The Jackrabbit Speaks V18:#27:7.11.14 Kids at Burning Man

Volume 18, Issue #27 Kids at Burning Man | July 11, 2014 KIDS AT BURNING MAN Playa Survival Guide for Families F.U.N. Child Identification Program Join the Black Rock Scouts! Welcome to Kidsville! Kids on playa?! Yep, absolutely. In fact, Burning Man has been a family affair from the very beginning. When Jerry James and Larry Harvey burned the first Man in 1986, their 5-year old sons Robin and Trey built a Burning Dog alongside their dads. Burning Man enthusiastically welcomes children of all ages to Black Rock City, and kids 12 and younger don’t require a ticket. BRC’s infrastructure supports the presence of families and has an excellent record regarding the welfare of children. Are you planning on bringing your kids along to this year’s Burn? There are some great resources and programs for Burner families that we want you to know about, including The Survival Guide for Families, Kidsville, Black Rock Scouts and the FUN Child ID Program run by the Black Rock Rangers. We'll start things off with some great Burning Blog posts from Judes, a Burner since 1999 and an advocate for playa families. She first brought her son Dexter to BRC when he was 16-months old, and he now has 10 Burns under his belt! And here's a great interview with a 15-year old, 12-time Burner to give you an idea of the kind of experiences kids can have on playa. The Man burns in 50 days! Playa Survival Guide for Families Surviving inBlack Rock City is difficult enough, and now you want to bring your kids? That’s great! It can certainly be daunting the first time, but children actually thrive in the playa environment. It just takes some extra preparation, planning and diligence. We have compiled an excellent Survival Guide for Families. Learn more and check it out. F.U.N. Child Identification Program The Family Unification Network (FUN) program allows families to register themselves and their children at the Black Rock Ranger HQ in Center Camp (daily from 9am - noon or anytime after 2pm). The registered child will receive a wristband with a serial number that is unique to them, which will identify the child, parents and camp location. That’s it! Should your child become separated from you, all he or she has to do is find a Ranger. The wristband serial number will facilitate a speedy reunion. And bringing your kids to register is a great way for them to become familiar with Rangers and the Ranger Station. Join the Black Rock Scouts! Jay of the Black Rock Scouts writes: "This program is for Burner kids, based on the Ten Principles of Burning Man. Kids are the next generation, so we aim to teach them how to sustain life in BRC. Camps and services will host playa-cational field trips, events and volunteer opportunities. Scouts will earn a patch and merit badges for things learned, survival skills achieved, good deeds and volunteering. Black Rock Scouts is not a babysitting service. A parent or an adult guardian must attend all events with their kid. Most of our activities are interactive playa-vocational trips that are enjoyed as a whole family. Scouts should visit the BRS Headquarters in Kidsville to see the Schedule of Events. You might even find yourself gifted with most excellent BRS swag while supplies last. Keep an eye for schedule updates on our website. The schedule is updated constantly so keep an eye out for new events. You can also join our Facebook Page. If you are in the bay area and would like to meet me personally to learn about the Black Rock Scouts, I can be found July 19th at the Berkeley Spark. I'll see you home!" Welcome to Kidsville! Kidsville is a cooperative village for Burners with kids, which has grown to more than 150 families in recent years. Kidsvillians believe that Burning Man is a unique experience to share as a family. Kidsville is safe, quiet, centrally located and close to Potties, Center Camp, Medical and the 6:00 Rangers Station. The Village takes up the blocks between 5:00 and 5:30, Desiderata and Extraterrestrial. The entire village is enclosed with playa fencing and flagpoles, to identify boundaries for kids. Vehicles are not allowed within the borders so it’s a safe place for kids to ride bikes, run and play. For added safety, all kids are tagged with K’ville wristbands to make them easily identifiable. Link to the Black Rock City map. A tight-knit community develops overnight. Children have plenty of friends to play with and parents bond and share with neighbors. In the K’ville Center Camp is the Mayor’s camp, a fire pit, an Information Kiosk with an event schedule, the Black Rock Scouts HQ, resident Ranger Mickey’s Camp and play equipment like trampolines. During the week, families host dozens of events like Mini Burning Man. We love it when art cars visit and take little peeps and their families for a spin! To schedule a visit, contact Kidsville Mayor Dawn Lapierre, a.k.a. Queen of F’ing Everything via her Facebook page. While K’ville welcomes all Playa-families to visit, it is NOT A BABYSITTING SERVICE. Children may NOT be dropped off in Kidsville without a parent. Parents are responsible for their children’s safety and behavior at all times, inside and outside of Kidsville. To camp in Kidsville, each camp must have at least one child under the age 18. All camps must work at least one Kidsville Greeter shift. There are still a few spaces left in Kidsville, but you must pre-register and choose a campsite. Once spaces become full, there is a waiting list. NOTE: If you are NOT pre-registered with a camp location, don’t expect to arrive at Kidsville and find a space. To learn more about Kidsville, ask questions or follow discussions, join the Yahoo Group. For tips on bringing kids to the playa, read the Kidsville Survival Guide. We were listening to ... RetroElectric Big Band The Burning Man Regional Network Connect with Burners in your hometown! The Burning Blog Engage with published authors, bloggers and thinkers in and around the Burning Man community as they observe and comment on our culture and like-minded cultures around the world. The Official Burning Man Facebook Page Engage with your fellow Burners on Facebook. Burning Man on Twitter The official Burning Man Twitter account ... all things Burning Man, year-round. Black Rock City Twitter Account All things Black Rock City ... especially active as we get closer to the event. ePlaya Connect with Burners around the world! Spark Get help with your Burning Man project, or offer your skils to a project. Post Request: Want your post considered for inclusion in an upcoming Jackrabbit Speaks? Fill out this form. Credits: Editor: Will Chase Compilation: Jon Mitchell Looking Over Shoulders: Megan Miller Design & Development: Silvia Stephenson Back of House: Amani Loutfy, Edub Original Jackrabbit (O.J.): Marian Goodell Jackrabbit Emeritus: Andie Grace Header Photograph: Playa Mouse, 2011 Photographer Credit: Leori Gill More Information: For questions questions@burningman.com Previous Editions of the Jackrabbit Speaks: Visit the JRS Archive Subscribe & Unsubscribe: This email was sent to [email address suppressed] Subscribe Unsubscribe instantly here.   Like Tweet Forward If this email is not as beautiful as it should be, view it in your browser. Burning Man • PO Box 884688 SF, CA 94188