Kids & Teenagers at Burning Man

[lucky420]

lol he probably keeps you from hurting yourself?

[Sail Man]

lol he probably keeps you from hurting yourself?

LOL maybe, but he sure mean's we climb more shit

Watching the look on his face when somebody or something shoots off fire effects is priceless.

[lucky420]

aww sweet, how old is he?

[kido]

very awesome to hear to hear such stories

[Zang]

Back in 2007 I got hit with a with a serious sinus infection just as we got to the playa, and ended up spending the first several days in the med tent. As such, I got to witness a long string of things that went anywhere from mildly to seriously wrong.

The most sobering of these things -- worse than the girl who came in and had been drugged and raped -- was the series of kids about 9 years old or so who were brought in by their parents. The kids were ashen, sobbing, broken. The parents were stricken, panicked, willing to do anything if someone would just help fix this.

This wasn't a tantrum, it wasn't a case of over-stimulation, it wasn't dehydration. They had been with their parents the whole time, and had simply broken and deeply so. The children could not speak, were stressed the point of involuntarily vomiting, looked for all the world as if they had suffered a psychic break and were no longer connected.

Now, on the other hand: I've seen kids having the time of their life at Burning Man, and I've seen kids bored stiff and Burning Man, and I've seen kids who looked like this was the stupidest vacation idea ever at Burning Man. Your mileage, it will vary.

But after watching kid after kid come into that med tent looking like they were the sole survivor of a gruesome car accident, there is no way I would ever bring a child to the playa before I think they're mature enough to process and deal. (Note: there are "adults" that I won't take to the playa for the same reason.]

I'm dead certain there will be people who dismiss this and say, "Nono, I've seen kids there and they had a GREAT time! Kids LOVE it there." I don't doubt that's true; a large part of me wants children to experience this place of extraordinary wonder and absurdity. But my story is equally true, and deserves equal consideration.

Last point: it's also Just A Story. I'm just some guy writing on a board on the Internet. These are your kids, not mine. You know them; I don't. If you feel they're up for it then by all means, throw 'em in the deep end of the pool. Teach them to be resilient motherfuckers. Let them live, and live intrepidly.

Good luck to you, and may yours be a wonderful experience.

[Sail Man]

Zang, my 8 yr old boy is going to his 4th burn this year, and has done all 3 Lakes of Fire. He has a great time, loves to climb shit out there with me, groove's on the fire effects. He has been warmly welcomed and greeted by other burners on the playa and never seems to notice the nudity out there in the least (especially if he is) but if somebody walks by dressed like Scooby Doo his eyes are fixed

Personally I'm not aware of what a kid would see out there that would cause them to have a "psychic break" like you describe, unless the parents took the kids into Comfort and Joy and they saw Sccoby being bottomed by a Jedi Warrior top

I would suspect that most of the issues that would affect a kid would be similar to those that affect adults (minus the drug and alcohol related shit) and that would be minor bumps and bruises, lacerations, dehydration, over-exposure (sun, heat). I stay in Kidsville and we see nary an issue there with the kids. Now the adults on the other hand

[FIGJAM]

Maybe some type of culture shock that makes them feel so insecure that they break down, but that's not BM's fault.

[lucky420]

lol Sail Man, and I would hope that parents would notice their kids looking zombie like before it was necessary to take them to the med tent.

[MyDearFriend]

lol Sail Man, and I would hope that parents would notice their kids looking zombie like before it was necessary to take them to the med tent.

Yeah, poor zombie kids are probably being raised by folks who don't pay attention in defaultia, either. Kids can handle quite a bit as long as a trusted adult stays engaged with them.

[MissNev]

My daughter has been before and wants to go again. She will be 13 Sept. 1. It is my understanding that she won't need a ticket this year. Since we have early entrance, will she need a pass, or just go with mine? I seem to recall that she didn't need one when we had early entrance a few years ago.

[Savannah]

Indeed, children 12 years old and under get in free.

Contact the person who got you early entry (your camp head and the person who issued them the passes) to see if you need special early entry for a child of 12, and get a firm answer. I'm guessing "no", because she doesn't even need a ticket, but it's best to be sure. Don't trust me!

(I wonder if they demand proof of age of a child? That might be difficult; rarely do people travel with birth certificates. I don't imagine it comes up a lot, because 12 year olds and 13 year olds are rare at the Burn.)

[MissNev]

I'll check with our placer. I'm bringing her school id, so I hope that works!

[MrMullen]

I have been following this thread for the 7 years it has been running, and I just want to add, I would have LOVED to have gone to Burning Man as a kid. My parents used to sit in bars and drink with friends in Mexico and let us kids run around on the streets of Ensenada and San Felipe. Back in the 70's and early 80's you could do that and not worry too much. I don't remember a single thing of the slightest problem ever happening to anyone in our pack of kids. Now a days, you can't do that, but you could turn a pack of kids loose on the streets of BRC, and far as I am concerned, not worry too much. Yes, have them check in. Yes, make sure they drink water. And yes, check on them hourly, but I would not say that BRC is a dangerous place for kids.

[Sail Man]

lol Sail Man, and I would hope that parents would notice their kids looking zombie like before it was necessary to take them to the med tent.

Yeah, poor zombie kids are probably being raised by folks who don't pay attention in defaultia, either. Kids can handle quite a bit as long as a trusted adult stays engaged with them.

Yes, I agree with both of you. I make sure and include him on planning for things that he can give input on. Like what color el wire does he want on his bike for exp. or foods to take that he likes. Once out there, I look for things going on, or art installations that I think he will like and off we go. Last year I took him climbing Helix Spire and he loved it. Another thing I do is take a Gumby out there and we'll go taking pictures of Gumby all over the place, he loves getting involved in that, especially when I let him take pictures himself.

[Savannah]

I have been following this thread for the 7 years it has been running, and I just want to add, I would have LOVED to have gone to Burning Man as a kid. My parents used to sit in bars and drink with friends in Mexico and let us kids run around on the streets of Ensenada and San Felipe. Back in the 70's and early 80's you could do that and not worry too much. I don't remember a single thing of the slightest problem ever happening to anyone in our pack of kids. Now a days, you can't do that, but you could turn a pack of kids loose on the streets of BRC, and far as I am concerned, not worry too much. Yes, have them check in. Yes, make sure they drink water. And yes, check on them hourly, but I would not say that BRC is a dangerous place for kids.

Depending on the age and the child's known behaviors, smarts and temperament, I would feel lots safer with them at the Burn than at the average county fair.

As a non-parent, I don't really know what I would do if I had a child (I might be tempted to leave them with grandma & grandpa, frankly!) but as a former kid myself . . . . . . I can say that I would have been absolutely fine at a Burn at age 14, for example. I was a very responsible kid.

[Sail Man]

I have been following this thread for the 7 years it has been running, and I just want to add, I would have LOVED to have gone to Burning Man as a kid. My parents used to sit in bars and drink with friends in Mexico and let us kids run around on the streets of Ensenada and San Felipe. Back in the 70's and early 80's you could do that and not worry too much. I don't remember a single thing of the slightest problem ever happening to anyone in our pack of kids. Now a days, you can't do that, but you could turn a pack of kids loose on the streets of BRC, and far as I am concerned, not worry too much. Yes, have them check in. Yes, make sure they drink water. And yes, check on them hourly, but I would not say that BRC is a dangerous place for kids.

I would say that it would depend on the age and maturity of the child to let them run free. Teens I would have less of an issue with then with a child my sons age. Though I am comfortable letting him roam free within Kidsville, I would not let him roam beyond the boundary of it. I look back at the things I did as a kid like climbing trees out in the woods, often alone. I could have easily fallen and broken my neck. No different then the Helix Spire for exp. So, inherently, I agree, I don't think TTITD is really any more dangerous then the default world. But like any city of 50,000, there can always be something out there.......

[thirt33n]

kids(under 18) should be under adult supervision consistent with defaultia while in BRC.
that's my take.

[peachandpapa]

We're taking our 14 yr old daughter this year and have a pretty strict set of guidelines for her. She will have free reign during the day with a few check-ins but at night it will be a different story. She will be with us in the art car and by our sides when off. Before we hit the playa she has to know the Survival Guide (which showed up in today's mail!) inside and out. There will be a quiz! Despite all of our rules and regulations, we expect her time on the playa to be an adventure, an education, but above all else, FUN! I hope and believe her time at Burning Man will become a positive force in her daily experiences...as it has been for her parents, i.e. a renewed faith in mankind!

[jag8]

mushrooms + Bird's nest + Lord of the Flies deja vu... Priceless!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoUCf5iMNnY

[peachandpapa]

Taking our 14 yr. old daughter was the best experience I have had on the playa. The girl has dust in her veins and now has fire hooping in her sights. If your kid has the maturity to experience Burning Man, DO IT!!!

[Savannah]

SWEET!

[felony]

I brought my 16 year old daughter, Firebug, to her first burn this year. She had been to several SF decoms and was raring to go. The early arrival thing was tough on her as it was A LOT of work and lots of people she did not know, and she had a bit of a hard time adjusting on Saturday and Sunday, but once Monday rolled around she hit her stride. Many in BDC had worries that she would be a problem or impact thier burn, I'm happy to say I've I've had many compliments on her behavior and have been told she was an excellent addition to the camp. She volunteered in neighboring camps, put make up and glitter on a wedding party, made fast friends with people in the village, gave dating advice (good advice too) to one of our foriegn burners and enjoyed herself without causing the camp any stress regarding her presence. She avoided areas where alchohol was being served and kept herself busy with the ball pit at Boosh, touring the Playa with camp mates and new friends, finding snow cones at the Lost Penguin and vegetarian sandwiches at the Grilled Cheese Incident. She informed me that it was "quite possibly the best time she's had in her life" , Sage words from a 16 year old. She wants to return next year. As long as she keeps up her grades, I'll let her. She still talks about it all the time and gets messages from Playa people on Facebook everyday. I think she was born to be a burner, just like her mom.

[jella]

I brought my 16 year old daughter, Firebug, to her first burn this year. She had been to several SF decoms and was raring to go. The early arrival thing was tough on her as it was A LOT of work and lots of people she did not know, and she had a bit of a hard time adjusting on Saturday and Sunday, but once Monday rolled around she hit her stride. Many in BDC had worries that she would be a problem or impact thier burn, I'm happy to say I've I've had many compliments on her behavior and have been told she was an excellent addition to the camp. She volunteered in neighboring camps, put make up and glitter on a wedding party, made fast friends with people in the village, gave dating advice (good advice too) to one of our foriegn burners and enjoyed herself without causing the camp any stress regarding her presence. She avoided areas where alchohol was being served and kept herself busy with the ball pit at Boosh, touring the Playa with camp mates and new friends, finding snow cones at the Lost Penguin and vegetarian sandwiches at the Grilled Cheese Incident. She informed me that it was "quite possibly the best time she's had in her life" , Sage words from a 16 year old. She wants to return next year. As long as she keeps up her grades, I'll let her. She still talks about it all the time and gets messages from Playa people on Facebook everyday. I think she was born to be a burner, just like her mom.

She was a joy to be around

[felony]

As was your son! When I first talked to him he said he was having an OK time, but by the end of the week he appeared to be having a blast. He was also a HUGE help. When the camp needed physical labor, he always volunteered. Hope we see all of you again next year.

[Dr. Pyro]

It seems to me if we're bringing all the kids back to camp, make sure to bring Buster along as well. He fits right in.

[tamarakay]

I brought my 16 year old daughter, Firebug, to her first burn this year. She had been to several SF decoms and was raring to go. The early arrival thing was tough on her as it was A LOT of work and lots of people she did not know, and she had a bit of a hard time adjusting on Saturday and Sunday, but once Monday rolled around she hit her stride. Many in BDC had worries that she would be a problem or impact thier burn, I'm happy to say I've I've had many compliments on her behavior and have been told she was an excellent addition to the camp. She volunteered in neighboring camps, put make up and glitter on a wedding party, made fast friends with people in the village, gave dating advice (good advice too) to one of our foriegn burners and enjoyed herself without causing the camp any stress regarding her presence. She avoided areas where alchohol was being served and kept herself busy with the ball pit at Boosh, touring the Playa with camp mates and new friends, finding snow cones at the Lost Penguin and vegetarian sandwiches at the Grilled Cheese Incident. She informed me that it was "quite possibly the best time she's had in her life" , Sage words from a 16 year old. She wants to return next year. As long as she keeps up her grades, I'll let her. She still talks about it all the time and gets messages from Playa people on Facebook everyday. I think she was born to be a burner, just like her mom.

She was a joy to be around

I agree, she was delightful. It was fun watching her emerge all week long. I LOVED the way she did her eyes and next year want some lessons.

[MyDearFriend]

I brought my 16 year old daughter, Firebug, to her first burn this year. She had been to several SF decoms and was raring to go. The early arrival thing was tough on her as it was A LOT of work and lots of people she did not know, and she had a bit of a hard time adjusting on Saturday and Sunday, but once Monday rolled around she hit her stride. Many in BDC had worries that she would be a problem or impact thier burn, I'm happy to say I've I've had many compliments on her behavior and have been told she was an excellent addition to the camp. She volunteered in neighboring camps, put make up and glitter on a wedding party, made fast friends with people in the village, gave dating advice (good advice too) to one of our foriegn burners and enjoyed herself without causing the camp any stress regarding her presence. She avoided areas where alchohol was being served and kept herself busy with the ball pit at Boosh, touring the Playa with camp mates and new friends, finding snow cones at the Lost Penguin and vegetarian sandwiches at the Grilled Cheese Incident. She informed me that it was "quite possibly the best time she's had in her life" , Sage words from a 16 year old. She wants to return next year. As long as she keeps up her grades, I'll let her. She still talks about it all the time and gets messages from Playa people on Facebook everyday. I think she was born to be a burner, just like her mom.

She was a joy to be around

I agree, she was delightful. It was fun watching her emerge all week long. I LOVED the way she did her eyes and next year want some lessons.

+++1000

Gosh who'd have the nerve to be "concerned" about your kid, Felony? I mean, she's YOUR kid and even half your DNA kicks ass, seriously

And Jella your son is not a "kid" but, is really a treasure. I am hoping to bring my "not a kid" son next year as well.

[goathead]

yep, this young visitor at our camp looks extremely tortured.
dam his parents.....

LMAO he was having a blast.

[Simon of the Playa]

by garry geer, a photography Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology...2011 wa his First Burn and he stayed at first camp.


i love this picture.


http://galleries.burningman.com/photos/ ... pastheader


and this one too.

http://galleries.burningman.com/photos/ ... pastheader

[Savannah]

Those are great; thank you Simon.