Between the Tides Festival: Guide for Bringing Little Ones

Between the Tides Festival is a free festival of adventure and exploration, imagination and messiness for children, young people and their families.

Festivals are brilliant – they’re fun, and exciting, and you can make happy memories there that last a lifetime.

But… from running out of wet-wipes, to getting ice-cream EVERYWHERE, we know only too well how challenging it can be to take little ones on big days out.

So, we’ve put together a little guide to try and make the whole festival experience as simple, straightforward and stress-free as possible.

What is Between the Tides, where is it, and when?

Between the Tides is a free festival for children, young people, and their grown ups, that takes place at Kirkleatham Museum & Grounds, on Sat 22 & Sun 23 August, from 10am – 5pm each day!

There are lots of things to do at the festival, from watching theatre or circus performances, building dens or making crafts, taking part in a silent disco, or watching some brilliant live music – we hope there’s a little bit of something for all Young People…!

What’s the best way to get there? Car? Bus? Train?

By Car

There is a free car park, especially for Festival Attendees, at Kirkleatham Showground, which is about a 5 minute walk from the heart of the festival action!

Kirkleatham Showfield Address: Kirkleatham, Redcar, TS10 4QR

There’s a Dedicated Disabled Badge Holders Parking at Kirkleatham Walled Garden, again a 5 minute walk from the Festival site.

Kirkleatham Walled Garden Address: Plantation Road, Redcar TS10 4AS

You could put either address into your phone, or sat-nav, and be taken directly to the car-park entrance, where one of our friendly stewards will meet you and help you park

By Bus

Busses run regularly to our festival site at Kirkleatham, from Redcar & Middlesbrough. The No.63 drops you off closest.

Tickets are capped at £3 for a single journey.

By Train:

The nearest train station is Recar Central.

It’s quite a walk to Kirkleatham from there, so we’d advise you jump on a bus – right near the train station, that will get you to us in around 15 minutes.

What should we bring our little ones to see, or take part in?

Everything that’s on at the festival can be found here.

We recommend you having a look through it in advance to see what you & your little ones might like to go to.  We have added recommended age ranges to each activity, but these are just guidelines.

I have an infant to feed, where can I do that?

You can do that wherever you’re most comfortable… But, we’ve set up a special space in the “Yellow” zone, right next to the Owl Centre, which will have some shade, and comfortable seating

Naptime is very important…

Oh, we know!

There is a “quieter” space at the “Yellow” zone, right near the Owl Centre, which has shade, and some more comfortable chairs. It might be a good place to sneak in a nap time.

There’s loads we want to see & do, can we fit it all in?

Each day runs from 10am, until 5pm.

Activities have been spread across the site, to try and ensure we do not have too large crowds at any one point.

Shows take place multiple times a day, and lots of things are happening at the same time, so you can find the experience that suits you and your family the best.

The approximate run time of every piece of activity at the festival can be found in the programme, here.

“Toddle Time”

We know that children and young people move at their own speed. To help you figure out how you’ll get between festival sites, we’ve estimated how long it will take to “toddle” between them;

Kirkleatham Showground to Centre of the Site; Approx 15 mins toddle

Kirkleatham Walled Garden to Centre of the Site; Approx 10 mins toddle

From the centre of the Festival, you can get to pretty much everywhere with a 10 minute toddle.. but please bear in mind that this is just an estimate.

There is lots of things happening all over the festival – so you might discover something brilliant on the way to your next destination…

Our toddler needs to go to the bathroom, NOW, where are they?

There are lots of public bathrooms, with changing facilities, across the festival. Public Toilets can be located at;

• Kirkleatham Cafe
• Kirkleatham Museum
• Kirkleatham Walled Garden
• Portable Toilets will be located in the Purple Zone.

We are expecting a lot of people, so there might be a little bit of a queue.

You can see the map of the site, on our website, here.

Our little ones are a little bit picky about food – what is available? Can I bring my own food?

All of the brilliant food traders that are part of the festival will have offers for families and children.

You can see what kind of food will be available on our website, here.

OF COURSE, you can bring along any food or drinks from outside the festival, and have a beautiful picnic. There are lots of lovely places to sit.

We’ve had a fall, and my little one is hurt… Help?

We really, really hope there are no accidents on the day. But, these things happen!

There are plenty of first aid stations around the site, and you can find any of them by just asking a member of our team.

We can get your little one (or you!) all patched up and back to the fun. If there’s anything more serious, of course, these medical teams can help you too.

I’ve lost my child… what happens?

It’s every parents worst nightmare to find their child has gone missing, especially at an event or festival. Should anything like this happen, we are all here to help.

If it should happen, notify the nearest member of Between the Tides Staff you can find.

We have a really brilliant “Missing Child” procedure that we will put into action, the moment you tell us you’re having a problem.

The staff member you told will stay by your side, and ask you some simple questions, about your child’s name, what they are wearing, and where they were last.

This information will be sent by radio to all members of the team, who will immediately begin looking through their zones.

When we find your child – our team, who are fully DBS checked and qualified to work with children, will take them to a “Lost Child” point, where you can be reunited.

I need something else…

There are really friendly, happy and helpful Between the Tides Festival staff all over the festival.

You can tell who they are, as they’ll be wearing festival t-shirts, or high-vis jackets.

If you need anything that we haven’t mentioned in this guide, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Finally, here are some general bits of advice, for any adult bringing children and young people to a festival

Check the festival schedule: Find out what events or activities are suitable for your child’s age group and interests. This will help you plan the day and avoid disappointment. Find your programme here!

Bring supplies: Pack a bag with things like sunscreen, snacks, water, extra clothes, and nappies (if applicable). You may also want to bring a buggy, or baby carrier for younger children.

Keep an eye on your child. It’s important to keep a close eye on your child at all times. Consider using a wristband or other identification in case you get separated. Teach your child to look for staff or police officers if they need help.

Follow safety rules: Review any safety rules or guidelines with your child before going to the festival. Talk about staying with a parent or caregiver, not accepting food or drinks from strangers, and other safety tips.

Have fun: Festivals are a great way to make memories with your child. Take photos, try new foods, and enjoy the activities together

This parents guide has been developed in consultation with Redcar Cleveland Family HUBs. Thank you so much to all the staff, parents, grandparents, guardians and little ones who contributed towards this guide.

We hope you have a brilliant festival!