5)
Getting to the festival and setting up camp
Getting to the festival was easy – we put in the satnav postcode from their website and it was a doddle but we did almost miss the ‘Weekend Camping Entrance’ sign as it wasn’t very obvious. No long traffic queues, helpful car parking attendants and a very small queue for wrist bands.
Top 15 Music Festivals for Under-5’s – 2012
Top Festivals for Babies and Toddlers 2012 (for 2013 – click HERE!)
For really young kids we tend to recommend smaller festivals, particularly if you are not an experienced festival-goer. Smaller festivals have the dual advantage of not being so vast that a trip back to the tent for a forgotten dummy takes half the morning, and the stage areas are usually less crowded meaning you can get closer to the bands without fearing your little one getting accidentally trampled on or lost. That said, smaller festivals often don’t have as much budget for children’s activities, so your choice will also depend a little on the level of laid-on entertainment that your family need.
It really is very hard to choose from all the festivals that take place in the UK each year. But if we have to narrow it down, our short-list of the best festivals to take your really little ones to goes a little like this:
Our pick of the Festivals 2012
Choosing from the hundreds of excellent family-friendly festivals out there is really really tough.
Many families will place a different importance to different aspects. Personally I don’t like my festivals too crowded, I like quality music but I’m not so bothered by big names, and most importantly I like a good range of workshops and street theatre to keep everyone entertained. But people always ask me which are the best festivals for kids so here is my shortlist – the ones which I think have something extra-special about them: Read more…
Just So Festival 2011 Review
2011 Just So Festival weather: Cloudy but warm and dry. Some rain at night.
2011 saw the second ever Just So Festival, a unique and special event intended to celebrate all that is creative and fun in childhood. You won’t find commercialism or big children’s TV characters here, just boundless opportunities to play and explore in a magical journey through the woods. This is not just a festival… this is a place where kids and families can come together in the beauty of imagination.
There were problems with an inadequate water supply and the organisers have issued public apologies, admitting that they got it wrong and have learnt for next year. Reviews should be read with these issues in mind, which will have undoubtedly deeply soured the experience for some.
The organisers are not professional festival managers, rather it is led by two mums inspired to create a special and creative weekend for families to share. They care passionately about the event. On many counts they have done an incredible job and are well on their journey through this huge learning curve. It’s also worth remembering that this is a not-for-profit community event. The Just So Festival has a great ethos and has already built up a very loyal fan base.
Best Festivals for Toddlers – 2013
The toddler stage is possibly the most difficult age to do festivals, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be done!
For really young kids we recommend small festivals, particularly if you are not an experienced festival-goer or camper. For a successful festival experience with toddlers you need space to run around or relax, less crowds, smaller distances between campsite, arena and carpark, a good selection of child-friendly food and a willingness to take things at your toddler’s pace (see also Naomi’s Top Tips for doing Festivals with Toddlers).
After much debate, we reckon this year’s best festivals for Under 5’s are:
Top 15 Music Festivals for Under-5’s – 2012
Top Festivals for Babies and Toddlers 2012 (for 2013 – click HERE!)
For really young kids we tend to recommend smaller festivals, particularly if you are not an experienced festival-goer. Smaller festivals have the dual advantage of not being so vast that a trip back to the tent for a forgotten dummy takes half the morning, and the stage areas are usually less crowded meaning you can get closer to the bands without fearing your little one getting accidentally trampled on or lost. That said, smaller festivals often don’t have as much budget for children’s activities, so your choice will also depend a little on the level of laid-on entertainment that your family need.
It really is very hard to choose from all the festivals that take place in the UK each year. But if we have to narrow it down, our short-list of the best festivals to take your really little ones to goes a little like this:
Just So Festival 2011 Review
2011 Just So Festival weather: Cloudy but warm and dry. Some rain at night.
2011 saw the second ever Just So Festival, a unique and special event intended to celebrate all that is creative and fun in childhood. You won’t find commercialism or big children’s TV characters here, just boundless opportunities to play and explore in a magical journey through the woods. This is not just a festival… this is a place where kids and families can come together in the beauty of imagination.
There were problems with an inadequate water supply and the organisers have issued public apologies, admitting that they got it wrong and have learnt for next year. Reviews should be read with these issues in mind, which will have undoubtedly deeply soured the experience for some.
The organisers are not professional festival managers, rather it is led by two mums inspired to create a special and creative weekend for families to share. They care passionately about the event. On many counts they have done an incredible job and are well on their journey through this huge learning curve. It’s also worth remembering that this is a not-for-profit community event. The Just So Festival has a great ethos and has already built up a very loyal fan base.
Just So Festival 2012 Review
2012 Just So Festival weather: Sunny and warm, but with heavy showers.
2012 was the third Just So Festival. You won’t find commercialism or big children’s TV characters here, just boundless opportunities to play and explore in a magical journey through the woods. This is not just a festival… this is a place where kids and families can come together in the beauty of imagination. The organisers are not professional festival managers by trade, rather it is led by two incredibly artistic mums and a devoted team who are all inspired to create a special and creative weekend for families to share. They care passionately about the event and it shows.
————————————————————————————
Review by: Claire Archbold (with 1 child aged 2.5)
Getting to the festival and setting up camp
Getting to the festival was easy – we put in the satnav postcode from their website and it was a doddle but we did almost miss the ‘Weekend Camping Entrance’ sign as it wasn’t very obvious. No long traffic queues, helpful car parking attendants and a very small queue for wrist bands.
Our pick of the Festivals 2012
Choosing from the hundreds of excellent family-friendly festivals out there is really really tough.
Many families will place a different importance to different aspects. Personally I don’t like my festivals too crowded, I like quality music but I’m not so bothered by big names, and most importantly I like a good range of workshops and street theatre to keep everyone entertained. But people always ask me which are the best festivals for kids so here is my shortlist – the ones which I think have something extra-special about them: Read more…