Creating Activities for Children at Family Music Festivals.

Most countries have some family friendly music festivals which cater for all ages with special attractions and allowances for children. What are the activities organisers can consider to make their events attractive to family groups where children are attending with parents or guardians.

Many music festivals are adult orientated with strict age limits where admittance is only permitted for over 18’s or over 21’s depending on the jurisdiction. The reason for these restrictions is the unhindered sale of alcohol along with additional safeguarding responsibilities required if the event admits minors. However, the family friendly festival is still an attractive proposition for some organisers who are tapping into a lucrative market. 

Craft and Art Workshops. 
Always one of the most popular activities on a festival site are workshops with a focus on arts and crafts where children can participate in painting, drawing and model making. They will be run by staff experienced in working with children of all ages and are an excellent way to foster creativity and freedom of expression which is often a good fit for the festival atmosphere. 

Dance and Music Workshops. 
At a music festival a workshop that has a focus on music and dance makes a great fit for the event. Activities can be split depending on age groups and may include learning how to play instruments or understanding how DJs work. Dance workshops are good for creating self-expression in an energetic way and help get children to work together in teams and groups. 

Child Focussed Entertainment. 
Curating child entertainers is a great way to keep kids occupied and may include puppet shows or storytelling for example. Some popular children's TV shows also provide a touring alternative making actors and presenters instantly recognisable to the children in attendance. More immersive entertainment is becoming popular too where entertainers get children involved in singing and dancing on a stage and can involve mini talent shows. 

Other Activities. 
A dedicated children's zone that provides supervised play areas for children are popular if space allows. Adventure playgrounds and obstacle courses can keep children occupied for hours with minimal adult involvement. More traditional activities can also include hiring bouncy castles and ball pits which have been around for decades. 

Legal Responsibilities. 
Most European and American states have strict requirements regarding policies for the protection of children. Adequate allowances for health and safety protocols should be made to ensure there are child friendly first aid facilities. Organisers will often be required to conduct thorough risk assessments relating to all on site child activities. A robust lost child policy needs to be agreed with designated locations for the collection and reuniting with parents. Every child should be issued with a wristband that clearly identifies parents and contact details. Adequate supervision and staff ratios need to be made with robust safeguarding policies in place. This ensures that children are protected from harm, abuse and neglect. In some countries there are disclosure and barring checks that must be conducted for any individuals that will be working with children. 

For festival organisers planning their child friendly events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by MIH83 via Pixaby

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