A Festival for Kids: Lollibop

by Emma Perry

Friends say festivals are the perfect place for children, but own memories of Glastonbury and the Big Chill leave me slightly nervous about a ‘family’ festival trip while the youngest is still in nappies. My fears are as follows: smallest child getting lost in a sea of people; camping near loud noise; frustration at not being able to do the things I want to do.

So I thought Lollibop might be the perfect toe-dipping opportunity. This new small-scale two-day festival aimed at families with under-10s was just round the corner from where we live in north London. Tickets seemed on the expensive side at £42 for a family of four for a day, but once you’re inside, everything is free (except for the food stalls), so it soon felt like value for money. The entry fee also meant a much smaller crowd than you get at most local summer events.

We were ushered through the gates by an enormous Superman and an equally large Spiderman. Our smallest child was instantly terrified, but she recovered on the bouncy castle while the older one had a round of mini-golf. The kids had their faces painted, then we parents hung out in the hammocks on ‘Playa Del Lollibop’ while they clambered over a large wooden pirate ship and played in the pop-up sandpits stuffed full of toys. We met some friends for a picnic and watched as a remote controlled mechanical horse made its way towards us, like a neighing pied piper. There were giant fairies giving away balloons, princesses passing out paper crowns, free apple juice inside the various art tents … We were like Charlie Bucket in an outdoor fun factory.

There was also storytelling inside a giant whale, a mini disco inside a large tent, Babyoke, for kids who wanted to take to the stage, and a field full of swingballs. Oh, and did I mention the performance stage? Our five-year-old said her favourite bit of the day was seeing Phil Kay’s ‘Gimmeyyourleftshoe’ show, in which all the children had to give up their left shoe and do something amazing on stage to get it back, egged on by the inexhaustible comedian, who was sweating down to his socks by the end.

The festival was just the right size, and we all had a fantastic day out. Every night, I have to ‘talk the day’ to the smallest one before she goes to sleep. She’s been asking for ‘talk the day festival’ ever since. So who knows? – next year I might even be brave enough to try Latitude or Camp Bestival…

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