Over to my brother Adrian who will be reviewing Elderflower Fields, the family festival in Sussex next month with his wife Sophie, and two boys aged 6 and 3. We’re gutted not to be there too, but we’re hosting a uni reunion here at Mayfield Hideaway.
This will be the first festival I’ve attended with the kids in tow. My experience of festivals was in my carefree twenties, where your only fear was losing your tent at the end of the night. Now we’ve got 2 boys to consider, what my wife and I want from a festival is slightly different from our hedonistic youth. Just a different kind of fun. Family fun.
So what are we excited about at Elderflower fields? Good question. Let me elaborate:
Activities
Our 6 year old is looking forward to the art and sports clubs where he can meet new friends, plus old friends from school who happen to be at the festival. The drop in art sessions also look great for our 3 year old. As does the pond dipping and mud kitchens. Both of the boys will be keen to try out the MTB bike obstacle course and improve their cycling skills.
Food
Our family life revolves around food so the huge selection to choose from at Elderflower fields is of great excitement. The Pizza Wagon, Oui Creperie and Kaleidoscope Pasta will keep the boys happy and will be perfect to keep them fuelled for the day. We might even let them eat it for breakfast. The Sunday Family Picnic also looks like a great chance to socialise and try out some local produce and experience the taste of Sussex. The suppliers for the picnic look delicious this year.
Adventure
The biggest adventure for the family will be exploring the festival and taking in all the exciting sights and sounds. For the boys, this will be running around at breakneck speed and exploring the space and discovering the wildlife. The Green caterpillar woodland camp with bug hunting looks like lots and fun, and also an opportunity to relax with hammocks to chill in and woodland crafts. Our 6 year old is particularly looking forward to the tree climbing and the zip wires where he can whizz through the trees.
Camping
The boys are more excited about camping than we are. The thrill of pitching the tent and setting up camp for the weekend is all part of the adventure. I’m sure once they realise that they are camping on the festival site, next to all the party action, they won’t believe their luck. This will be their moment to be awake each morning before the crack of dawn, itching to get back into the action.
Music
As a family, we’re always listening to music at home or in the car. It’s going to be great for the children to see some live music and experience this at a festival. Music normally gets them dancing, so I’m sure Elderflower fields will be the perfect opportunity for them jump around to some cool tunes. The award winning beatboxer, Sk Shlomo looks entertaining and right up their street, as does Tot rockin’ beats. Bring on the party.
The festival takes places 24th-27th May 2019, Pippingford Park, East Sussex and was Runner Up - Best Family Festival - Family Traveller and Runner Up- Best Small Festival - Festival Kidz.
For more info and to book, go to Elderflower Fields website!
