Bringing children to SideBurn presents unique challenges, so we have compiled this Family Survival Guide to help your family enjoy the event to its fullest. We wish you and your children a safe and magical time at SideBurn.
SideBurn enthusiastically welcomes children of all ages. Our infrastructure supports the presence of families and has an excellent record in regard to the welfare of children. Children of all ages are welcome. However, children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Children 12 and under are admitted for free.
Should I bring my child to SideBurn?
Deciding whether to bring kids to SideBurn is not an easy choice nor one to be taken lightly. While it may prove to be one of the best experiences you’ll ever have with them, not every child’s personality and constitution is suited for SideBurn, and not every parent’s dream of the Haya includes children. Parenting is demanding on its own—at SideBurn, it takes additional effort, preparation, and work.
As you consider whether to bring your kids to SideBurn, think through the implications:
- Will your child be able to sleep in a community where sound never stops?
- Do you have childcare options so your kids will be supervised when you need a break, a nap, or some adult time?
- How might your child react to the stimulation and sometimes unpleasant conditions?
Make your decisions and plan your time based on your kids’ ages and abilities, and be sure to talk to your kids about these things, including your concerns. Invite them to express their ideas and concerns too! With some thought and care, the experience can be super fun for you, your kids, and everyone around you.
Basic Survival at Sideburn
You are responsible in every regard for your own and your kids’ survival, safety, comfort, and for ensuring that you Leave No Trace (LNT). Preparing together can be a fun and engaging part of the experience your family might really enjoy! You are legally responsible for your children. Don’t assume your kids will be safe in someone else’s camp or when left unsupervised. It’s up to you to be aware of what is happening and determine what is safe. Children need supervision and protection at all times. Don’t ever turn your children loose without supervision.
Helpful Suggestions on Keeping your Kids Safe at SideBurn
1. Make your own laminated ID card for younger kids with their name, your name, and your camp name and location.
This will help Rangers and other Burners get your kids back home to you if the need arises. Put the ID card on a lanyard, fanny pack, or belt clip, along with a whistle, a toy, and lip balm (and bring extra copies). Tell children to show their ID card or wristband to an adult if they get lost.
2. Set some key non-negotiable safety rules for your kids.
For example:
- Never go outside of the pre-established boundaries in camp.
- Never leave camp without an adult.
- Never leave camp without water and a snack.
- Never enter any enclosed space without parent’s approval.
- Never get on an art car without permission.
3. Talk to your children about safety.
For example:
- Not standing under scaffolding or too close to burning things.
- Reinforce the “stop, drop, and roll” response to clothing on fire.
- Advise them to be cautious about getting too close to fire art, moving vehicles and other potential hazards.
4. Instruct your child to ask you first before accepting any gifts, food or drinks.
Create a Plan for if Your Child Gets Lost
After you arrive, visit the Ranger headquarters. Should your child become separated from you, all they have to do is find a Ranger who can then use their lanyard to help reunite you.
Here’s how to keep your family close at hand:
- You must always know where your children are!
- Get to know your neighbours. Community is one of the greatest strengths of SideBurn.
- If asked, most folks will help keep an eye on your kids and your camp, while you do the same for them.
- Teach your kids the camp names, so they can ask directions if they get lost.
- Help kids memorize their camp location.
- Set up recognizable landmarks at camp for both day and night, such as banners, flags, and light sticks on poles.
- Make note of major landmarks at nearby camps and talk about them with your kids.
- Walk around with your kids, and stop every now and then to check out where you are, what you can see, and how to use landmarks to get back to camp.
- Consider what your child is wearing. Unique and easily identifiable clothing can go a long way.
- Older kids are going to want to stretch their limits and cruise around on their own, so make sure they have a map and know where their camp is.
- Set up some guidelines you both feel comfortable with, including how far to go and how often to check back in.
- At big events (like the Effigy or Temple burns), identify an easy-to-find meeting place where you can go if you’re separated.
- Make sure your kids can point out landmarks out to you, and know what they’re called.
- Make a plan with your children for what to do if you become separated.
If your child becomes lost, immediately:
- Search your tent/RV/camp area.
- Ask your neighbours to search the surrounding camps.
- Send other adults out into nearby areas to search porta potties, surrounding areas, and neighbouring camps.
- Contact a Ranger.
If your child becomes lost outside of your camp, immediately:
- Search your surroundings.
- Ask nearby adults to help search.
- Contact a Ranger.
Feed and Water Your Kids Wisely
It’s important for kids to eat nutritious food to keep their energy stable and to avoid meltdowns. Bring lots of healthy foods that your kids really like to eat. Kids should snack frequently, so they eat before they realize they’re hungry. Setting and sticking to a routine can be very helpful, but if a kid wants a snack, make sure there’s a nutritious option available to them, even when wandering.
Keep meals simple but plan on having some kind of protein every day. Pureed fruit and meal packets don’t need refrigeration until they have been opened. Think about hydration with all meals. Crackers and chips can be dehydrating, whereas applesauce, grapes, and moist granola bars replenish fluids.
Health and Wellness
In addition to any prescriptions your child is taking, bring a basic first-aid kit. It should include:
- liquid or chewable acetaminophen
- sunburn lotion with lidocaine
- cough syrup
- band-aids
- Pedialyte
- eye drops
- cortisone cream
- saline nasal spray
- Neosporin
- moleskin for blisters
Where Should We Camp?
Families with children are welcome to camp anywhere. However, giving some thought to where you will camp will make a big difference in your SideBurn experience. Consider, for example, the nighttime noise levels and how they might affect your child’s ability to get a good night’s sleep. Although there are no officially designated “loud” and “quiet” neighbourhoods, the center of the city tends to be the loudest. The open camping area tends to be a little further from the action and tends to be a bit quieter. Consider also where you might want to hang out and what you may want to see. You may want to locate your camp away from noisier camps. Find a site that will make travel convenient.
Having other adults that you trust to provide support is really useful should you have a tough day, suddenly feel overwhelmed, or get sick or injured. But don’t assume your campmates will be happy to take care of your children for you—they may be struggling just to take care of themselves. Sharing this responsibility successfully requires open and direct communication prior to arriving–set expectations together and make sure everyone is on the same page.
The May long weekend in Ontario could be below freezing or in the high teens. If your family is new to camping, have your kids practice sleeping in sleeping bags at home in the weeks leading up to the event. Whether it’s a stuffed animal, special blanket or sippy cup, be sure to pack a familiar object from home to make your kid more comfortable, and help them settle in and rest when they’re tired.
Taking your children to SideBurn will validate their imagination, inspire their creativity, and give them confidence. However, your kids are going to also get cranky, tired, overwhelmed, and everything in between. Regardless of your kid’s experience, one of the best pieces of advice is to just relax, enjoy the moment, and do your best to make the experience a positive one for your child. Let your child take the lead in exploring. There’s so much to see and do, why not let them be the leaders? Seeing the world of SideBurn through their eyes will be empowering for them and enlightening for you.
Prepare Them For The Experience
Until you have been to SideBurn yourself, it is difficult to envision the depth and breadth of the community and the experience. Talk to your children about SideBurn culture, compassion, responsibility, respect, self-reliance, courtesy, and generosity. Talk to them ahead of time about the kinds of things they may see and hear at SideBurn, such as fire, nudity, explosions, art cars, and so on. They still won’t really know what to expect, but having some context will be helpful.
Talk to them about the Survival Guide, about the LNT philosophy, and about what SideBurn means to you and to other people. Let them know which other family friends will be there. Like everyone, they will develop their own interpretation of the experience while they are there. One thing kids love and are very good at is gifting. Engage your kids in planning your offerings, whether they are crafting goodies to give away or learning how gifting can be as simple as helping someone out, they will thrive on the experience and will love being able to make another person smile.
Having fun and enjoying SideBurn is why you’re bringing your kids to SideBurn, right? Here are a few suggestions on how to have fun with your kids:
- Most kids don’t have the stamina to keep up with adults in this challenging environment. Break the day into chunks, with lots of time built in for resting, snacking, talking over what you’ve seen and want to do next, and rejuvenating.
- At big events like the Effigy and Temple burns, you may want to stay toward the back of the crowd so you can exit easily if it becomes overwhelming for your children. Don’t feel bad about pulling back when the chaos starts.
- Be sure you have things for the kids to do while you’re hanging out in camp. Bring art projects, body paints, costumes, water guns, and games. Have the kids help with theme camp art and offerings. What’s sweeter than a gift from a small child?
- Have them help set up camp, prepare food, or whatever else they like to do. This gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility, and a heightened awareness of Matter Out Of Place (MOOP), as well as of the needs of others.
Parents need to have fun, too! Work up plans for how to get out and do grown-up things while someone else watches the kids. If you camp with friends or other families, try trading off nighttime watches. Above all, be patient. If you find yourself getting crabby and snapping at the kids, settle down and take a break.
Kids and SideBurn Culture
Parents have an amazing opportunity to experience SideBurn from their child’s perspective. SideBurn is an excellent place to reinforce open-mindedness and tolerance. You may be surprised at how kids interpret things they see and how quickly they become blasé about things you worry about most.
Steer them away from whatever you feel uncomfortable with, but be matter-of-fact about the things they are curious about.
Even though SideBurn welcomes children, don’t expect all activities to be child-appropriate. Parents are responsible for their children — it’s not okay to let them run wild through camps, or climb unsupervised on structures or art work, or board art cars without permission of the owner. Teach your kids the same respect for the community that is expected from everyone.
Costumes and Nighttime Lighting
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 going naked but need to be protected from sunburn and mud. Keep an eye on those little feet!
For night time, one-piece fleece animal suits and footed pajamas make a great outer layer. Don’t forget warm fuzzy hats for chilly nights. Write your camp name on their favorite things, in case they get lost.
Kids in costumes are incredibly cute and people will want to photograph your child and give them offerings such as bracelets, necklaces, stickers, etc. If you are uncomfortable with anyone taking a picture of your child, say so. In fact, your child should have a say in whether they are comfortable being photographed, when they’re old enough to express an opinion.
When moving around at night, make sure everyone has lights for themselves and their vehicles, preferably ones that help you keep track of each other. Flashlights are OK, but they’re a bit harsh at night, and break easily if dropped. LED bracelets are much better, particularly multicolored 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 three-foot-high people while walking around in the dark.
Considerations for Every Age and Stage
Even though teens and tweens sometimes look like and act like grown-ups, they are still children who require a parent’s supervision. Don’t be shy about setting reasonable rules and boundaries for your teens. Their safety and well-being is ultimately the parent or guardian’s responsibility.
Parents should think long and hard before they decide to expose babies to SideBurn. It is not advisable unless you’re an experienced Burner, feel that you’re up to the task, have access to an RV or other cool/warm, dry, calm environment, and have plenty of support.
SideBurn Resources
Rangers
The Rangers are SideBurn’s non-confrontational mediation volunteers that can help you resolve problems. Rangers help to preserve the safety, welfare, and quality of experience of our community. Rangers patrol the event 24 hours a day.
Make sure they know Rangers are their friends, they can feel safe and comfortable with a Ranger, and they should seek out a Ranger if they’re lost.
Emergency Services Department
As a member of a community built on self-reliance, you are responsible for your own basic first aid needs. However, if you or your children require medical assistance, do not hesitate to contact a Ranger or visit the HQ or first aid tent. Trained emergency medical personnel are on duty 24 hours a day and emergency evacuation is available.
