Where Can I Put My Kids? And other quandaries

Whilst the number of high-quality kids shows at the Fringe is large and growing, a common gripe amongst families is that the venues themselves are not the most child-friendly of places. It’s a problem that persists, but some venues are beginning to make more of an effort. Leading the way pretty stridently is the Pleasance, which this year opens the Festival’s very first bespoke crèche.

"It was pretty much born out of my own frustration," says Candida Alderson, wife of Pleasance director Anthony Alderson and the brains behind the project. "Our twin boys were pretty much born in the Pleasance Courtyard. We come up every year and there’s loads of great kids shows on, but there’s never anywhere to hang out with your kids before or afterwards." An ad-hoc remedy was hastily arranged last year with the Teepee on the Green, which Alderson says parents were almost "pathetically grateful" for despite its fairly modest facilities.

This year the Pleasance Kidzone is a much more robust affair. Nestled in the heart of the Pleasance Courtyard, It features the CIAO! Children’s Ark, a big wooden boat built from reclaimed materials and powered by various sources of green energy, including children’s own pedal power. "It’s aimed at teaching children about the environment," says Alderson, raising questions like "what you would take on board with you, and what you would leave behind.

"We’ve also programmed it with loads of great kids shows," including the likes of surreal poet John Hegley and bonkers funnyman Phil Kay. In addition, the Kidzone Dropzone is a crèche run by a professional company, that allows parents to dump their kids (aged 3-8) while take some time out to enjoy other shows. And they’ve even teamed up with an evening babysitting service, Super Mums, so that you can book a babysitter direct from the venue.

Whilst no venue is really competing with Pleasance Kidzone this year, there are other places to go. Assembly are opening their new Princes St Gardens venue around the Ross bandstand, with activities, free shows, music and food stalls for families throughout each day of the Festival. At their venue on George St, the upper balcony bar serves food to families all day and has a children’s menu. Underbelly’s Pasture is an outdoor space in Bristo Square that’s family-friendly during the day and features giant Jenga and Connect 4, as well as some food stalls serving child-sized portions. Gilded Balloon Teviot has an indoor cafe where kids are welcome 'til 10pm and the garden area is a fairly good space to chill out before or after the show, perhaps with a burger or ice cream from one of the stalls. Finally, C Venues have a lot of kids’ workshops during the day, including a green-fingered workshop in the main venue’s garden on Chambers Street.