Surviving a Christian Festival with Small Children
Someone – probably a church leader or friend from your church, persuaded you to go to Devoted. It’s fast approaching and you’re excited but you’re also a little nervous about what it’s going to be like.
Here are a few pointers to help you on your way:
1) Be Prepared
Thinking through things in advance makes life easier. Ask for tips from people who have gone before is a great way to start but here are some ways you can prepare for camping with small children:
• Sunrise – as soon as it gets light, children get up!
‘Black Weed Control Fabric’ is light, cheap and great at making sleep pods darker. This should hopefully give you some extra sleep in the mornings. Don’t worry about an exact fit, use clothes pegs to secure it. You can buy it in most garden / DIY stores (B&Q, Screwfix, Wickes).
Older children may wear a face mask, which is a lot easier, have a trial run at home if you have time to see what works for you…
Don’t worry if the wake up early – we’ve got your back – come to ‘Tea & Toast’ in the Under 5s Zone. Bring your early riser, a mug and a plate and we’ll supply the rest (free) – a little thank you for joining us for the weekend.
If you still have a buggy that folds down small, have it at the ready in the mornings to whisk your little one away for a short buggy ride / journey in the car to get them back to sleep.
Another alternative is to bring a little box of fun things to keep the occupied – toys & snacks for them to explore first thing…
• Toilet trips – keep a warm coat / fleece inside a pillow case on your bed. That way you have an extra pillow but can quickly find an extra layer for those middle-of-the-night toilet runs. Keep a torch close at hand too. May be have one next to your bed and one tied to the tent so it won’t go missing during the day!
Even if your potty is a thing of the past it may be worth bringing it for emergencies.
Bring spare loo roll or some wipes in your pocket, just in case
If you’re children aren’t too old, pull ups are a life saver, wet bedding is a nightmare on camp!
• A place to play – if you have extra space in your tent, why not turn a pod into a playroom, so there is a safe & contained place to play even when wet. Or pack an extra little play tent for the same purpose. If you are joining friends with similar aged children you could plan this together and swap out toys at a mid-point to keep things fresh. Outdoor toys are great but remember bubbles can damage the tent waterproofing.
• Bathtime but no bath – you don’t have to queue with your little one for a shower. Water wipes, a small paddling pool or even a washing up bowl make great camp baths. If they get really filthy you could take a trip to a local pool or gym and make use of the facilities.
If you do use the showers, take a plastic ‘bag for life’ to keep your clothes dry. Most festival showers don’t have a lot of space to keep things dry…
• Clean clothes – bring spare plastic bags to keep your clothes dry. Use a shoe organiser to keep outfits organised to speed up changing time. Unless it’s boiling consider popping your little one into an all-in-one waterproof and wellies each day. They’ll be free to have fun and will keep warm and dry…
• Children’s groups – if you plan to make use of the children’s work, it can help to explain this to them in advance. You may choose to share child care with other families you know. If you can try to meet up before the weekend so your children feel really comfortable with other families. Click here for some tips if you’re children aren’t used to being apart from you.
2) Be flexible
Easier said than done sometimes but planning to do things differently will help. Consider keeping your children up past their normal bedtimes and bringing them to some of the evening meetings. Ear defenders are a good idea for babies or children who are sensitive to loud noises. You can get them ready for bed, with teeth brushed and in their pyjamas; once they begin to get tired you can head back to your camp. If they are too unsettle to stay in the meeting but not sleepy, you could take them along to the Under 5s Zone, we’ve got stuff for them to do and a livestream from the main meeting for you!
Help them engage in the meeting
Let them enjoy the atmosphere and help them understand what’s going on in the meeting (see more here). You could say things like ‘look how that person is connecting with God by singing really loudly’ or ‘that person is sitting down and closing their eyes, they’re probably praying’, or ‘this song is all about how great God is, would you like me to tell you the words the adults are singing or you could make up your own?’.
It can be difficult with so much going on but try and be relaxed enough to pick up and run with whatever your children pick up on or are interested in, during the meeting (see more here). Some children relax and you may find they even fall asleep, leaving you free to continue learning and worshipping. If they don't take them with you to the Under 5s Zone and make the most of the toys & live stream.
If you are able to relax your normal routines (naptimes & mealtimes) and any child able to crawl / walk will more than likely get grubby most of the time.
Other ideas for remaining flexible – pop your little ones in a sling whilst you do the washing / tidying, then they can’t wonder off. Join in with communal cooking / eating and pass the baby around so that you can get to eat your own meal. You could get a cot canopy so that your child can nap outside rather than in a warm tent – make sure they’re in shade where possible. If it does rain, consider eating your tea outside, saves making a mess of the tent and most children will be thrilled!
3) Team up
Have a think and chat to those in your church, who could you pool resources with? May be you could take it in turns collecting children, buying & cooking meals etc. If you’re with your partner, perhaps tag team afternoon naps to help restore energy levels. If not ask family or friends to take care of your little ones while you take a nap – you don’t have to be a superhero!
If you are struggling, be honest – you’ll be surprised how willing people are to help! For many there is a real novelty to being on camp and being a community in a different way – many people love spending time with young children…
Anna Hawkins who wrote the article this one based on shares a time when she was at a camp with 2 under three. She was ‘totally rescued by a 12-year-old from their church who loves hanging out with my kids and a friend who could see I needed a break’. They took the children and had a great time whilst she was able to engage with different aspects of the event. On another occasion a friend with grown up children ‘followed my youngest around, allowing me to listen to the main talk’.
Let’s face it most of us hate asking for help, but actually that’s part of being in community together, we’re supposed to support and care for one another.
It’s these sorts of events where your children will see others engaging with God, and will watch & learn to connect with Him through others and their experience. Don’t feel guilty about taking some time out without them, letting them learn from and be loved by people you trust in your church community.
4) Connect with God
It might seem obvious but actually can be really hard to do at the best of times with young children. One of the reasons you booked in for Devoted was probably to help you grow in your relationship with God.
Be aware that this might not look exactly the same as others on site who don’t have young children. Study the programme and choose a couple of seminars or main meetings (don’t be too ambitious) that you really want to get to. Pick some subjects that peak your interest and see if you can share childcare to make that happen. It will take some pressure off and help you not feel to disappointed…
Equally you don’t have to engage with the whole programme, you could use the time to connect with God via a recommended book (link) or through journalling whilst your child is napping. Why not pop a worship playlist on while you are preparing food?
What would you add?
Let us know any tips or ideas that have helped you, so we can share them with others. (media@devotedevent.org)
Read our Quick Fix Guide to camping at Devoted: https://cccw.it/cePVwC
Feeling a bit rusty? Why not read our camping top tips article: https://cccw.it/tRpc22
Not sure what to pack? Here’s a list to help you get started: https://cccw.it/HNlLBf
For more details about Devoted and to book in visit: devotedevent.org, for news updates about Devoted see our socials or visit: devotedevent.org/news
This article is based upon one written by Anna Hawken - Parenting for Faith and originally appeared on the Parenting for Faith website in July 2018. We’ve updated the article to help it fit in with Devoted but have left in useful links so that you can find out more about Parenting for Faith and make use of some of the wonderful resources on their website!