Create a Festival in Your Garden (Without Spending a Fortune)
Radio DJ Rob Da Bank and his wife Josie have a new book called “Camp Bestival at Home,” written with the artists who’ve made the Camp Bestival festival a favourite among families in the U.K.
For anyone planning to host an all-ages garden party, it’s a guide for everything from recipes and crafts to creating the perfect party playlist.
Other than going as big as you can with the decorations, the Da Banks’ advice may be a relief for stressed-out parents.
“Keep it simple, don’t spend hours and days planning something,” says Rob with a laugh.
Josie, mum to the four Da Banks boys, agrees.
“It’s the simple stuff that works,” she explains. “S’mores [roasted marshmallows], lighting a simple fire in the garden – kids love these things because they’re just a bit out of the ordinary. It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone and getting the kids doing stuff that they wouldn’t normally do.”
Vocabulary:
all-ages garden party – an outdoor social gathering hosted in a yard or garden that is designed to be fun and suitable for people of any age, from young children to grandparents, “We are hosting an all-ages garden party for the neighborhood so everyone can mingle.”
stressed-out parents – mothers and fathers who feel completely overwhelmed, exhausted, or anxious due to the pressures of raising children and managing a home, “The new parenting blog offers quick, practical tips to help out stressed-out parents.”
Keep it simple – a phrase used to advise someone to avoid unnecessary complications and focus on the easiest, most straightforward way of doing things, “When you are planning the dinner menu, just keep it simple with a big tray of lasagna.”
out of the ordinary – unusual, different, or unexpected compared to what normally happens on a regular basis, “Our dog usually barks at the mailman, so her staying completely quiet today was a bit out of the ordinary.”
comfort zone – a situation, routine, or place where a person feels completely safe, relaxed, and at ease because they aren’t facing any new challenges, “Traveling alone to a foreign country really forced him to step outside his comfort zone.”