London 2012 Olympics: What's it like to bring the kids?

Theo and Rowan Spotorno play on the coloured matting in front of the Stadium

Every morning they count them in. Parents guide their children into the Olympic Park and venues. Optimistic on a special day.

And after every session they count them out - families, often frazzled.

The 1.3 million pay-your-age tickets proved some of the most in-demand for people who wanted to go to the London Olympics. There are plenty of families at the Games.

Believe the hype and the Games are supposed to "inspire a generation". So what's it like to go with the kids?

Be not afeard; the Park is full of noises

Just as they said in the first lines of the 2012 opening ceremony, don't sweat it.

'Don't worry', say the Days

All the parents spoken to at Olympic Park said they had concerns before they came. Would the transport be a nightmare? Would the Park be too crowded? Would there be anywhere to run about? Would there be enough loos? Would they lose their children?

On the whole, their fears have evaporated. "I worried about all of those things," says Sarah Day, who has come with husband Adrian and daughter Hannah, seven, who was just a baby when London won the bid. "But we've had a really, lovely time."

They have been to shooting and seen the men's road race.

At the start of the Games, volunteers are pointing the way and answering questions, helping people along.

Use the parklands

See a hill? Roll down it

In the centre of Olympic Park are the riverside gardens. It's like the Royal Horticultural Society has moved in down there. And it's most commonly where people with park-only access tickets and families hang out.

On day three some of the planting looks a little squashed by people cramming in to secure a view of the big screens that show sport from the venues. But it is somewhere to stretch out, let off steam. Roly poly down the hill.

"It's so beautiful here. There's not too much concrete. The landscaping is beautiful, they've put a lot of effort into designing this place," says Connie So, whose daughters Nina, eight, and Sylvia, five, are off down the slope again.

Bring your own

Picnic, water, and maybe even pens...

The Goyal family brought provisions

There is catering variety - everything from fish and chips to Asian food, sushi, pasties, sandwiches and ice cream. But it is traditional festival or mass event fare. It's not cheap, and there have been some queues, delays and shortages at venues, both on the Park and elsewhere.

People can bring in empty plastic bottles, to fill with water from the fountains, instead of having to buy it when you get there. There have also been long queues for water on hot days, particularly at the equestrian event in Greenwich Park.

And bring pens - or more sophisticated entertainment devices. Souvenir programmes are £10, daily ones are £5. Have a budding Statto? Keep them occupied by filling in the results.

The facilities? Are alright.

The Family Clifford power-buggy across the Olympic Park

It is only day four, so who knows what lies ahead? But while the Park feels like a festival venue, the loos do not, disabled access ones and baby changes included.

At the security entrance into the Park there are "zil lanes for buggies" quick access for parents so the queue doesn't snarl up.

There are sponsors diversions on the Park - sculptures, the Olympic torch in a booth and mirrored constructions to make photo opportunities. But the queues for these can be long at the peak of the day.

Take a trip up the hill for a snap with the rings, play on the coloured matting outside the main Stadium, wonder at, or go up the Orbit tower. Is it Tom Daley's slide?

Are we nearly there yet?

From entry gates to Water Polo Arena and Aquatics Centre, Stadium to Copper Box, hockey to basketball. The distances between venues on the Park itself can feel vast.

The volume of people has taken a step up as more venues come online, especially as spectators change over at the end of the morning or afternoon sessions.

There are buggies to help people with mobility problems but all spectators are finding they need to leave plenty of time to get there, get in, get across the Park.

Four seasons in one day

The sport goes on, come rain or shine.

Pack a mac

Lightning is likely to be the only weather that stops most of the outdoor events.

The Park has huge open areas and little shelter against the elements - unless people want to stand just inside the open doors of a hamburger chain.

When fierce showers came down on Sunday, people took shelter under the trees - a family of five under one small birch - but they're little more than saplings.

Bring brollies, sun cream (less than 200ml or wipes), macs, empty water bottles for filling.

If they're small, go to something noisy

Sshhhh!

The Olympics. An alternative world, where teenagers look grateful to be spending time with their parents.

But those with younger children are also finding new limits and experiences.

James and Julia have brought Rory, eight months, in a sling. "It's totally do-able," says Julia. "But if they are noisy, take them to the noisy sports."

You can hear a pin drop in the diving and other precision events. Team sports with lots of cheering might be easier to brave.

Is it easier with girls?

The Hanley Haltons sit down for two minutes

Granted, people are all different. But might it just be easier to bring the girls? Of all the parents spotted and then spoken to, only two had brought two boys, both aged under about seven.

"Would you mind if you did?" says Anne Hanley to her partner Paul Halton, as he offers to dash up the hill, again, after Hayden, two. "That's what we have been doing all day," she says, smiling.

He and brother Ethan have made capes to be sport superheroes and are on the move.

"Did we watch sport on the big screen here? Yes, we tried to do that," says Anne.

It might inspire them?

Beth Coupland, right, hopes one day to cycle for Team GB

"I think Kelly Holmes summed it up, didn't she, when she said 'thousands of kids are here watching the Olympics and in the future, if they want to achieve Olympic Gold, this is the place to inspire them'?"

Ian Coupland, wife Nikki and her parents have brought Megan, 11 and Beth, 14 in on Park tickets.

Parents to small children mostly say they have brought them here so that they were part of the Games. Perhaps they have started to learn to swim or play football.

The older they are, the more often they say it is to inspire them in sport.

Ian is a former British duathlon champion, Megan plays football and Beth road races on her bike at national level. She is wide-eyed to be told track cyclist Victoria Pendleton is in the Velodrome behind them, training. "That's brilliant," she says, "It's weird because we have seen them on the tele."