Kid-Friendly Music Festivals

When it comes to kids and music concerts, people make all kinds of different decisions based on their parenting style. Some parents will take their kids to Burning Man (a sex and drug-filled weeklong event in the Arizona desert), while other parents won't expose their kids to a music event more extreme than summer music camp. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, you can find family-friendly summer music festivals that will enrich your children's love for music and adventure.

Typical Kid-Friendly Summer Music Festivals

A few general guidelines can help you decide whether to take your kids to a certain festival. When it comes to kids and music festivals, consider the following:

• Festivals focusing on genres such as classical, opera, bluegrass, folk, country and world music usually welcome families--and allow your tots to form an appreciation for eclectic styles.
• Festivals focusing on rock, hippie music, rap, electronic and reggae usually don't provide a sheltered enough environment for children.
• If the city government has organized the music festival, such as a music-in-the-park series, children should be welcome.
• Summer music festivals spanning several days are like summer music camp--for grown-ups. Kids will have a harder time roughing it.

Safety Tips

Some safety tips, such as keeping your kids close by, are obvious. Less apparent considerations include the following:

• Even if music doesn't hurt your ears, it still causes damage. Children should always wear ear plugs at music festivals.
• Keep your kids out of smoke-filled areas. Marijuana smoke can literally form a cloud at some festivals.
• Make sure that your kids drink tons of water when attending a music festival.
• Do not expose kids to too much heat, for too long a period; a full-grown man actually died of heat-exhaustion at the 2010 Bonnaroo festival.

Specific Factors to Consider

Kids and music naturally go together, but some festivals just don't allow anyone under 18. Even if your kids are allowed in, ask certain questions to get a sense of appropriateness:

• Does the festival allow food in? This question really speaks to how much of a picnic-style festival it is, with people relaxing on the grass, as opposed to a less comfortable setting.
• Does the festival allow re-entry? Children need breaks from noise, heat and excitement, and you'll likely want to take them to the car a few times throughout the day.
• Does the music festival provide its own security, or will there actually be public officers there? Public officers tend to enforce more order than private security guards, who often look the other way.