Kids and Young People at Solfest
The reputation of Solfest’s Workshop and Kids’ Arena is almost legendary, and this year is definitely going to be our best yet as we bring you more crafts, games, stories, songs, entertainment, dressing-up and facilities than you can shake a whittled stick at!
If you’re a parent who’s never been to a festival before, or if you used to love festivals before the kids came along, then there are some good reasons why we think you should give Solfest a try…
Solfest has great facilities for families. The natural amphitheatre of the Main Stage and Drystone Stage ensure that you can get a fabulous view of the bands you want to see without having to risk being crushed in a marquee. Stand at the back and enjoy the whole panorama, or dance around at the front with your kids on your shoulders. It’s up to you.
Our Workshops and Kids’ Arena has designated Kids’ toilets to prevent lengthy queues with little ones who ‘just can’t wait’. They are roomy enough to allow a parent to supervise if necessary and we do our best to keep them especially clean and tidy.
We offer a separate family campsite so you don’t have to worry about late-night revellers keeping your children awake at night or your children keeping late-night revellers awake during the day! If you do have a problem in the campsite and can’t, or don’t want to, leave your tent; just ring or text our Steward’s Hotline and somebody will try to deal with your problem straight away.
Just because it’s your turn to babysit it doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on all the charms of the festival. Return to your tent; light yourself a fire (fire wood provided) and simply relax.
We can’t guarantee that Solfest will be mud free, but we’re confident that our festival site is one of the best in the country when it comes to planning and management should the ‘brown stuff’ put in an appearance.
Solfest has an approved child protection policy including a well-tested Lost/Found Children’s procedure. We also provide free-of-charge wristbands to write your mobile number on so you can be quickly re-united with your wandering little-one.
Workshops and Kids’ Arena
We divide activities on our website into two categories, ‘Workshops’ and ‘Kids’ but most of our activities are suitable for children and adults to enjoy together (except perhaps for the chair-o-planes as your adult bum might get stuck!) We think that the activities below will mainly appeal to children (and/or their parents) but you don’t have to drag a child with you to try something new for yourself.
Please see the ‘Workshops’ page for information about what we have on offer for adults (although children are welcome to join in those too….)
The Association of Radical Midwives will be returning to Solfest 2010 to lend a sympathetic ear and a comfortable yurt to those of you with pregnancy related questions and/or swollen ankles! Pop in to see them to find out more about the workshops they’ll be offering and have your belly cast - a lovely memento of your big fat tum!
The Baby Chill-Out Tent is a Solfest essential for parents of tiny children who just need to relax in a home-from-home environment. Facilities include baby-changing, a fridge, microwave, refreshments and plenty of toys, colouring, books, sand, play dough, games and comfy sofas to make your festival much easier! If you realise you’ve forgotten or lost anything then our team of committed local volunteers from Abbeytown Pre-School will do their best to help and advise.
This year we’re also hoping to be able to offer a sheltered pushchair park (just in case we have the odd shower of rain).
If you want to find out more about the alternatives to pushchairs, then come along to Solfest’s first ever Sling Workshop and Sling Library. Mari will be demonstrating the pros and cons of different slings, both traditional and modern, and offering parents the chance to borrow them for a few hours and try them out. Carrying your baby in a sling is a great way of keeping your baby close to you and can be an ideal solution at muddy festivals!
Taking a break from running his stall at the festival, ‘Candles Ted’ will be joining us in the Kids’ Arena to run his fantastic candle making workshops. Places will be limited for this workshop so make sure you get there early if you’re desperate to try your hand at this craft.
The Hullabaloo Theatre Company will be joining us again for creative and active theatre sessions, including dance, songs, storytelling and craft which will culminate in a dragon’s parade as part of Solfest’s official Sunday parade. Hullabaloo’s sessions will appeal to the whole family so bring your children ad your Granny for some fabulous fun.
Local Tumble Tots leader Joanne Street will be braving the camping fields again this year to bring her very popular Tumble Tots sessions back to Solfest. Designed to develop children's physical skills of agility, balance, co-ordination and climbing, her structured sessions are a great way of letting your little-one burn off some of that energy.
If you’ve always wanted to find out more about Baby Signing then come along to one of the taster sessions to be run by local Tiny Talk teacher Helen Atherton. Babies can understand so much even before they can talk and Helen will run through some of the basics, including the sign for “Mummy/Daddy, please can we come to Solfest EVERY year”
Local Tatty Bumpkin teacher Marie (and Tatty) will be running taster sessions of her Yoga inspired Movement Classes. This was really popular last year and we’re delighted to have them back.
We are so incredibly excited to welcome Jan’s Van to Solfest for the first time! Jan and her chalkboard van will be making the long drive north to provide us with an exciting weekend of chalking, painting, and games. It’s a big blackboard van and you can draw on it! Simples.
You loved them so much last year (and so did we) that The Ladybird Project will be back again to host even more workshops, entertainment and merriment from their beautiful red marquee. Activities will include crafts, activities, games, workshops suitable for all ages and family friendly cabaret in the evening.
Wonky Donkey will be bringing their recently refurbished child-sized swing boats and chair-o-plane rides to the Kids’ Arena for Solfest 2010 along with their incredibly popular geodesic climbing frame which always has children dripping from it all weekend.
Last year just was not the same without Willowpool and their fabulous willow creations so they’re making a welcome return to show you how to make your own willow masterpieces to take home.
Keith Donnelly’s performance at Solfest 2008 is still being talked about! Who will ever forget the custard pie incident? Join him again, or catch him for the first time, for fantastic songs and entertainment from one of the finest performers in the land. Your kids will love him, your Granny will love him, and so will you!
The loyal volunteers from The Settlement , Maryport will be running more 
fabulous recycled craft sessions again this year. Just drop in to the workshop marquee, get stuck in and make yourself a fabulous creation!
Learn some of the skills of horror make-up and have your facepainted as a fiendish festival ghoul or if that’s too scary, Marie-Helene Babin will be joining us from Canada to offer her face painting services.
The Ruffled Feathers crew will be back again at Solfest 2010 with their puppet making workshops, puppet theatre and the obligatory Sunday parade. They will also be hosting Spinning Jenny’s incredibly popular Circus Skills Workshops.
Solfest 2009 saw it’s first ever Pet Toy Dog Show and we hope that this year’s will see even more entrants competing for the much coveted ‘Best in Show’ so please remember to pack your pooch. Don’t worry if your toy dog is a bit on the ‘well-loved’ side, you might still stand a chance in the agility section. Toy dogs must be on a lead at all times when in the Main Arena!
The Floating Hats Collective are joining us for the first tme and we’re eagerly awaiting the results! Choose your hat from the selection, decorate it in a style of your choosing, seek assistance from one of the friendly team to attach a wire frame and a little bit of magic and voila! A floating hat!
Angie’s Mosaic Workshop was really popular last year so this year she’ll be providing even more materials for people to try their hand at making a mosaic masterpiece.
The Over The Top Puppet Company will be performing for your pleasure and amusement. If you’ve never seen “Willie the Wicked Wolf” make sure you catch him at Solfest 2010. Mike and his team will also be running puppet making workshops so you can create your own adventures.
Join Cassie and Friends in her delightful sandpit dome and get involved in some magical sea-themed crafts including jelly fish tutus!
BuzzyBeatz will be providing a vast array of musical opportunities. Make a balloon bassoon or an African thumb piano, take your pick from a range of instruments including guitars, flutes and a full drum kit and jam along. Their fabulous dome is solar-powered and will be running workshops in beatboxing, mxing and Bollywood dancing!
Since first coming to Solfest five years ago, Pirate Tabitha’s Travelling Circus have been practicing their juggling, diablo and poi-ing skills and are now ready to break out from the wilds of Northumberland to run their very own workshop. These intrepid teens (accompanied by their parents) will also be offering sock poi making. Their workshops will be geared towards the over 10s.
Also for slightly older children, we are delighted to welcome Cumbrian-based Mere Mountains to the Workshop and Kids’ Arena for the first time. They will be demonstrating and encouraging participation in a range of woodcraft and Bushcraft skills including whittling, fire-making, knotting and whistle making. Come along and work creatively with natural materials and take away a lovely reminder of your new skills.
If all the above seems like too much,come along and relax in Trailer Trash’s Youth Club and Games Emporium. Enjoy the comfy sofas, have a game of table football with your mates or just listen to some music.
Solfest believes that all children at the festival should be able to have an equally magical time so all of our workshops and activities are free for ticket holders!!
The Kids Arena is not a creche so children must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times.
