For any unseasoned punter, there could be an assumption that festivals are the exact same ilk which festival goers unanimously see them as chances for getting off of the heads of theirs. This is not the total picture. Many folks are already there, done that and moved on. In this era of business festival saturation, festivals are sold at a diverse range of individuals of all the motivations, cultures, interests, music tastes and age groups (including kids). There is comedy, the arts, crafts, alternative therapies, theatre, literature, cinema, high brow food and real ale along with acts that by the dynamics of the own eccentricity of theirs are uncategorisable. I’ve been to festivals with family and friends for twenty years. It’s what we do and also have done every summer since we like everything about it. My five-year-old is coming with us since she was an infant and also taking the lead from us, she really loves them also. As a parent, I feel the opportunities for children in terminology of entertainment at UK festivals are infinite. As a professor, I additionally see limitless possibilities for development and learning. I reckon kids can gain from festivals in ways that are several but allow me to share my top five:
- ADVENTURE Fresh air, space, sunshine, and freedom offers the best antidote to contemporary kids’ sedentary obsession with iPad technology and also TV. There’s opportunity that is endless for training, unintentional and also otherwise. Apart from walking for miles each day without realising it, you will find innovative activities to test like climbing walls, kids’ yoga, signing up for in with the antics of the circus, hula-hooping, juggling workshops or perhaps running a close by tea tent by peddling a bicycle. Opportunities for dance reveal themselves at each stage as well as at the stalls, wherever impulsive raves pop up. I’ve happy recollections of the legendary Joe Bananas at Glastonbury in the 90s; a camping gear stall with a monumental sound system along with a reputation to match. Wherever else but a festival will you simply drop everything and dance many times one day! Spontaneous people are my daughter’s and also my shared festival favourites; in the stalls, the kids’ disco, the adults’ gigs at the same time as at the own tent of yours. I’ve never ever laughed the head of mine off almost as at the sensational quiet disco – fantastic for kids. Events for children to experience awe and wonder present themselves everywhere. I can remember seeing jousting knights on horseback at Camp Bestival. Last year Green Man had a real butterfly house where children might keep the bugs and also talk facts with a pro. A excellent encounter involved us stumbling across a cryptic platform with a deal with turning in the trees; in case you turned it for long enough you’d ultimately be blasted with Barry White’s Cannot Get Enough of The Love of yours! Among the original Glastonbury memories of mine involved watching in disbelief as being a dancing female allowed the feet of her to put in concrete! Kids locate the inexplicable captivating. Nowhere better may outdo a festival in terminology of the power of its to immerse kids in the variety of music culture, creating musicians accessible as possible role models along with providing kids chances to use a go themselves, at open mic talent competitions and drumming workshops possibly. Festivals also provide amazing occasions for kids to try new food items. The options are mind blowing.
- CREATIVITY Opportunities for this are infinite, through dressing up, team games, face-painting, parades and also den building for instance. You will find several factors to model, make and do. You can fashion yourself from clay, develop a kite, weave a basket or maybe design a hat. The daughter of mine made mud pies last year in a completely furnished kitchen area produced especially because of this job and also spent one hour role playing with similarly engaged pie chefs. Festivals are places that are great for children to find out about themselves too; subjected to that diversity, they could go through the way it can feel to have additional autonomy than normal, by establishing individual identity and preferences through choices of food, music, along with routines.
- CONFIDENCE Any place where kids have numerous new happenings at the same time will offer immeasurable potential for confidence building. The environment of all the similar at festivals makes for a beautiful dynamic. My daughter’s self esteem soared year that is previous through interacting with strangers; folks danced and also talked with her all of the time. It’s a liberating opportunity to experience kindness and also curiosity from others in a fairly secure environment; randomly a female at Green Man asked the permission of mine to teach her exactly how to teddy bear roll! She additionally got engaged in an improvised theatrical performance run by actors. She had the part of a pop star (initiated by the) of her, sporting something sparkly and a fetching pair of shades. I watched for an hour. She was so engrossed she did not appear round the moment to examine I was still there.
- SOCIAL SKILLS It’s well researched that present day kids lack enough possibilities for unsupervised play. The social skills development that a festival offers will be the finest in terminology of problem solving, decision making and also the development of initiative, compassion and empathy. Within a festival, unsupervised play simply works, so long as you set a number of boundaries; you are able to easily keep an eye on the child of yours from a distance as they play along with other children or even become immersed in an exercise. Along with offering them the area to study and also be themselves, you simultaneously get to relish the festival; sit down, have a drink, watch a band and be with close friends. They may chase bubbles in the sunshine with other people and interact with a gang of haystack play fighters – some controlled anarchy is very much fun! Festivals offer possibilities that are rare for children to find parents enjoy themselves (responsibly act and also) as good social role models. The child of mine is fond of the adult friends of ours, enjoying chances to socialise with them. At home, she primarily misses out on this; we socialise with friends when she’s in bed or perhaps with a babysitter. Additionally, seeing the mum of her and dad calm and enjoying each other’s company from the stresses of living is yet another beautiful and unusual opportunity.
- ADAPTABILITY Having adaptable and flexible kids opens the door to possibilities that are many in life. Simply allowing children to see the independence of a shortage of routine is a novelty and also boosts the adaptability of theirs. Likewise, the pure enjoyment of extravagance and also the bending of typical boundaries, including much more ice cream and treats than normal, is of itself a thrilling brand new feeling. There’ll be occasions at festivals where children should find out resilience – cold, mud, rain, noise, loss (perhaps a hat or maybe jumper) and naturally porta loos! The enormous range of a festival enables studying how you can properly adapt behaviour based on surroundings; festivals are terrific for any changes of atmosphere – space and peace under a tree a few minutes, to unadulterated chaos and joy the following. Keeping command of a restricted budget in the kind of pocket cash is a crucial learning experience and also life skill. At a festival, kids are able to go through the procedure of prioritising, to purchase or not to purchase. One more life skill is the benefits of consideration and compromise for other people. Festivals offer children together with the chance to discover how you can put up with some other peoples” fun’. It is able to make for an excellent exercise in making certain everyone gets a thing they want; in the situation of the husband of mine (real ale and also bleepy techno), me (unrestricted tea and tai chi) and the daughter of mine (sugary food and funfair rides). Learning how you can bargain are able to work to everyone’s advantage; in case we is able to convince the child of ours to get an afternoon nap, next she can stay up late and observe the headliners with us, that functions as a fantasy! To have taken her to festivals since she was an infant, she’s adaptable, knows what you should anticipate and lets you snooze soundly in spite of continuous noise. She definitely gets fatigued enough! Moreover, after a festival, she usually wakes at nighttime disturbed by the silence at home! I wish I’d experienced the freedom, joy and creativity of open air music events as a kid. I’m not the only one. At Green Man last year, I received an astonishing amount of reviews from strangers and friends to that impression. Many folks were retrospectively envious of the youth they perceived in the child of mine. Any parent knows – once the children are happy, we’re pleased. From the family of mine, spending the summer months at festivals with the individuals we like and the kids of theirs, will help us reconnect with friends, nature, music, freedom and fun – which provides the best antithesis and adventure to tedious regimen and the strain of contemporary living. Inspired, stimulated kids allow for relaxed, contented parents. Right now that is a holiday!