Kiwiburn

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Kids at Kiwiburn

All children under 18 must be accompanied by 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.

Food and Water 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 paracetimol, stuff for tummy upsets, aloe sunburn lotion, cough syrup, bandaids, moleskin for blisters, and so on.

Getting Lost (and How Not To)

There's no better way of putting both grownups and kids into a panic than getting separated in a chaotic environment. It happens to adults all the time at Burning Man, but most of them can find their own way back to camp. Here's how to keep your kids close at hand.

Set up landmarks at camp for both day and night, such as banners, flags, and lightsticks on poles. Make note of major landmarks at nearby camps. 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 it to get back to camp.
Get to know your neighbouring camps, particularly the large ones. Teach your kids the names, so that they can ask directions if they get lost.
Younger kids should have an ID card with the name and location of your camp so other friendly burners can help them get back home. Decorate and embellish these to go with your costumes or the theme of your camp.
Get them distinctive whistles, and have everyone learn patterns that mean "Help! I'm Lost!," "Everybody Back to Camp," and whatever else makes sense for you. Give them belt bags, or belt clips for these, along with mini flashlights and whatever else they want or need. The new two-way family radios are also very handy, though they can be expensive.
Older kids are going to want to stretch their limits and cruise around on their own, so make some guidelines that you both feel comfortable with, including how far to go and how often to check back in. It's really easy for them to get disoriented if they wander too far off.
Identify an easy-to-find meeting place where you can go if you're separated, like the Center Camp bulletin board.
Keep out of the crush. Stay back from the big events. Take along folding stools that they can stand on to see above the crowd. Don't feel bad about pulling back when the chaos starts to get overwhelming.
Get to know your neighbours. The community is one of the great strengths of Kiwiburn. These folks will help look out for your kids and everything else at your camp, while you do the same for them.

Getting Around

Load up a bag with drinks, snacks, fun stuff, and kids, 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-colored 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 river and that your child will probably get wet quite often...

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. Have the kids help with the theme camp art. Build them their own shade structure with little chairs and tables. They can help with food preparation, put up the camp, or whatever they like to do. Talk with them and with other participants to come up with ideas before you leave.

Be sure to bring their comfort icons along, such as favorite 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. 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, take a nap, have a break.

Camping

If you want your child to get a good night's sleep you should think carefully about where you are going to camp. Camping in among the themecamps will put you closer to the noise and activity. You may want to camp back a bit. It is wise to consider who your neighbours are as well. Are they doing primarily late night activities? Pick a spot that is off the beaten track enough that you can expect less traffic. It is also smart to consider where you will want to hang out and what you may want to see. Find a site that will make distances the smallest. There is currently no camping area dedicated to families, if someone wants to build a themecamp to this end it would be a valuable contribution and would be placed accordingly..

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 behavior 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 Burning Man 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 Burning Man 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.