Blazing Swan Family Survival Guide

Our Event is for everyone

Welcome to the Blazing Swan family survival guide! At Blazing Swan we thrive on diversity, participation, playfulness and imagination, and this makes it a great environment for kids to experience and engage in the values that make Blazing Swan so special. So, yes, you'll find lots of mini-me Burners at the event. They help make our community… a community.

Bringing children to Blazing Swan presents unique challenges, but with a little thought and care, the experience can be more fun for you, your kids and everyone around you. This Blazing Swan Family Guide will help your family enjoy the event and have a safe and magical time.

Risk and Reward

Any Burn can be a radical and challenging environment, and Blazing Swan is no exception. You need to be sure you’re comfortable exposing your kids, whatever age they are, to an adult environment where anything can happen. For many parents the experience can provide a positive catalyst for open and rewarding conversations with kids about some of those things you probably wouldn’t bring up over dinner at grandma’s place.

You’re Responsible

As parents and legal guardians, you are responsible for your children. Do not assume your kids will be safe elsewhere, it is your responsibility to be aware of what is happening and determining what is safe. Children need supervision and protection at all times and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

What to Bring

Packing is a very personal thing, and it goes without saying that kids need the same basic items you’d bring for an adult - food, water, shelter, and a few things for fun. The goal of packing for your family is to bring “things that protect them from the elements and make them feel at home”.

Remember, if you have ever been camping with your kids, you’re halfway prepared. At Blazing Swan you need to be self-sufficient.  You cannot buy food, drinks, general items etc at the event and so you need to think about everything you and your family need during your time.  

Basic Safety

Before you set foot at Blazing Swan think about setting some non-negotiable safety rules for your kids, some examples are:

Explain to your children where the Ranger HQ Station is, how to identify Rangers and their role at Blazing Swan. Talk to your children about common-sense safety, such as distance from fire, moving vehicles and other hazards. Tell your children to never accept food, drinks or gifts from people outside their camp without asking you first.

Teach your children not to get lost. Get to know your neighbours, familiarise yourself with nearby landmarks to remember the way back to camp. Most importantly always know where your children are and do not get separated from them!  It is important to make a plan with your children for what to do if you become separated. If you lose your child then contact a Ranger as soon as possible who will immediately initiate our lost child protocol.

Food and water

Kids need food and water- it is essential to stay hydrated at ALL times. It can be dry, hot and dusty at Blazing Swan, ensure your children have water on them at all times and they stay hydrated. Dehydration can cause headaches, stomach pain, cramps, or flu-like symptoms and mood swings.  If your child is showing any of these symptoms seek medical help.

Make sure you have enough healthy and nutritious food for your children including plenty of snacks. High energy foods such as trail mix, nuts, protein bars and apples are a great option. Never let your children eat questionable food and be wary of milk and meats.

Food and drink tips:

Protection from the elements 

Remember to stay sun safe- protect your skin, cover up, wear sunscreen, put on a hat and stick to the shade. Remember kids have tender, sensitive skin- dry weather, dust amongst other things can be irritating. Taking moisturizer, lip balm and plasters can help.

Be prepared for wet weather as we never know what we can expect!

Remember to take basic first aid supplies with you such as aftersun, plasters, cough syrup, liquid paracetamol and any prescription medicine needed.

Protecting your ears

At Blazing Swan there can be loud noise which can harm sensitive eardrums so always protect little ears with padded ear protectors- that way they can still enjoy themselves and stay safe. This also applies to adults, think about protecting your ears using ear plugs or defenders.

Camping

Make sure your camping area has some shade, bring some chairs and a table and think about warm blankets for the evenings.

Strategies to help

Whenever you're feeling stressed or your kid doesn't seem to be coping, you should H.A.L.T  and assess whether or not the underlying cause of non-coping is because you are Hungry/Angry/Lonely/Tired. Having a drink and something to eat always helps.

Blazing Swan Resources

The Jilakin Rock Rangers are Blazing Swan volunteers who can help you find solutions to problems that you can’t immediately resolve yourself. Rangers help preserve community welfare, safety and quality of experience and are available 24/7 to support our community.

Ranger HQ is with the medics at Camp Hart and is clearly marked on the Blazing Swan map, make sure you familiarise yourself with its location.

In the case of lost and/found children, Blazing Swan Rangers and event staff will have a radio for contacting Ranger HQ who are able to assist you.

If you or someone else requires medical assistance (be it physical or psychological) beyond what you can provide yourself, find a Ranger, crew member, or visit the First Aid post located at Camp Hart. Trained medical crew are on duty 24 hours a day and they are able to assist with whatever the situation calls for.

Family Checklist

Below is a checklist of things to bring and things to do to help you with preparing yourself and your family for Blazing (this is not an exhaustive list!)