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Taking an infant to faire?

Started by Harbinger, August 15, 2009, 10:24:20 AM

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Harbinger

I have a child about 6 months, I'd like to take to trf with us this year, otherwise
it may be a job for grandma's babysitting service, and was wondering if anyone
had any experience with critters at faire they would care to share?
how to you carry them around? stroller backback etc?


thanks for your time
-h
Bénigne Dauvergne Saint de Mars
Private First Class, Texas Musketeers
Rex Dolor, Malleus De Deus

Trillium

I took my son to TRF at 6 months and he did fine.  We took a stroller so that we were all more comfortable, plus extra storage space.  Brought snacks and drinks for him plus all the usual diaper bag stuff.  I made comfy garb for him and planned accordingly for weather changes. I'd suggest planning to take him toward the middle of the season when it tends to be more mild.  He had a great time taking in all the sounds and colors.
Got faerie dust?

mistressfoo

Our a 15 month old loves faire. The last 4 that we have attended we just used a baby sling/carrier to tote him around and a basket made for storing yarn (Wal-mart w/ drawstring) turned into a back pack for necessity.
This year our home faire was cold and rainy so we just carried him around. He worn furry pants with feet and a matching hoodie under his garb and a biggens to keep the wind out of his ears. He slept though most of it anyway.
When we go tho MN for Labor Day we are taking a Ren-converted wagon (burlap and wood panels to disguise red plastic) since he is walking now and getting heavier by the minuet. Would love to get a pumpkin/goat cart even if its not big enough to ride in, just something for carry stuff.
Bring water, snacks, a few toys cause sticks will loose their thrill sooner or later, change of clothes and first aid kit. We also take an instant ice pack and hand warmers, recent picture of baby and he gets tagged with lost child info, just in case. Saw an ad on FB for temp tattoo that you can write on with marker for vital info; names, phone#, allergy, meds, was very cool might get those. Have fun!

Dinobabe

Temp tatoo for baby ID, that is cool!
Natasha McCallister
Bristol Faire 1988-2005
The Wizard's Chamber/Sir Don Palmist
59.2% FaireFolk Corrupt
midsouthrenfaire.com

Taffy Saltwater

You can get dog tags made at PetSmart w/your name & cell phone & pin the tag to clothing.
Sveethot!

Harbinger

thanks everyone for your thoughts, for clarification he will be
8 months old by the time we get to the faire, my wife thought
a wagon might be a substitute for a stroller but I am not sure.

I am still wondering if the wise course would be to leave him
with grandma for the weekend.

thanks again for your time
-h
Bénigne Dauvergne Saint de Mars
Private First Class, Texas Musketeers
Rex Dolor, Malleus De Deus

Hoowil

My daughter was about 3 months the first time we took her, my son less than 2 months. My profile pic has me with my son at his first faire.  My daughter is in the background in red and purple. We had no real trouble with either. Make sure you have all the things you need for a normal outing (diapers, wipes, etc.). I have to give the same advice I've given others about it. Do a quick walk through of the site so you can locate easy places to get to off the main path for changings, feedings, and quiet time if needed. If you're on freindly terms with any of the merchants or staff, see if you can arrange a little hide-away behind a booth, or secluded away for breaks if you need it. If the little one is bottle fed, take lots of water for bottles, if breast fed, take lots of extra water for mom. If possible take a stroller with large wheels, like a jogger, as smaller wheels will be difficult to handle in grass, gravel, wood chips, or generally off a beaten path or cement. Deffinitely take something with a sun shade. I'd say stick with the stroller, as it has straps & padding, and may be more secure and comfortable for an infant, again especially over uneven terrain. For a toddler or even older small child  a wagon should be fine. Remember to take it a whatever pace is ok for the little one. It may mean a shorter day trip, or plenty of down time, but thats no reason to not enjoy the festival as a family. At one faire around here I even found a merchant who had infant and toddler sized garb items (mainly hats and shoes) so enjoy, play, get pictures, and live it up. Get the kids used to the crowds, noise, colors, and the feel of faire. After all, as I heard here, how many kids get to play dress up with their parents for entire weekends?
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup.

Trillium

We went with a stroller because the thought of our son being behind us where we couldn't see him scared the heck out of us.  Even at 6 months he moved quickly!  Just our own paranoia...I see plenty of kids in wagons also.
Got faerie dust?

FortuneRose

The first time my son went he was right about 8-9 months and did great!  We obviously had more stops for feeding changing and cooling off, but he did very well.  We brought his graco stroller (big clunkin' thing) and pushed him around.  As Trillium said, the thought of having my son behind us scared us too much and what fun would it be to create a train of one person in front, next the wagon, and finally someone in back monitoring the baby...  so...  yeah.  We just did the stroller.   This year he is WAY to mobile to even want a stroller...  so we're letting him tromp around.  We had fun with him there, he had fun.  Our day wasn't as long as it would have been had it just been me and my husband, but we were okay with that. 
LLVW

THELADYKAT

Well TRF is right around the corner and Little Dorian will be 2 months and 4 days opening Day/Sat. I am getting everything I will need for him ready. Does anyone have a Baby going to Fair List of what to do and bring?
The Lady Kat.


Love with all your Heart, not just part of it.

Harbinger

we'll be taking an 8.5 month old, and found
a friend with an "off road" stroller we hope to
be taking, apart from that I guess the usual,
sunscreen, a variety of clothes, food (still to
young for meat on a stick), lots of bottles to
keep him hydrated.  I guess the big thing for
us will be pacing, though I suspect he will
most likely sleep through most of the day.

-harb
Bénigne Dauvergne Saint de Mars
Private First Class, Texas Musketeers
Rex Dolor, Malleus De Deus

switch

Quote from: mistressfoo on August 16, 2009, 01:35:19 PM
Our a 15 month old loves faire. The last 4 that we have attended we just used a baby sling/carrier to tote him around and a basket made for storing yarn (Wal-mart w/ drawstring) turned into a back pack for necessity.
This year our home faire was cold and rainy so we just carried him around. He worn furry pants with feet and a matching hoodie under his garb and a biggens to keep the wind out of his ears. He slept though most of it anyway.
When we go tho MN for Labor Day we are taking a Ren-converted wagon (burlap and wood panels to disguise red plastic) since he is walking now and getting heavier by the minuet. Would love to get a pumpkin/goat cart even if its not big enough to ride in, just something for carry stuff.
Bring water, snacks, a few toys cause sticks will loose their thrill sooner or later, change of clothes and first aid kit. We also take an instant ice pack and hand warmers, recent picture of baby and he gets tagged with lost child info, just in case. Saw an ad on FB for temp tattoo that you can write on with marker for vital info; names, phone#, allergy, meds, was very cool might get those. Have fun!

Our boys are 17 months and 5 months, we are thinking of bringing them next year or the year after.  We saw many families that had a cart, toting them around.  What a great idea.  I can build one of those this winter, shouldn't be too tough.  Next year, the youngest will be old enough to eat normal food, so we won't have to bring milk/forumla.

Thanks for the tips though, a long wait for sure...

Movie buff extraordinaire!

Hoowil

We're getting ready to take our two little ones to a smaller local faire next weekend. It'll be the second one for my 6 month old, and the 2 year old has been to well near a dozen, and loves it so very much.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup.

THELADYKAT

Dorian is about to go to Scarby and see it for the 1st time!
The Lady Kat.


Love with all your Heart, not just part of it.

LadyFae

I brought my oldest daughter to her first faire right after she turned 1.  She was walking and refused anything else until late in the day when I forced her into the stroller so that she would nap.  My second daughter attended her first faire just before she turned 1 and she was not walking yet so I carried her the entire time- well, except when my sister held her.  The ground was not stroller friendly for the most part.  The next year she walked, was carried and the one time I got my husband to faire he pushed her in the stroller.  My youngest daughter attended her first faire at 10 days old so I just wore her in my 'Moby' style wrap.  She will be 8 1/2 months at her first faire next month and I will just carry her (unless I make another wrap that will look nice with my noble garb!)  I'm not worried about that faire because it is a very small faire that we will be attending.  We'll also see how things go come August for the start of MNRF- if she is walking by then I'll let her do that when I'm not carrying her.  I'll have the stroller in the car for emergency purposes, however!  Of course the ground will have to be stroller friendly for me to pull that out...  Thank goodness my kids are small for their ages!
Amanda  =D

"Do not call for your mother.  Who is it that you think let the demons in to eat you up?"