Family reviews…

Written by: Team Just So

When we’re planning the festival, one of our grand hopes is that the experiences families have with us will go home with them. That they’ll have ideas for creative adventures to have at home, and that Just So will make them that little bit more likely to say ‘why not?’ when faced with something new in the arts. So imagine how thrilled we were to read Nurture Store‘s series of posts all about how activities that they had taken part in at the festival had led them on to all sorts of marvellous activities when they got home. Ideas include creating exciting outdoor play spaces, taking your arts outside, and creating your own tree gargoyles.

Zoe Toft, our kidlit correspondent, gave us a wonderful glimpse of many of the festival authors in her review post, ‘A weekend full of stories’, which was especially lovely as we didn’t get a chance to see them all in person. What you really need to read, though, is her ‘love letter to Steve Cole’. We were blown away, and a just a little humbled, that something that we have organised had such an amazing impact.

Having an impact on children is, of course, fantastic. We do feel a little swell of pride though, at converting the somewhat cynical ‘My Shitty Twenties’, that a family festival could cut the mustard. They had ‘a sooper time ‘ too.

If you’re thinking of coming next year, have a read of the Mummy Whisperer’s review for hints and tips and lists (we do so love a list). Some very valuable feedback for us here too, all of which we’ll be taking on board for 2012.

The lovely Zoe Chamberlain from the Birmingham Post came along with her family, and gave us five stars in her review.

You can read loads more family reviews over on the Festival Kidz website, and you can add your own. Do comment here with a link if you’ve spotted any other family reviews of the festival.