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There are all sorts of exciting and inspiring events running at Seven Stories this spring, including May half term and Platinum Jubilee events – with circus storytelling, cartooning, puppet making and much more!
Seven Stories is dedicated to the art of children’s books and the creativity they inspire. The National Centre for Children’s Books is based in a seven-storey listed building in the popular Ouseburn area of Newcastle. Make sure to explore the free exhibitions on level 4 when you visit, which include Enid Blyton’s typewriter, The Gruffalo, Mog, and many more brilliant books and characters, as well as the bookshop and coffee shop.
Story Stompers
📆 Mondays, Tuesdays & Fridays in term time
🕒 11am Mon/Tues, 1pm Fri
👉 £7.50 per child (inc one adult, 2nd adult £7.50). Siblings half price. Book here.
🔹 Story stompers is a brand new session for little ones who love exploring, making music, moving and just a little bit of grooving! Each session is inspired by a beautiful story just right to spark your little one’s imagination! Hold on to your hats for a child-led session full of fun and laughter!
Ages 2+
Super Story Explorers
📆 Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays in term time
🕒 Various
👉 £7.50 per child (inc one adult, 2nd adult £7.50). Siblings half price. Book here.
🔸 Join us for some wild adventures into the woods, dive to the bottom of ocean, swing between the tallest trees or blast off in a your very own rocket for a space odyssey!
3-6 years
Bookworm Babies
📆 Courses starting Mon 9th May at 9.30am & Thurs 12th May at 1pm
👉 £36, six week course for one adult and one child, book here
🔸 Experience the joy of reading together with your baby and use activities, props and child-led exploratory play to develop a strong love of books from an early age. One of our brilliant Story Catchers will lead fully live and interactive sessions Mondays every week where they’ll show you how to use activities, props and exploratory play to support and encourage your child to develop a strong love of books from an early age. Parents taking part will also benefit from discounts in the coffee shop on the day, and you will have a dedicated Story Catcher throughout the course.
Suitable for babies aged 0-12 months (tailored towards babies who are not yet mobile!)
Don’t Be Silly! Story Workshop
📆 Sat 28th May
🕒 11am
👉 £9.50 (over 8s can attend without an adult). Book here.
🔹 Seth is building a treehouse, but the Rainbow Monsters won’t work together! Can Seth convince his friends that their differences make them better? Come and find out in this interactive 1-hour workshop, whether or not Seth ends the day with a house in a tree.
Design your own Rainbow Monster – with googly eyes – and listen to Laura Maclennan’s story.
4-10 year olds
Family Fun Afternoon
📆 Saturday 28th May
🕒 11am
👉 £9.50 per child, adults go free (limit of one adult per child). Book here.
🔸 Join author Chris Haughton for a fun, action-packed afternoon of stories, funny trailers, clever props and dancing. One of the most exciting new voices in children’s literature, Chris is the acclaimed picture book creator of A Bit Lost, Oh No, George!, Shh! We Have a Plan, Maybe and many more. Children and adults alike will delight in meeting his cast of quirky characters and joining him in making some collage art after the stories. All craft materials provided – just bring yourselves!
3-5 years
Daily Storytimes
📆 Every day in the school holidays.
🕒 On the hour, every hour 10am – 4pm.
👉 £2 per child (adults go free). Book here.
🔹 Join our storytelling team for a story and a giggle. These are very popular and sell out quickly so get your tickets now!
Under 10s
Oh no George! Performance
📆 29th, 30th & 31st May 2022
🕒 11.30am
👉 £7.50 per child (includes entry for one adult too). Book here.
🔸 Will George be good or will it end in disaster? Join Harris and George for this laugh-out-loud story of a dog who really, really tries to be good. Suitable for all the family – Oh No, George is an interactive performance full of cake, cats and catastrophe!
Under 8s
The Art of Chris Haughton (7+)
📆 29th & 31st May, 1st June 2022
🕒 2pm
👉 £7.50 per child (each child ticket includes one adult entry). Book here.
🔹 Shhh, we have a plan…a plan to get creative! Join the Seven Stories Story Catcher team for an exclusive look at the art of Chris Haughton. A fun-filled session full of colour and creativity where you’ll get to design your very own character using a range of materials and techniques.
Ages 7+
The Art of Chris Haughton (3+)
📆 30th & 31st May, 1st June 2022
🕒 10am
👉 £7.50 per child (each child ticket includes one adult entry). Book here.
🔸 Join the Seven Stories Story Catcher team and some of Chris Haughton’s best loved characters as we explore colour, shape and print in these fun-filled creative sessions. We’ll explore the use collage from some of our favourite stories like Oh No George, Shh we have plan and Don’t Worry Little Crab.
Ages 3+
Let’s Draw! Everyday Monsters
📆 Mon 30th May
🕒 12.30pm
👉 £9.50, book here
🔹 A fun, interactive workshop with author and illustrator James Harris where children will design an encyclopaedia’s worth of monsters – and have a giggle too!
Ages 7+ and their grown-ups. Children over 8 can attend without an adult.
The Last Coal Miner Cartoon Draw-along
📆 Tues 31st May
🕒 1.30pm
👉 £7.50 per child (each child ticket includes one adult entry). Book here.
🔸 North East artist, BBC radio presenter and author Alfie Joey is here this Half Term! Join in a cartoon drawalong with Alfie based on his book, The Last Coal Miner. Children will hear the story, and have fun with Alfie as they learn how to create their own cartoon characters.
Ages 7+ and their grown-ups. Children over 8 can attend without an adult.
Dog’s Friends Storytime
📆 Tuesday 31st May
🕒 3pm
👉 £7.50 per child (each child ticket includes one adult entry). Book here.
🔹 North East artist, BBC radio presenter and author Alfie Joey is here this Half Term! Join Dog as he takes a walk through the farm, saying hello to his friends in this beautiful rhyming story. Bring along a cuddly toy to the story session and get involved in the walk!
Ages 5-7 and their grown-ups.
Circus Storytelling at Fenwick
📆 Tuesday 31st May
🕒 10:30-11:30am & 1:30pm-2:30pm
👉 £7.50 per child (inc one adult, 2nd adult £7.50). Siblings half price. Book here.
🔸 ROLL UP! ROLL UP! ROLL UP! You’re invited to join us on a magical circus adventure in the cosy storytelling room in Fenwick Newcastle. The Seven Stories team will entertain and delight little ones (and the grown-ups too!) with four tales linked to the mystery, adventure and beauty of the circus. Internationally-acclaimed Master Storyteller, Richard O’Neill will bring to life the story of Little Geordie – Newcastle’s answer to Pinocchio – and Ringmaster Rachel will dazzle you with stories of adventure and circus life.
Ages 5-7
Introduction to Cartooning
📆 Wed 1st June
🕒 11am
👉 £13.50, book here
🔹 A fantastic chance to learn from a professional cartoonist!
Learn how to draw simple cartoon faces and bodies, experiment with expressions and movement and create your own character to star in their own story. Children aged 8+ can attend without an adult, however adults are welcome. Limited tickets available.
Ages 8-12 years. Over 8s can attend without an adult.
Queen’s Knickers Storytime & Craft
📆 2-4 June 2022
🕒 11am
👉 £6.50 per child (inc one adult, 2nd adult £7.50). Siblings half price. Book here.
🔸 A fabulous fun-filled session celebrating a wonderfully funny tale all about the Queen’s Knickers (by Nicholas Allan. This session is designed for children aged 7+ with an interactive story time and knicker-making activity – this will be a celebration to remember!
Over 8s can attend without an adult.
Bunting Making
📆 2, 3, 4 & 5 June
🕒 10.30am, 12.30pm and 3pm
👉 £5.50 per child, adults go free. Book here.
🔹 Make your own right royal bunting at Seven Stories. Suitable for all the family this craft session will have all the fun of a right royal celebration!
Over 8s can attend without an adult.
What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday
📆 2, 3, 4 & 5 June
🕒 2pm
👉 £7.50 per child (inc one adult, 2nd adult £7.50). Siblings half price. Book here.
🔸 Join in an interactive storytelling that takes you on a daring mission to save the crown jewels with the help of a ladybird and some very special dogs! Full of fun and laughter this session will inspire a love of adventure and, of course stories!
Suitable for children aged 6 and under, and their grown-ups.
Junk Journaling Club
📆 Saturdays in June and July, 1pm
🕒 1pm-2pm
👉 £7.50 per child (inc one adult, 2nd adult £7.50). Siblings half price. Book here.
🔹 It’s our brand new Junk Journaling Club – we provide the junk (bits and bobs and all sorted of quirky craft materials) and you bring the imagination! We’ll be using junk journaling (or scrapbooking)to tell a story through everyday finds and creative collage. We’ll all take inspiration from the amazing Collection here at Seven Stories and bring together a love of art, craft and wise words to make some junk collage masterpieces!
Puppet Making Workshops
📆 Every Sunday June and July
🕒 10:30-11:30
👉 £7.50 per child (inc one adult, 2nd adult £7.50). Siblings half price. Book here
🔸 Puppets have been used in storytelling for thousands of years, now it’s time to tell your own story by creating your very own marionette puppet.
8+ (Children over 8 can attend without an adult)
Creative Writing Club
📆 Every Saturday June and July
🕒 10:30-11:30am
👉 £7.50 per child (inc one adult, 2nd adult £7.50). Siblings half price. Book here
🔹 Come and join our resident Story Catchers for an inspiring session all about the art of writing. Suitable for budding poets, playwrights and storytellers aged 8+, these sessions will take a look at some of our amazing Collection items from writers such as Cressida Cowell and Philip Pullman. Let your imagination run wild and learn some tricks of the trade! You’re welcome to join us for a one-off session or all 6 sessions this half term.
8+ (Children over 8 can attend without an adult)
Block Printing Workshop
📆 Every Sunday June and July
🕒 1pm-2pm
👉 £7.50 per child (inc one adult, 2nd adult £7.50). Siblings half price. Book here.
🔸 Be inspired by the amazing art of some of our most well-loved illustrators like Pat Hutchinson, Axel Scheffler and Chris Haughton and design your very own book cover. Stop the press with bold type, let your imagination flow with colour, dabble with design and perfect your print. We provide the materials, you bring the imagination!
8+ (Children over 8 can attend without an adult)