Camp Bestival 2016 ~ A jam-packed guide!

The excitement is rising in the house of 76sunflowers as we count down the weeks to our annual trip to the best family festival on earth - Camp Bestival.
My children have grown up with Camp Bestival in their blood, having attended since 2010, and it is their summer highlight every year. I remember that first festival nervously taking a two and four year old not really knowing what to expect but if I had this toddler survival guide I would have been much calmer!

One thing we did get right in 2010 was the fancy dress and I had my little pirate and fairy happily bum shuffling and toddling around that year. Now, fancy dress at Camp Bestival is a huge thing, not essential - my boy has no desire to dress up anymore - but you will see it everywhere. Should you be short of ideas for this year's Space theme then the Fancy Dress Festival Guru herself, aka Tattooed Mummy, has a great post here for inspiration - I'm hoping she goes as one of the Clangers!

Over the years we have perfected our packing and preparation, and tweaked our list to suit our family as they grow older, but this list from Penny would have saved us a lot of time and is a great starting point if going to your first festival.

Once the packing lists are done it is always a good idea to make some plans about what you all want to try and do across the long weekend. The site is packed full of entertainment for all ages and here is a selection of things that Sarah, from the Parenting Trials, is looking forward to this year including the biggest bouncy castle in the world!

Some first time festival goers may worry about the toilet situation but this post, will put you at ease, as well as giving you some other essential things to know or do.

Food is a hugely positive experience at Camp Bestival with an array of culinary delights to suit everybody's tastebuds. Louise and her Gorgeous Boys are licking their lips in anticipation of this delicious line up!

Despite the fantastic array of food on offer it is still useful to bring some food from home for breakfasts in the tent and picnics on site. Polly, from Enchanted Pixie, has some super ideas for feeding a family at a festival to help balance the budget and still enjoy a Mexican Burrito!

For some lovely images and a review of last year's festival take a look here and here.

I hope this has whetted your appetite to join us at Camp Bestival 2016!

x x x

Take & make {Camp Bestival 2015}

With less than four weeks to go before Camp Bestival 2015 kicks off I have started to get prepared so am thinking about what to take and what to make!

Year on year we have improved a lot of things; our packing technique, the 'what to take' list and those, oh so important, extras.
What follows are some ideas for adding a little bit of glamp to your camp, keeping the kiddos amused and saving some pennies.

Bubbles
Good planning always involves bubbles; these are an absolute go to when the children need a bit of down time either whilst setting up camp or chilling in a festival field. We always take loads - more than we think we will actually need. If you want to buy bubbles, bubble guns, bubble swords, even a smoke filled bubble machine then there is a tent onsite that will sell you it!
Hula hoop
Last year me and my girl made a hoop in a local charity tent - it cost about £5 - where pipe was cut to fit and we could choose our own colour taping. We will definitely look to do this again as you can never have too many hula hoops!
Gym ribbon
I saw this today in the local supermarket for £2 and thought my girl would love it - something to play with while she cartwheels down the campsite hills!
Balls
These balls are those ones that light up so great for a night time game of catch!
Glow sticks and fairy lights
Glow sticks are an amazing thing - they managed to keep my children occupied for hours on the castle field last year whilst we watched the music. Get a big set with lots of adaptors to make ears and glasses and they'll be happy! The battery operated fairy lights are fantastic for glamping your camping spot as well as attaching to any buggies or trolley you may take onsite.

 

Tail and ears

This year's theme is Wild so I have made a fox tail - loosely following this tutorial - and ears should anyone want to partake. The boy already has a fox onesie - bought last year from the camping shop onsite - and the girl has a Pink Panther, but obviously I need something to get in the dressing up mood too! Not sure what I'm wearing on my actual body yet though?!

Bunting

An absolute must in my camping book! Every year the tent is adorned with the stuff both inside and out where we make a little 'fence' from tent to tent. It's really simple to make - I have a guide here - or you can just cut out shapes, as in the top picture, and sew to bias tape.

 

For extra lists and guides click the pictures below!



       

To see what else is going on at this year's festival check out the website.

For more information on tickets click here.

x x x

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I am receiving family Camp Bestival 2015 tickets in return for previews and reviews of this year's festival. As always, views and opinions are my own.

Top ten extras to bring {Camp Bestival 2014}

It's less than four weeks to go until Camp Bestival 2014 begins.
Time to start making those lists.
I have blogged a lot in the past about camping with children and have prepared a tried and trusted packing list here.
But what about those Camp Bestival specific 'extras'?
Well look no further.
Here are my top ten extras to bring list!

Camp Bestival 2013 {One week to go - plans!}

It is one week to go until we are driving down to Lulworth for Camp Bestival 2013 and the planning is go, go, go!

The list has been written, the tent has been aired, car to campsite transport checked - good old Phil & Teds and now we are planning what we want to see and do.

There is a wealth of stuff to keep the kiddies busy and these are just a few of the things on their list this year...

The countdown begins! {Camp Bestival 2013}

I have just realised it is four weeks until we will be pitching our tent in the grounds of Lulworth Castle at Camp Bestival 2013. FOUR WEEKS!

Seeing as it will be our fourth visit I am pretty sorted on the organisational side of things. TOP TIP: You need to write a list people! If you're not sure what to put on your list when planning for a family festival check out this post: Surviving a family festival.

So, our fourth visit. It goes without saying that Camp Bestival has become our main summer holiday. Some people think we're crazy not to go on an all inclusive break to somewhere hot and sit by a pool for a fortnight but that's just not us. Yes, camping and festivals can be hard work with the kiddies but every year they have come away with the most amazing memories and always want to go back.

Camping with children

We have not long returned from a great 6 days of camping based in Devon. I found a lovely little site just outside of Tavistock where for an extra £2.50 you could have a HUUUUGE private hedged pitch. We opted for this as it gave us loads of space, privacy and a safe base for the children.

Once our tent was up we made it cosy with bunting, tables, chairs, camp kitchen, blankets, blow up beds, duvets, lanterns, fairy lights, tea lights...you name it, we probably took it to make our camp glamp!

We have camped countless times with the children now and with a bit of planning and careful packing camping holidays can be excellent. Edith has reached the age of wanting to go to the toilet block on her own and, despite bending the rule of  'no unaccompanied children in the toilets' that most campsites have, we let her do it. She's a sensible girl and I see this as developing her independence and safety awareness skills. The two of them would sneak to the park unaccompanied too! Yes, we were that family that lets their children run riot! Seriously though, they were closely monitored by us at all times.