Little LegendsWhat's on for Kids around the UK

I was sitting on the train at the weekend and was listening to the conversation of a couple of Mums opposite me and I was surprised to hear one of them say that she had already booked her Family Yurt at Glastonbury this year. The more I thought about the idea of taking my kids to a music festival the more I liked it, so I decided to do a bit of research. Unfortunately, many of the 2010 tickets are already sold out, so this is an event to book well in advance. Nevertheless, there are a number of festivals which are suitable for families and so I thought I would share some of the details …

1. Latitude, Henham Park, Southwold Suffolk
The festival hosts an impressive bill of musicians and bands who perform on four stages – The Obelisk Arena, The Uncut Arena, The Sunrise Arena, and the Lake Stage – as well as including theatre, art, comedy and more. Children under 12 get in free with a ticket holder and there is a dedicated family campsite with special activities laid on. However, the main attraction for families is really the Kids Arena. In this area a magical mini-festival for kids takes place. It is as diverse as the rest of Latitude, with books, art, music and theatre, heaps of participation and fun, from drama workshops to an insect circus, making your own pizza to joining their Glee club.

2. Bestival, Robin Hill, Isle of Wight
Bestival is one of the smaller, boutique festivals. It has a special Bigtopmania Kidzone Team with a host of artists and activities designed to keep the kids happy and far from bored with all that adult partying!! There is a baby Big Top for the shows, a Crafts Marquee, a Toddlers Under 5s Area, Jan’s infamous Van, a dressing up tent, a bouncy castle, face painting, and an outdoor play area.  The kids area is located right next to the family camp area and it is a bit of a peaceful haven for the kids to play in away from all the hustle and bustle.

3. Big Chill, Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Worcestershire
The Big Chill calls itself UK’s most family-friendly festival. Children under 13 get in for £4 and at the Kids Zone, children can enjoy performances from No Strings Puppet Theatre, Crazy Comic Club, Scamp Theatre’s production of Pinocchio, John Hegley and many more. There are also ongoing activities and workshops for kids in movement and dance, drum making, arts and crafts and giant 3D sculpture. There are several options for sleeping at The Big Chill 2010 – you can bring your own tent to camp, bring a camper-van, or you can try a bit of luxury camping in the form of a yurt or pod pad.

Other festivals worth checking out are WOMAD, Charlton Park, Wiltshire and Green Man, Glanusk Park, Wales, both of which let young children in free and are very childfriendly.

Top tips for when you are there include writing your mobile phone number on the back of their hands, packing plenty of baby wipes and snacks, ear plugs (for when you or the kids want some sleep!) but most importantly go with some other friends with kids so you can share this extraordinary experience.

Maybe I’ll see you there!