Kids 2012

We try really hard to be as hospitable as possible to every visitor we get, no matter how old they are. Our family craft workshops are on a massive scale this year with more space, materials, and helpers to cope with the high demand. They are very, very reasonably priced, with many for free.

Down On The Beach, sort of.

Eight tons of the finest play sand money can buy, and thankfully we bought it last year and it's not blown away. We would have cried.

Simon Airey's Exotic Animals

Simon has over 40 exotic animals which he looks after and is going to introduce you to them over a couple of sessions on Sunday. Snakes, spiders, lizards, massive toads and some critters with fur, phew. Simon talks about fears and phobias, the environments that these animals come from, how they protect themselves and how adaptation, natural selection and evolution have shaped the way they look and feel.

Cardboard city

We all know that kids love a cardboard box, we'll have loads of proper big ones. Sometimes we feel that we have a stock photo guardian angel sitting on our shoulder, it's a beauty.

Junk Modeling

If your kids are anything like ours they will love a bit of junk modeling. We'll also have plenty of sticky tape dispensers handy so you don't constantly lose the end of the tape.

Badge Making

Create your own badge with our pro badge making kit. We might even have to buy another one.

Paul Cookson

Paul returns to the festival this year. Paul is a fabulous children's poet who manages to capture that misty world of childhood in a way that very few can. WARNING: may contain ukeleles.

David Harmer

David's poems and stories appear in more than 100 books, mainly published by Macmillans Children's Book. When he isn't working solo, David, together with Paul Cookson, is part of the highly rated poetry duo Spill The Beans.

Friendship bracelet making

If you have some friends you can make them a friendship bracelet. Much less complicated than it looks here, we're advised, if you attach the bracelet to a safety pin and put the pin through a pair of jeans (which you must be wearing).

Button Hearts

Make your own button heart to decorate yourself or your home to create that New England look (Rachel says.) Come the apocalypse you'll be glad that you've got one to hand.

Fascinators

For those who don't know fascinators they are small wedding hats (we're struggling here) that the likes of Princess Beatrice wore to Will and Kate's wedding, worn to the side and in our case made out of sweet wrapper cellophane, hence the picture. Our youngest adores hers proving there's no accounting for taste.

Bead bracelets

Make your own bracelet with coloured beads on elastic. Would make the perfect accompanying accessory for ones fascinator (see above.)

Best Joined Up Graffiti Workshops

Create your own piece of graffiti to take home with some of the best street artists in the North. Learn aerosol techniques and use of stencils. Please note that this workshop is aimed at older children and adults.

CD Mobiles

Spotify finally killed the CD, so let's make mobiles out of them. We've got loads.

Monsters

The theme of the 2012 festival is Monsters, as if you didn't know already. We will have workshops making all sorts of Monster related stuff.

That game with a tennis ball on a string

No-one takes that game with a tennis ball on a string® quite as seriously as we do. No-one dag nammit. To illustrate this we've designed our own sets for this year and had them fabricated out of heavy duty steel. We've even got custom balls. Just the paint colour to choose...

Three thousand plastic ASDA file dividers

Scales for a giant sea monster that everyone can join in and build. We'll float her on the lake when she's done. That's what we were thinking, unless you've got any better ideas.

Paintball Art (with bigger guns)

Guns and art. Macho yet abstract. Different coloured paintballs hitting a blank canvas from ten yards. Closely supervised fun for everyone and this year we've upgraded the guns so that you get extra splat.

Skallops

Forget Lego, the future is Skallops. Laser cut wooden connectors that when combined with standard playing cards allow you to build all sorts of stuff. Another great crowd-funded project from the super KickStarter.

Monster masks

Taking as a starting point a pretty serious set of paper plate gnashers build yourself a scary monster mask out of our junk modeling materials.

Sock puppets

Unlikely to be snapped up by a major toy manufacturer and turned into the must have Christmas present for 2012 but nonetheless cute, totally individual and our kids have already given them pride of place in the teddy pile.

Eureka! The National Children's Museum
Presents Dr Frankenstein’s DIY Monster Project

GUINEA PIGS WANTED – Are you a) Alive and b) Human?

If the answer is yes to both of these questions then Dr F needs you for research into the workings of the human body. In a series of experiments you will help the Dr to learn anything from where your intestines go to how the nervous system works. No (Major) surgery is required for these positions!

Monster pompoms

We have an enormous roll of his silver material, at least a mile of it. It's much thicker than foil, really strong. Makes a lovely pom-pom, just add some feet and features secured with a trusty cable tie.

Circus Workshops

Our Friday night show will mean loads of circus professionals on site this year. They'll also have loads of equipment with them meaning circus workshops en masse with plenty of tips.

Organised kids sports

Last year we had some really successful football coaching on Sunday morning brought to you by our friends at Thirsk Falcons. They'll be returning this year and we'll broaden it out a bit to include more than just footie.

Clay Modelling

An old favourite - make a finger pot, hamster, dalek, racing car, a pony, scale version of the Hadron Collider ... with our quick drying clay.

Cardboard Guitars

With more decorating options this year Rachel says (trying to overcome her loads of kids plus loads of paint phoebia, but we've got showers this year, so no stress.) Add a neck, pickups and knobs. Decorate with paint. Make a right mess. Strut. Shower.

Drumming workshops

As many of you know, we have a lot of these blue five gallon containers. Sometimes we stack 'em, and something we smack 'em. Catchy heh. Drumming workshops for the masses.