LIZ NICHOLLS looks ahead to this  weekend’s Wood Festival in Ipsden, near Wallingford

If you go down to the Wood this weekend, you’re sure of a big surprise. Several, in fact. After joining forces with award-winning children’s publisher Barefoot Books, Wood Festival in Braziers Park near Wallingford has its most dazzling array of folksy, family-friendly activities on offer yet.

From singalongs with the Barefoot Buskers to making a woodland den or fairy frolics and superhero power-hours, it’s all about the kids.

Running from tomorrow until Monday, every ticket sold to an adult Wood-goer has come with a free one for a festival sidekick aged 12 or under. And there are going to be some pretty happy kids there.

Izzie Martin, studio and community manager for Barefoot Books, in Banbury Road, Summertown, was a steward at the first Wood festival in 2008 and, as a festival devotee herself, is delighted the bookstore/ lifestyle hub is sponsoring this year’s event. She said: “Wood is the most family-friendly festival in Oxfordshire, possibly the UK, and its atmosphere is peaceful, nature-loving, safe and small – small enough not to lose the kids or stress too much!

“Even though Barefoot Books is a US company originally, we now have our HQ in Oxford and are very enthusiastic about supporting those grassroots organisations and communities close to home. “With Wood’s focus on being outside and celebrating nature, we can’t wait to take our indoor, studio-based classes into the great outdoors.”

In case you have never yet wandered inside, Barefoot is a crazy, colourful world of creativity, from the kalaeidoscopic Bedouin tent-decked book-browsing area to the free storytimes and fabulous birthday parties.

Many a frazzled mum has wandered in to bond with the fellow bewildered over a locally sourced slice of cake. It’s the ultimate in guilt-free parenting.

Having come over from the US of A, the firm’s enthusiasm has taken off here, with an ambassador scheme for mumpreneurs wanting to make a living ‘Barefoot style’.

Acclaimed author and illustrator Jackie Morris will read from a few of her books at Wood and explain how she comes up with ideas for the words and pictures that evolve into her creations, including Can You See, Little Bear? Having been creating stories for 20 years, she is now beloved by the grown-up children of those youngsters she originally wrote for. “I’m excited about Wood,” says Jackie. “I haven’t been to a festival before – not being a big fan of crowds. I do a lot of literature festivals and sometimes your heart sinks when your audience is not as young and lively as you’d like.

“Children are fantastic – and I love reading to them because you learn so much. Coming up with ideas is the hardest part of writing and I always come up with lots when I read to children – in fact, I feel like a bit of a cheat really because I often learn much more from my audience than they learn from me!”

A festival highlight for Jackie will be a rendition of The Owl and The Pussycat by pupils of Summertown’s Phil & Jim Primary School. There will also be dance workshops with Barefoot’s dance teacher Breeze and puppetry based on ‘Grandpa’s Garden’. The apex of Wood is the Sunday parade when youngsters get the chance to dress up in fairy and superhero creations made in the festival workshops. This will be an extra-special event for festival organiser Robin Bennett and his daughter Macie, who turns two on Sunday. The family will celebrate in true festival style with her brother Brynmor who is five, the same age as Wood itself.

“Yes, Macie’s very excited,” says Robin. “We will have cake and she's going to be dressing up in all her fairy gear!

“This is such a strong programme this year. Barefoot really chimes with our values, and will liven things up with some fantastic free events, like children’s yoga and all kinds of exploring.

“The festival is going to be an amazing, child-friendly celebration of spring.”

Wood runs on its own power, thanks to the solar and wind turbine-generated electricity, and has a strong environmental ethos. Just like an organic veg box, most of the musical sustenance at Wood is foraged from the surrounding area – within 20 miles if possible. This does not, however, rule out the exotic, from the Balkan gypsy jazz of La morte Subite to the raucus rockabilly of Jack Cade & the Everyday Sinners and eccentric pop of Ralfe Band.

Adult workshops are also an intriguing mix, from experimental life drawing to shamanic healing, working with herbs, totem pole carving and wormery-making.

And, as Robin adds with a giggle, the ethos may be incredibly wholesome, but there is plenty of fun to be had after the kids’ bedtime, when the cider comes out too. Woodland wonders for all ages, then.

Wood is at Braziers Park, Ipsden, near Wallingford, OX10 6AN, May 17-20. Day tickets available on the gates for those wishing to give it a try or limited number of weekend tickets £75 with accompanied under-12s free. 

Visit woodfestival.com or buy from Barefoot Books in Banbury Road, Summertown, Truck Store, Cowley Road and In The
Groove, Henley. Barefootbooks.com