What do you do when you're fed up with spending weekends at Thorpe Park, Alton Towers or Legoland and your kids have had enough of National Trust and English Heritage? You go to Glastonbury and please everyone - except perhaps the grandparents.

Two days before we set off for the festival last year, my disapproving mother rang and said: 'Have you seen the article in the Independent ? There's a man quoted whose been several times and he says he would never risk taking his children.'

I hunted down the article and, sure enough, it was full of parents with glum tales of losing children, foul toilets and how the kids impinged on their freedom to indulge in the full Glastonbury experience. Great.

We arrived at lunchtime on Friday, the party consisting of me, my six-year-old daughter Imogen, her best friend Miles (also six), his two-year-old sister Emma and their parents Paula and Julian. I knew more than 120,000 tickets had been sold, but the sea of tents that greeted us was staggering. All the space in the quieter family camping areas had already been filled.

True to Glastonbury form it was raining and by the time we had got the tents up we were soaked and splattered with mud. Imogen fell flat on her face in a puddle and was plastered.

We set out to explore and immediately hit the 'shops'. I had assumed the festival would be a paradise of anti-consumerism. Instead it turned out to be a haven for hippy knick-knacks. Just try getting a six-year-old past hundreds of stalls selling bead jewellery, drums, T-shirts, bags, henna tattoos and tie-dyed everything.

You can't go to a music festival and not listen to music. But you can't expect children to spend hours on end doing the same. The trick is to go with friends and take it in turns to entertain and babysit the younger festivalgoers. On the first evening, the kids were sufficiently tired after an hour in the dance tent and, into the wonder of camping , were happy to go to bed at a reasonable time. Paula and I snuck off to see David Gray and REM on the Pyramid stage and stumbled back in the dark to release Julian from babysitting duty. The next afternoon I took Miles and Imogen to the fantastic Kidz Field while Emma had a snooze and Paula and Julian listened to Jools Holland.

The Kidz Field is stuffed with activities and - good news for parents - lots of enthusiastic volunteers to help children make the most of them. Luckily, as the weather was now baking, much of the action took place under canvas. Imogen and Miles started by making shakers in the music tent. They then moved on to a very non-PC Punch and Judy show. While parents rolled their eyes at the wife beating, child abuse and capital punishment, the kids yelled ecstatically for Punch to be carted off to prison, never mind the normal democratic processes of trial and jury. We moved on to a 'creative' tent, where children were making origami dragons, huge painted fish, little banners from intricate pictures of Eastern goddesses with glitter and sequins and having their hair braided and faces painted. Across the way in another tent was a non-stop programme of clowns, jugglers and puppeteers. After several goes on the helter-skelter, Imogen and Miles were invited to play the parts of flowers and snakes in a gripping performance of Little Red Riding Hood.

That evening Imogen and I went to the New Tent to listen to the Kings of Leon and Goldfrapp and we finally experienced the 'spirit of Glastonbury'. On the way Imogen had found a frisbee and between sets we started throwing it. Soon a group of twentysomething men joined in, showing Imogen how to throw the frisbee. As Goldfrapp started playing, we wandered into the tent and Sarah - the owner of a pair of 7in platforms and lots of face piercings - caught us gazing at her shoes. She introduced herself and the rest of her group and spent the rest of the set dancing with Imogen on top of her shoes and encouraging her to show off her capoeira moves, learned that day.

So how does Glastonbury compare with Alton Towers in terms of family entertainment? It's about the same price. Festival tickets cost £112, giving you access to all entertainment free. There were about 400 bands and DJs on the 12 stages and tents over the three days, not to mention endless childdren's entertainments. Better still, any number of children up to 12 are allowed in free with a paying adult. The cheapest way for us to go to Alton Towers for three days (believe me, I know people who do!) would be with annual tickets, costing a total of £130 for me and Imogen and £195 for a family of four with two children aged four to 12.

The great British custom of queuing is alive in both venues. There the similarities end. The only stomach churning experience at Glastonbury is the lavatories. Instead of passively experiencing rides, the children took part in things, made things and met new people.

The aspects that had worried me beforehand - losing Imogen, theft, non-stop rain, stomach bugs, having to explain drugged and drunken bodies lying all over the place to the children - failed to materialise. Instead, we were lulled by the calm, friendly atmosphere and felt safe. There were no fights, no attitude, no prejudice.

At 40, Paula, Julian and I might seem a bit long in the tooth compared to the vast majority of Glastonbury goers, but we've got to go back this year - just for the kids.

Tips on how to be a happy hippy

· Glastonbury 2004 is from 25-27 June. Tickets go on sale at 8pm on 1 April (ticket hotline 0870 830 2004. They cost £112 plus £3 booking fee and £4 p&p and will be restricted to two per person. Last year's sold out in hours.

· Arrive as early as possible to get a good pitch for your tent, particularly if you want to get into the family camping area near the Kidz Field.

· The Glastonbury website lists everything you might want to take with you. Musts are: toilet paper, tent, sleeping bag, sun screen, sun hats, waterproof clothes, a water bottle, wellies, waterproofs, baby wipes and a small rucksack or bag.

· Money - whatever food you buy, it ends up costing about £5 per person. Carry your cash on you. If you run out, there is a cash machine.

· Take your mobile and write the number on your children's arms in indelible ink in case you lose them. However vigilant you are, the crowds are very dense, particularly on the Sunday. Orange ran a phone charging service on site last year.

· Don't worry about taking food with you. A snack to eat in the tent before you start exploring each day is a good idea, but you can buy any type of cuisine you desire on site, from vegan lentils through pizza and hot dogs to venison and ostrich burgers.

· If you are going by car, buy a car pass at the same time as your tickets. They cost only £5 and ensure you a place in one of the car parks. Park anywhere else and you could find your car towed away.