Kids at Kiwiburn

"It takes a village to raise a child" - African Proverb.

At Kiwiburn 2010 we will be having a "Kidsville" theme camp for the first time. Membership of Kidsville is not mandatory for bringing kids to Kiwiburn and neither is it a babysitting service (responsibility for children bought to Kiwiburn remains squarely with their parents or caregivers). What it will be is a focal point for families at Kiwiburn; an easier story for interaction with the wranglers and other burners; and a sweet place to camp. It's aims are to:

• Give the kids at Kiwiburn other kids to hang out with and a sense of identity within our community.
• Help parents to get to know each other, collaborate and share the load a little.
• Foster interaction and understanding between the adult and kid burners.

Since this is our first go at doing this, how exactly we go about achieving it is significantly 'up for grabs' and will depend on what we (parents and caregivers) want, can do and will do. But initially, at least, I will:

• Coordinate communication between parents prior to the event. Please join the Kiwiburn Parents mailing list / group so we can start to meet each other and work out what we're going to do.
• Bring and erect a shared shade structure to act as a focal point of Kidsville.
• Make some "all in" activities including 'make your own man' (from lolly sticks, gets burned along with the man himself, inspiration thanks to Soak,Portland); and personalised moop bags (inspiration thanks to Kidsville,Black Rock City). Feel free to invent more!
• Make some "kids gifting" activities including making then gifting popcorn and roving face-painters. Again, hopefully this will not be an exhaustive list.

Note that unlike Kidsville in Black Rock City, ours will not be an entirely self contained village since the paddock is a vastly smaller and entirely fenced site (where the rule is: only ever cross fences where there is a stile). Also unlike Black Rock City we have a lake - and hence swimming. Again, and as always, responsibility for a child's care and safety lies with the parents or caregivers. Kiwiburn provides no formal water safety facilities and we would like to request that children in the lake are under the watchful eye of an adult at all times.

Other than that, what can I say? The best thing to do at this stage is to either contact me (kidsville@kiwiburn.com) and say hello and/or join the mail list so we can all keep in touch; then come join me and my daughter (Zuni, eight) on the paddock in January.

Welcome home!
RantyDave (KB2010 family guy)

General information on bringing Kids to Kiwiburn

All children under 18 must be accompanied by and remain the sole responsibility of an adult. Children 12 and under will be admitted for free. Children ages 13-18 require full-price tickets. Be prepared to show proof of age.

So, you've decided to bring the kids to Kiwiburn? It's not an easy decision, but it may prove to be one of the best field trips you could ever take them on. With a little thought and care, the experience can be more fun for you, your kids, and everyone around you. Many of these ideas apply to different age ranges, so make your judgments based on your kids' ages and abilities. If you've taken your kids camping, you're already halfway there.

Survival

Everything applies double to kids. Water, food, shade, sunblock, comfortable clothes, and knowing their (and your) limits are all important to being able to enjoy the experience. Adults love the lack of structure at Kiwiburn, but most kids need some structure and security to be comfortable with their surroundings.

Like everyone, kids need to drink lots of water and keep their energy up. If they dislike the taste of bottled water, mix in a little fruit juice, but don't give them juice or soda all the time. Bag or box juices are great, because the containers are easy to pack back to camp when they're empty. Remind them to drink water regularly, and get them to remind you, too. Bring energy snacks that they like.

Medicines

Bring the things that make little discomforts easier to deal with, such as chewable paracetamol, stuff for tummy upsets, aloe sunburn lotion, cough syrup, bandaids, moleskin for blisters, and so on.

Getting Around

Load up a bag with drinks, snacks and fun stuff so you can keep going when they've run out of steam. It can also be a mobile base for nighttime forays, such as going to the Burn.

When moving around at night, make sure everyone has lights, preferably ones that help you keep track of each other. Flashlights are OK, but they break easily if dropped. Glowsticks or LED lights are much better, particularly multi-coloured necklaces and bracelets. The necklaces can be a lot of fun for playing night games, and are great on bikes and wagons to help keep other people from running into you. Remember, not everyone is keeping an eye out for 3-foot-high people while walking around in the dark.

Comfortable Clothes

The weather can get hot during the day, and chilly at night. Loose, breathable clothes provide comfort and protection from the sun, and can be layered with warmer things as the sun goes down. Some kids are comfortable with going naked, but need to be protected from sunburn. Hats are a good idea, as are sunglasses. Be aware that there is a lake and that your child will want swimming togs and some company...

Having Fun

This is one of the main points. Be sure you've got some things that are fun for the kids to do while you're hanging out at camp. Bring art projects, body paints, costumes, water guns, and anything that contributes to the function of the camp (sadly no kites - the domain has overhead power lines). They can help with food preparation, put up the camp, or whatever they like to do.

• Be sure to bring their comfort icons along, such as favourite pillows, blankets, toys, or anything that can help them settle in and rest when they're tired.
• Break the day into chunks, with lots of breaks for resting, snacking, and rejuvenating. Don't go into Disneyland mode, where you've got to see all the sights before you go home.
• Parents need to have fun, too, so work up plans for how to get out and do grown-up things while someone else watches the kids.

Above all, be patient. If you find yourself getting crabby and snapping at the kids, settle down, take a nap, have a break.

Prepare Them

Hopefully, you already raise your kids to be open-minded and tolerant. This is an excellent time to reinforce that. Let them know in advance about the kind of things that they will see and hear, and you may be surprised at how quickly they become blasè about the things you worry most about. Nudity, iconoclastic art, sexuality, rude language, cultural commentary, and weird behaviour are all a part of the essential Kiwiburn experience. Steer them away from whatever you feel uncomfortable with, but be matter-of-fact about the stuff they are curious about.

Talk to them about common-sense safety, like not looking into the mouth of a fire-breathing dragon, or not standing under scaffolding that people are working on. Reinforce the "stop, drop, and roll" response to clothing on fire. Advise them to be cautious about getting too close to aggressive art, destructive robots, and moving vehicles. A little bit of care can go a long way in a chaotic environment.

If you have access to Kiwiburn info, such as web sites, videos, or other media, look it over with them. They still won't really know what to expect, but it gives more context to hang the experience on. Talk to them about the leave-no-trace philosophy, and about what Kiwiburn means to you and to other people. Like everyone, they will develop their own interpretation of the experience while they are there.

Their trip to Kiwiburn should be an experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives.