CAMPING | Tips On Surviving Festival Camping With The Family

August 4, 2023 Shell Robshaw-Bryan

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With festival season in full swing, it’s time to talk about the family camping essentials, including what we can leave at home and what we couldn’t live without.

The North West’s favourite family festival, Deva Fest, and family influencer, Sarah Grant, offer expert tips for a smooth camping experience with children this summer.

Festival season is well underway, with the likes of Glastonbury, Latitude and Camp Bestival now in our rear-view mirror, and Rewind, Reading & Leeds, and Deva Fest still ahead of us.

Simply getting organised, packed and arriving at a festival when you’re only looking after yourself can seem like a mammoth task, so we understand the extra planning needed to make your family festival adventure a reality.

However, camping at a festival is also the most magical experience, creating long-lasting memories for you and your family. You get to enjoy the music and festivities without the concern of figuring out transportation back home and immerse yourself in the full festival atmosphere.

Sarah Grant, Cheshire family influencer, said: “For me, the key to having a stress-free experience when planning a family camping trip to a festival is preparation!”

Now in its third year, Cheshire-based festival, Deva Fest, is all about the true family experience. Deva Fest founder, Phil Marston, shares what he’s learned over the years of festival organising alongside feedback from family campers at Deva Fest to provide the top tips for first-time family campers to make their festival experience is stress-free and enjoyable.

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare

Phil says: “Prepare, prepare, prepare is the key mantra to have when it comes to getting your family camping/festival ready.

Create a checklist of essentials, including camping gear, clothing, food, and entertainment for the kids. Some must-have items include:

Kids sleeping bag/camp bed plus their favourite comforter
Portable camping chairs
Warm layers, wellies and waterproofs – it’s most likely you’re heading to a festival in England, so be prepared for unexpected weather changes!
Toiletries
Sunscreen and insect repellent
First-aid kit
Snacks, snacks and more snacks!
Refillable water bottles
Ear defenders
Camping/Festival Trolley (for those tired little legs at the end of the day!)
Night lights for inside the tent and those midnight trips to the loo!

It’s better to overprepare than be underprepared. It’s always best to check on the festival’s website prior to visiting to check out the amenities they have on-site, especially if you have a small baby or family members with additional needs with you to make sure everything is catered for.”

Sarah shares her top tip from years of festival family camping: “My number one piece of advice is to invest in a pull-along trolley, that way you can get all your essentials in there, and usually they fold down. Some things I will be packing in our trolley will be foldable chairs, waterproof mats, sun cream, insect repellent, pack away waterproofs, fluffy socks, and extra layers for the kids.”

“Oh, and some battery-operated twinkly lights and lanterns. That way we’re prepared for all weathers and our tent will be cosy and magical at night-time with atmospheric lighting.”

Deva fest have created a Family Camping Essentials checklist that you can use to help you pack for the busy weekend you have planned.

2. Get the whole family involved

Phil continues: “Don’t go it alone, let your kids be a part of the preparation and festival planning process by turning it into a fun activity.

Getting them involved will start to build excitement and you can open the dialogue, so they know what to expect.

A couple of ideas you could try out

Practice pitching the tent and ask your children to get involved. This way they can get their hands dirty whilst you also have the chance to make sure your camping equipment is in tip-top condition ahead of time.
Create a ‘mini festival’ in your home with a festival playlist. Get them grooving along to some of the hits they can expect to hear, and maybe even come up with a few dance moves to show off at the event. For Deva Fest we’ve created this on Spotify so our campers can listen to our top artists ahead of time – ‘Deva Fest Spotify Playlist’.
Sit down together and plan your meal list – will you be bringing food with you? If so, take the time to think about this together, what this could be and of course, don’t forget the snacks!

It’s also worth noting a festival’s specific ‘rules and regulations’ around food and drink. Some festivals will allow you to bring your own food and drink with you, but you may not be able to take this in restricted areas (ie. In the arenas) so it’s worth checking.”

3. Practice camping at home

“Preparing your camping gear and setting up a tent can be quite a task, especially if we’re lucky and the summer sun is shining down,” says Phil.

“Choose a day and night that works best – pitch up the tent, grab some camping chairs, whip up some grub and pretend it’s the real deal.

This not only familiarises your kids with the process but also gets them enthusiastic about being part of the tent set up on the actual day (and gives you an extra pair of helping hands).

There are a multitude of benefits to this as your children, so far, may have never experienced sleeping outside in a tent. It’ll ease the festival worries and help settle them if they have any nervousness about camping.”

4. Pack activities to keep them entertained

Embracing the bustling festival atmosphere and a wide selection of family-friendly activities on site is great, and what you’re there for, but sometimes you, or you kids, may need a moment away from it all.

Phil explains, “It’s always a good idea to bring along a few home comforts so they have a sense of familiarity, and it can keep them entertained when at the campsite.

Uno, a pack of cards or Top Trumps are always a great option because they can easily be packed along with the rest of your camping gear without taking up too much space.”

Sarah summarises her experience camping with her family at festivals: “Camping at a festival is one of the best holidays you can have as a family. With so many activities, music, and an abundance of quality time, you’re in for a jam-packed weekend of making memories.”

Enjoying a relaxing festival camping experience is all in the preparation. Prepare and plan for the best summer yet and choose a festival that has a variety of activities to suit all ages of your family.

Along with other festival’s still to come in August, Deva Fest will take place between 11th – 13th August at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire. You can expect five stages of music and comedy across the three days, hand-picked street food stalls, an extensive choice of free on-site family activities and a Saturday Superhero parade.

Limited number of tickets are still available to purchase online including day tickets and weekend family camping or non-camping packages.

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Shell Robshaw-Bryan

Editor & Owner at Camping with Style

Shell loves all things travel and outdoors and is a nature-loving, comfy-camping kinda girl. Shell started the Camping with Style blog after a serious snowboarding accident which left her with a broken back. Despite this she used the outdoors and healing power of nature to aid her recovery and she continues to spend time outdoors whenever she can.

From open water swimming, snowboarding and kayaking to hill walks and meditation, Shell shares her travels and microadventures here on the blog and in various publications she's written for, Shell has a particular interest in promoting wellbeing and the many benefits of nature therapy.

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