It’s festival season! How to hold your very own family fest at home...

Summer festivals are in full swing! This might mean your family is getting ready to attend one (or more) together... or it might mean you’re watching on with a mixture of awe and horror at the idea of camping at a noisy festival with the whole family!  

The good news is that your child can benefit from the joy of a festival wherever you are. We’ve gathered some ideas for making the most of music and movement to plan your very own festival, and research shows it’s good for everyone to join in. 

Feel the music in you! 

When you think festival, you probably think about music first, and as a parent you’ll already know how much children of all ages love and respond to musical sounds. They will have been able to hear music from before birth, and are drawn to making sounds as they develop new skills – from speaking to banging pots and pans, to playing an instrument (of any kind, and with any level of skill). 

You’ll find some articles at the bottom of the main Today screen all about the power of music for your child’s cognitive development, in case you need an extra incentive to embrace the festival feel this summer.  

You can celebrate festival season by throwing your own mini-festival at home – and make it as big or small as you like. It could be you and your child, or invite some friends and family to boost the crowd.  

Creativity and trying new things...  

Depending on the age of your child, or children, you can involve them in the planning stage of your festival fun. If you have a baby or young toddler, they will enjoy simply having some noisy toys or instruments set up on a blanket and joining you for a song or dance. Older children can think about other aspects of festival fun to bring to your home... 

You might want to talk to your child about festivals at first, or show them some photos or videos of festivals you like to help them understand what they might be like.  

If you have photos or videos of people they know at festivals this is even better – seeing people they love in those settings might spark lots of questions about how it felt or what they did.  

Once you feel your child has an idea about what a festival could be, it’s time to let them get creative! Encouraging them to think out-of-the-box and problem solve a new idea is not only a great way to spend time in the summer months, but it also helps them to develop their important creative thinking skills.   

Throwing your own festival! 

Once you’ve had time to think about what your family festival should be, it’s time to get planning. Try to embrace the playfulness of a festival by letting your child’s creativity run free – see what ideas they have for decorating the space or ‘writing’ their own music to perform. 

You’ll know what parts of festival life your child will find most appealing so focus on those to set the scene.  

Building and planning: You could involve them in setting up a tent or den to pretend camp, or create shelter if you’re outside. Challenge them to create spaces large enough for everyone, or to make them a certain shape – perhaps inspired by the Glastonbury pyramid stage itself!  

Get arty and DIY details: If you and your child enjoy arts and crafts, you might find they most enjoy making wristband and tickets, finding fabric to create flags or creating lots of colourful signs for your festival. They might even want to think up a special festival name based on something special about your family. 

Make space for music: No matter what, there is a lot of joy to be found in simply setting out a stage space (this could be as simple as a blanket on the ground) and getting some instruments or pots and pans together to play music.  

Join your child is performing any songs or dances you want, or playing music to inspire some joining in. If they love the festival atmosphere, but you need a bit of quiet time why not turn it into a silent disco by playing some music through headphones suitable for your child to wear.  

Don’t forget the food: food and drink is always a key part of the festival experience, encourage your child to help you plan a menu and make some festival snacks. There are no rules about what food is appropriate for a festival – anything they love, and that feels appropriate for the time of day, is welcome at your family fest! 

Play is for all ages – especially festival inspired play! 

Remember, part of the brilliance of festivals is the permission they give all of us to be silly and join in with something so try not to hold back.  

There is increasing evidence that play is good for all of us, emotionally and physically – some researchers are now suggesting that play is an essential part of existing in a community.^[1] 

So let yourself get swept away in the play and really embrace the fun of festival season – while enjoying unlimited access to your very own bathroom the whole time! 

References: 

[1] Palagi, E. (2023) ‘Adult play and the evolution of tolerant and cooperative societies’, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Vol148:May 2023, 105-124.