20 Family Friendly UK festivals 2024

13/03/2024

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Family festival


One of the things that helps me through winter and spring is knowing that the festival season is on the way! Summer festivals is something that has been a part of my life since I was a teen and I love that it's also ingrained in my children's lives and has become something we all look forward to year on year. 

The music, food, camping, freedom and escape from reality for a few days, regardless of the weather, never fails to be a fun and wholesome experience. The great thing about festivals in the UK is the abundance of choice, each festival is slightly unique meaning that most music and food tastes can be catered for and you're sure to find a festival that piques your interest. 

Both of my kids have been going to festivals and camping overnight since they were 5 months old, so yes it's more doable and a lot of fun! Of course, some festivals are more suitable for younger children than others so here is a list of some of the best family-friendly festivals taking place this summer. 


family camping


1. Elderflower Fields, 24th-27th May, Ashdown Forest Sussex

Elderflower Fields is a small, safe and family-focused festival that offers the chance for kids to get outdoors and have a wild weekend of family adventure, sports, nature and arts in a countryside setting. There is plenty to keep everyone entertained throughout the weekend. Adult weekend tickets start at £175 and children's tickets at £91

2. The Big Retreat Festival, Pembrokeshire 24th-27th May

My kids and I have done the Big Retreat twice and it's a fantastic family festival in an incredible location. With a focus and well-being,  your ticket gives you. access to over 300 experiences from yoga to foraging and bushcraft, live music, incredible food and a great kids program that runs alongside this. So far Lucy Spraggan and The Feeling have been confirmed for the lineup. Adult weekend tickets start at £220, youth tickets £80 and under 5's free



The big retreat



3. Wychwood Festival, Cheltenham Racecourse, 31st May – 2 June 2024

Wychwood Festival was the first festival I took my eldest to and it's a great starter festival for families as it's well-contained and has everything you need for a fun weekend. They always have a fantastic lineup along with hundreds of free family activities including circus workshops, crafts, aerial shows and yoga. So far the lineup consists of Texas, Ocean Colour Scene and Seasick Steve. Adult tickets with camping start at £169, Youth tickets are £84 and under 10's are free. 

4. The Eden Festival, Moffat, Scotland, 13th-16th June

The Eden Festival in Scotland is proud to be a family-friendly festival with activities for all ages. There is a kid's craft tent, creative spaces, a family well-being area with yoga, meditation, mother circles and sound baths, Over the weekend they will also have messy play, graffiti workshops, circus skills, a treasure hunt and kid's parade. So far the lineup includes Mr Scruff, Leftfield and The Zombies and weekend tickets start at £155 for adults, £75 for teens and £20 for under 12's (free for under 5's)


5. Guilfest, Guildford, Stoke Park, 29th-30th June

I will always have a soft spot for Guilfest as it was one of the first festivals I worked at during my student days and even though it had a break for a few years, it's back and its such a fun and family-friendly festival with an eclectic lineup. While there is no camping this year there is plenty of places to stay locally and this festival is only minutes from the train station. This year they will have a kids' area, arts and crafts, bushcraft, cinema tent and games tent and the lineup so far includes The Stranglers and Sam Ryder and weekend tickets are £88 for adults and £44 for under 18's


family festival



6. Isle of Wight Festival, 20th-23rd June

The Isle of Wight festival is one of the UK's original classic festivals and its main focus is the music, meaning you can expect an incredible lineup but saying that they also offer plenty for the younger festival goers including lots of fairground rides and a special Kidzone area. Last year Kidzone put on theatre shows, storytelling, magic, dance and discos, circus skills, forest school and craft activities. The lineup so far includes Green Day, Pet Shop Boys, McFly and The Streets to name a few. Weekend tickets for adults are £269.95, teens are £225.95, 9-12yrs £14, 3-8yrs £8.40 and 2 an under are free. Day tickets are also available at £120 
 
7. Timber Festival, Feanedock, The National Forest, 5th-7th July

The Timber Festival is a unique and all-encompassing festival with a focus on nature, the environment, sustainability and creating a sense of community. There is just so much for families and children to do here, from workshops, talks, skill sessions, music, building and a large woodland playground. There are also some fantastic speakers for all ages that will inspire. Tickets are income-based and weekend tickets start at £150 for adults and £55 for children


8. Vintage for Victory, Cardiff, 12th-14th July

We attended this boutique vintage-themed festival last year and my boys absolutely loved it. Now in its 7th year, Vintage for Victory celebrates all that was great from the 1940s, 50's and '60s and you can expect lots of music, performers, reenactors, vintage fun fairs, food, fashion, outdoor cinema and plenty to keep children entertained including full-sized replica Spitfire and Hurricane along with re-enactment RAF flight crew to tell you all about the Battle of Britain, the people and planes. Last year they also had lawn tennis, vintage cars on show, a miniature railway and lots of street food. Weekend tickets for adults are £60, 16-21yrs old are £50 and under 16's are free, a camping pitch for 4 nights is £50



family music festival


9. Big Love Festival, Monmouthshire, Wales, July 18th-21st

Big Love is a small 4-day music festival set in the glorious Welsh countryside with over 130 acts across the weekend as well as circus performances, cabaret, kids tent, workshops and more. They haven't yet announced their lineup or confirmed activities but this festival while small is a popular one. Weekend tickets start at £150 for adults, teens (13-17yrs) £60, child (5-12yrs) £5 and under 5's free

10. Latitude, Suffolk, 25th-28th July

This longstanding festival is always a popular one and for good reason, a stellar lineup, beautiful location and a huge host of things to keep the kids (and teens) entertained, in fact too much to mention and I'd recommend checking out this page for the full list. Despite being a larger festival, it's very family-friendly with a dedicated family camping area. The lineup so far includes Kasabian, Frank Turner, London Grammer and Rick Astley and it's going to be an action-packed weekend although it's also one of the more expensive festivals with adult weekend tickets £308, teen tickets (13-15yrs) £190, children's tickets (5-12yrs) £28 and under 4's free


11. Deer Shed Festival, North Yorkshire, 26th-29th July

A three day wonderland of music, comedy, arts, science, theatre and sport for all ages, set in beautiful North Yorkshire parkland. Unlike other festivals they don't have "kids-specific areas" but instead the whole site is accessible to everyone and all ages and there is going to be a lot of music, theatre, workshops, cinema and plenty more to get involved in. The lineup so far includes The Coral and Bombay Bicycle Club and adult weekend tickets start at £179, 16-17yrs £100, 6-15yrs £75, 4-5yrs £50 and under 3s are free


Green gathering
At The Green Gathering 



12. The Green Gathering, Chepstow, 1-4th August

The original off-grid festival! Four days of low-impact living in an area of outstanding beauty, every nook and corner bursting with music, creativity, natural abundance and once again plenty for children of all ages including teens. I took my boys here a few years back and we loved it, it's very much about the experience and feel-good sustainable factor and there were so many workshops for the kids as well as circus skills, a library bus, crafts, music, hang-out areas and games. The lineup is yet to be announced although usually focuses on alternative and local acts and adult tickets start at £150, 16-17's £100, 11-15yrs £65, 6-10yrs £30, 2-5yrs £10 and under 2's free


13. Valley Fest, Bristol, 1st-4th August

Bristol’s Lakeside Food and Music Festival, is set in the stunning Chew Valley with incredible views, amazing food and a fantastic family-friendly lineup. I've taken the kids to this before and there is always an array of things to do, from puppet shows to a fairground and play area, workshops and crafts. There are also plenty of food options for all ages. The lineup so far includes The Feeling, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Tinie Tempha and adult weekend tickets start at  £172.78, teens (13-20yrs) £129.59, kids (4-12yrs) £37.79, and under 3's are free.


Valley fest



14. Lakefest, Herefordshire, 7th-11th August

Lakefest set in a beautiful location at Eastnor Castle has quickly grown in popularity on the festival scene, with a combination of great activities and a family-friendly feel this is one to put on your list. The children's activities include everything from creative crafts and fairground to more high-octane shows of wrestling and BMX. The lineup includes The Libertines, Olly Murs and Jake Bugg and they offer a family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children under 18 for £349 including camping with access to the site from Wednesday to the Mon morning. 

15. Camp Bestival, Shropshire 15th-18th August

Camp Bestival offers up two family-friendly festivals during the summer, with the first taking place in Dorset in July and another in Shropshire in August. Designed by families, especially for families, this highly popular with festival-loving parents, it's worth booking in advance if you plan to go. There is so much going including a rock climbing wall, skateboard ramps and lessons, SUP, painting, fashion workshops, a silent disco, a woodland tribe and the list goes on. The lineup includes McFly, Faithless and Paloma Faith and weekend adult tickets start at £210, teen tickets (13-17yrs) £155, older child tickets (10-12yrs) £128, child tickets (5-9yrs) £108, younger child tickets (2-4yrs) £85, 1 and under free


16. Just So Festival, Cheshire, 16th-18th

A family weekend adventure beyond your wildest dreams and having done this festival twice with my kids and highly recommend it, you will have an unforgettable weekend of mischief, mayhem, and magical moments creating memories to last a lifetime. The program is packed with music, performance, food fights, anarchic play, and imaginative worlds, nature, magic and is non-stop fun from start to finish. Unlike some other festivals, your ticket includes all the activities, workshops and camping. Adult weekend tickets start at £208.65 and children's tickets are £88.65, day tickets are also available. 


Just so festival



17. Gone Wild, Devon,  22nd-25th August

Bear Grylls wild adventure take on a family festival has gone from strength to strength and now they have two festivals, one in Norfolk and one in Devon. The festival was made with families in mind and offers over 100 activities from shelter building to skateboarding and tree climbing, along with some inspirational speakers including Bear himself and a rather impressive music lineup to boot including Sam Ryder, Ocean Colour Scene and Ash. A family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children start at £499, they also have separate adult and children tickets.  

18. Between the Trees Festival, South Wales, 22nd - 25th August

A 4-day, nature & science-themed, indie-folk festival in a Welsh woodland by the sea. A small festival with a family feel and plenty for kids including pirate fun, workshops, forest school, dance and drama sessions. There is an eclectic mix of folky and indie music on the lineup along with some great talks, walks, wellbeing sessions and permaculture and a host of the best local street food vendors. Adult Weekend tickets are £155, children's tickets (4-17yrs) £55 and under 4's are free, day tickets are also available. 

19. End of the Road festival, Dorset, 29th Aug - 1st Sept

A great way to wave out the summer with the End of the Road festival at Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset. Another long-standing festival that always attracts a great crowd with a fantastic music lineup and family-friendly features such as family camping and kids' area and activities. They haven't finalised everything that is going to be on offer but so far the music lineup includes Idles, Slow Drive and Sleater-Kinney. Weekend adult tickets start at £255, youth tickets (13-17yrs) £180, Child tickets (6-12yrs) £80, young child (3-5yrs) £60 and 0-2yrs are free.


20. Harvest Home Festival, Mendip,  30th-1st Sept

Only in it's 2nd year, this small and community-driven festival is fantastic, we went last year and it was a great way to wave off summer. Set in the Mendip Hills, the campsite is spacious and safe for children to run around and there is plenty to do that's included in the ticket such as nerf zone, archery active, outdoor cinema, climbing wall, fire shows and live music. The tickets haven't gone on sale yet but last year early bird tickets including 2 nights camping, started at £49 for an adult and children were £34 and under 3's were free - this is just a guideline on the prices from last year. 


family festivals uk




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Wahaca Oxford Circus - Family review

16/02/2024

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Wahaca


When it comes to travel and eating out with kids, you want to go somewhere that is within a reasonable budget (which isn't always easy in London) and you know there will be something for everyone and balances dishes with depth for adults and fun favourites for kids. This is where Wahaca comes in, it offers up a delicious and creative take on Mexican food along with great choices for younger diners and it's one of our go-to places in Cardiff so we decided to try out the Oxford Circus location on a recent trip to the capital. 

Close to Oxford Street and Oxford Circus Station, its central location is perfect after a long day of adventuring and offers a relaxed and cool place to recharge and refuel. I would advise especially in the summertime to book in advance although in the quieter months, you can usually find a table, which is what we did and the staff were really friendly throughout the meal. 


nachos


What I love about Wahaca is the array of nibbles and small plates, making it a bit of a sharing experience which is perfect when you have kids. We always opt for some nachos and guacamole to start and we all dive in. I also treated myself to one of their delicious virgin mojito mocktails which I highly recommend. 

The menu also has plenty of vegetarian and vegan options with black beans and three cheese quesadillas and sweet potatoes and feta taquito being favourites of mine. The kids opted for the "build your own taco" bowl which is great for kids who want to try new things or are picky eaters as they can create their own taco's just as they want them. 


build your own tacos


You really can't go to Wahaca and not finish the night by dipping some delicious churros into chocolate sauce, which once again also makes for a great sharing dessert.

Wahaca is perfect for families, adults can enjoy some cocktails or mocktails, kids can build their tacos and the food is always fresh and tasty so everyone wins. 


Churros

Disclosure - Wahaca invited us to try their menu. Words and opinions are 100% my own 


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A budget family guide to Turin, Italy

13/02/2024

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Turin
Standing in front of the Roman gates


The first overnight stop on our Interrail trip, leaving London was Turin in Italy as we wanted to make as much ground travel-wise on the first day as possible and felt London to Turin via Paris was more than doable. We had a rather eventful journey after leaving Paris with a train in front of us breaking down inside one of Europe's longest tunnels, the Fréjus Rail Tunnel, which left us stuck at Modane train station in the Alps, for over 3 hrs, while they rescued the train inside the tunnel.

Despite the delay, the staff were excellent throughout and we were given food and drink while we waited although this did result in getting into Turin at around midnight with two overtired children but we were safe and quickly caught a taxi the travel hostel. 

Waking up in Turin the next day is really when our European adventure began, we had arrived at our first destination, ready to explore. We would be heading to the coast the next day so wanted to make as much of our only full day in Turin as we could although of course within the small budget we had, which throughout our trip meant focusing on things to do for free with the odd paid attraction we felt worth it, street food and soaking up the culture. 

Our accommodation Combo Turino, a very hip and cool backpacker which offers great private rooms for families, was within easy walking distance of the old town and after breakfast, we headed straight to Porta Palatina which was less than 2mins away. 


Turin backpacker
Our room at Combo Turino Hostel


Porta Palatina 

The Palatine Gate is an impressive Roman city gate and is one of the world's best-preserved 1st-century BC Roman gateways and is completely free to explore and I imagine a lot of locals enjoy picnics on the grass, under it's red bricks in the summer. There are also two bronze statues depicting Augustus Caesar and Julius Caesar which were placed in the 1930's. While this is not the largest ruin it's still rather breathtaking and worth a visit. 


Porta Palatina


Piazza Castello

A quick walk on and we found ourselves in the beautiful Piazza Castello, a large and open city square lined with several landmarks, museums and cafes as well as monuments, sculptures and water features. From the Piazza Casello you can also get a great view of the Royal Palace and is well worth a visit for the free photo opportunities found here. 

The Museo Egizio

The kids and I decided together which museum we would pay admission for and The Museo Egizio and Egyptian Museum came out on top, with over 4,000 years of history and archaeology housed within its walls we knew we wouldn't be disappointed. It actually houses one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world and receives nearly 1 million visitors a year making it highly popular although it really didn't feel crowded in any way and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. I would allocate 2-3hrs for this museum as there is simply so much to see and do and you don't want to rush through it.

 The adult ticket was roughly €18 and children under 14yrs are €1, with under 5's free. 


Museo Egizio


Riecco Focacceria

After a fair amount of walking, we were ready to sit down and try some much-anticipated Italian street food. After we left the museum we stumbled on to Riecco Focacceria down one of the side streets and I always think when you see a place filled with locals you know it's going to be good. It sells an array of focaccia and pizza, you can get beer to go as well, find a seat outside if you're lucky and take in the bustling atmosphere. 

Right opposite Riecco, to the kids delight was a Gelato shop called Grom, so it only made sense to stop off and try some of their delicious flavours before taking in more the city. 


Gelato


 Italian Job film locations

We had spotted a film location at Piazza Castello but wanted to tick a few more off and made for a fun and free way to explore more of the city. We stopped off at Palazzo Carignano, another beautiful piazza filled with beautiful buildings and statues and also where in the film we see a lot of angry Italians banding on huge oak doors. 


While we could have seen more, we had hoped to get to Borgo Medioevale, a medieval reconstructed village, we felt for our first full day on the continent this was a great start and well-paced for children. I know lots of people bypass Turin for more popular destinations but we really enjoyed our time here, it also was very reasonably priced unlike some of the other cities we visited later on and despite only scratching the surface we would love to come back and would definitely recommend a night or two here. 


Turin Italy


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The Benefits Of Upcycling

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vintage furniture



In the hustle and bustle of refreshing our living spaces, old furniture often finds itself on the less glamorous end of change. But wait, don't be too quick to say goodbye to those trusty old pieces! Keeping and storing old furniture, rather than discarding it, can be a surprisingly savvy move.

Let's explore why holding onto those pieces might just be a stroke of genius.

A Nod to Nostalgia

First off, old furniture is a treasure trove of memories. That coffee table isn't just a coffee table; it's a silent witness to countless family gatherings, late-night chats, and lazy Sunday afternoons. Each scratch and dent tells a story, adding a layer of warmth and history to your home that simply can't be bought off the shelf.

By storing these pieces, with the help of secure and convenient personal storage options like Safestore, you're essentially keeping a tangible piece of your history alive, ready to tell its tales to future generations.

Quality That Stands the Test of Time

Let's talk craftsmanship. Many old furniture pieces were built to last, with attention to detail and quality that's hard to come by in today's fast furniture era. The wood used in older items often comes from mature trees with denser, more durable wood grains, meaning these pieces can often outlast newer ones.

Storing these items, rather than discarding them, means you have access to quality furniture that can withstand the test of time.

Eco-Friendly Choices

We live in an era in which sustainability is more than just a trend – it’s a dire necessity. As a result, keeping and storing old furniture is a great way to go green. It reduces waste and the demand for new furniture, which in turn diminishes the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing and transporting new items.

Plus, giving furniture a second life, whether through upcycling or simply reusing, is a fantastic way to contribute to a more sustainable planet.


record player



The Joy of Upcycling

Speaking of upcycling, old furniture offers a blank canvas for those itching to unleash their creativity. With a bit of imagination and some DIY skills, that outdated dresser can be transformed into a chic statement piece.

Storing these items gives you the opportunity to breathe new life into them at your own pace, turning a weekend project into a rewarding and personalised addition to your home.

Financial Savvy

Believe it or not, keeping and storing old furniture can also be kind to your wallet. High-quality pieces, especially antiques or unique finds, can appreciate in value over time.

Instead of buying new, cheaper items every few years, you can invest in maintaining and eventually restoring old furniture, which not only retains but can also increase its value. Storage ensures these pieces are preserved until you're ready to use or sell them.

Flexibility for the Future

Life is full of changes, and what doesn't fit your space now might be perfect for your next home. Storing old furniture gives you the flexibility to redecorate and reconfigure your living spaces without the need to constantly purchase new items.

Whether it's a future move, a room repurpose, or a growing family, having a selection of furniture on hand can make transitions smoother and more cost-effective.

A Unique Style Statement

Lastly, blending old and new creates a dynamic, eclectic style that sets your home apart. Old furniture adds character and a sense of uniqueness, making your space a reflection of your personal journey and taste. Stored pieces can be reintroduced into your decor, lending a timeless charm that new furniture often lacks.

Before you decide to part ways with old furniture, consider the myriad benefits of keeping and storing it. Not only are you preserving a piece of history and embracing sustainability, but you're also opening up a world of creative and practical possibilities.

So, give those old pieces another glance – they might just be the unsung heroes of your next home makeover.


upcycling


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