Video by: Lucy “Condor” Marlette

The question of whether you should take kids to Burning Man has been long settled within Kidsville, as they’ve operated as a kid-friendly village for more than 15 years. The issue is also settled among the Burning Man organization, as kids have been welcome at Burning Man since the very first burn at Baker Beach in 1986. Burning Man has traditionally admitted children under 12 for free, provided the children are accompanied by a ticketed parent or guardian. As of last year, Burning Man requires kids to have a no-cost kids e-ticket registration for their free admission. They’ve also created a Burning Man Family Survival Guide to give parents tips and advice for taking children to the playa.

The above documentary video “Kids At Burning Man,” was shot by 11-year-old Lucy Marlette (a.k.a. “Condor”) at Burning Man 2014, filmed entirely on her iPhone. The young lady scored exclusive interviews with co-founder Larry Harvey and playa protector Danger Ranger, which automatically makes this one of the better Burning Man documentaries out there. On top of that, this girl’s iPhone is probably nicer than mine.

Kids Thunderdome

While you likely already know that Death Guild sets up their celebrated Thunderdome along the Esplanade at Burning Man, allowing combatants to dangle from a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome-inspired geodesic structure, while whaling away on each other with dystopian nerf weaponry.

What you may not know is that Death Guild also sets up a Kids Thunderdome in the middle of Kidsville one afternoon each year at Burning Man. It’s roughly the size of your standard dome-shaped jungle gym. But the audience can still climb on it to watch the fight, the battles are still officiated by genuine Death Guild goths, and the assembled crowd still eggs on the combatants chanting, “Two kids enter! One kid leaves!”

(NOTE: Both kids do actually leave the Kids Thunderdome. They generally emerge in perfectly good health following their combat sessions.)

Kids' Takeovers of Camps and Art Cars

The biggest and most well-known theme camps don’t always set up tiny, kid-size replicas for kids to play and frolic upon at Kidsville. Sometimes, the kids come out to the big theme camps and simply take the place over.

Many big and iconic camps schedule a “kids takeover” session where the little ones have their run of the place for a couple of hours with adult supervision to keep the scene kid-friendly. These field trips are organized by the Black Rock Scouts and parents, or guardians are required to accompany their kids on these field trips.

Some of the annual kids takeover field trips include a session at the Sextant Camp , the well-known zip-line structure where Burners hang on tight and ride wires from a 52-foot tower. The kids get their very own screening at the Black Rock Bijou , Deep Playa’s indoor movie theater showing classic films while serving candy and concessions. There’s a cooking lesson at the Pancake Playhouse , a gifting session at Pink Heart, and a popular meet-up with Black Rock City Animal Control to nab bunnies at the Billion Bunny March.

The Black Scouts are always looking for reliable art cars to transport groups of kids on field trips. Contact the Black Rock Scouts if you have a DMV-permitted art car and can provide transport for a field trip. Note also that space can be limited on art cars and rides are not guaranteed (nor guaranteed to not break down). Older kids may be asked to travel by bike to many events, and realize that art cars can have spontaneous mechanical issues.

Field Trips to Black Rock City Stations

The Black Rock Scouts also take kids on field trips to the city’s most important outposts and infrastructure headquarters, where kids get a chance to greet arriving Burners or light up the lamps that illuminate the path to the Man.

A field trip to the Black Rock City Airport provides kids a private tour of 88NV , the temporary airport that springs up to bring in aviators and their planes in from around the world. Youngsters have the opportunity to be Lamplighters one evening, recreating the nightly tradition of lighting the more than 1,000 lamps that illuminate the Playa. Kids even get a chance to be Greeters on a field trip to the Burning Man gate, ringing the bell and welcoming the newly arriving Burners home.

These are only a few of the rad examples of radical self-expression that the Black Rocks Scouts have lined up for field trips and activities. Check the Black Rock Scouts' Facebook Page for schedules, more listings and the requirements for each activity.

Taking your kids to Burning Man is a subjective decision for any parent, but Kidsville and the Black Rock Scouts nail it in terms of taking kids to Burning Man the right way. The earlier you start taking your kids, the more comfortable they are around Burning Man culture. Even if you don’t have kids, you might be more comfortable around Burning Man culture knowing what they’re up to over at Kidsville. For Fest300's tips on taking kids to Burning Man, read our guide here.