Events for Children and Young People

Our 2024 Families programme invites children and young adults to explore their creativity, curiosity and connection with authors, poets, illustrators, performers, scientists and environmentalists. Find all your favourite authors plus some new discoveries.

To find more events and workshops for students visit our Education page

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Event F13

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Greg Jenner

Totally Chaotic History: Ancient Egypt

– Wye Stage
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Take a deep breath and jump in with Greg Jenner for a totally chaotic trip to ancient Egypt! The historian and chart-topping You’re Dead to Me podcaster busts myths, unravels fascinating facts and uncovers mind-boggling surprises about everything from pharaohs and Egyptian gods to mummies and the pyramids. In a whirlwind event, Greg brings ancient Egypt to life to show you what it would really have been like to live in this extraordinary era. So hold on tight for a history-packed, hilarious and entertaining ride.

Please bring your own notebook and pen or pencil to this event.

9+ years
This event has taken place

Event F14

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Sue Hendra

Supertato Silliness

– Spring Stage
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Sue Hendra, co-creator of the bestselling Supertato picture books, will be in Hay to celebrate the 10th birthday of our favourite supermarket superhero.

If you’re looking for fun and giggles galore, this veggie adventure-fest is the family show for you. There will be stories, silliness and everyone will get a chance to make their own veggie super-hero to take home.

4+ years
This event has taken place

Event W11

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Ready, Steady, Music! Workshop

– Creative Hub
Read more

Get your Hay day off to a brilliant start with our daily Ready, Steady, Music workshops! With different activities each day, these interactive, fun-filled sessions for mini musicians will have you tapping sticks, roaring like dinosaurs, flying with unicorns, dancing with scarves, playing with parachutes and much more. Come and meet our puppets, explore our instruments and be accompanied by the beautiful sound of the cello.

0–4 years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place

Event W12

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Pizza-making Workshop

Kitchen Garden Pizza

– Family Garden
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Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven. And while you wait for your pizza to cook, you can decorate your own pizza box!
Dairy-free and gluten-free options available

4+ years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place

Event MT4

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Make & Take Crafting

Monday Morning Session

– Make & Take Hub
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An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative: your imagination is the limit.

Book for the session and you can drop in at any point during the 1.5 hour duration. Accompanying adults: please stay in attendance at all times, but you do not require a ticket.

3–11 years
This event has taken place

Event W13

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Pizza-making Workshop

Kitchen Garden Pizza

– Family Garden
Read more

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven. And while you wait for your pizza to cook, you can decorate your own pizza box!
Dairy-free and gluten-free options available

4+ years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place

Event F15

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Michael Morpurgo

Tales from Shakespeare

– Discovery Stage
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Much-loved storyteller Michael Morpurgo, creator of such popular stories as War Horse and Kensuke’s Kingdom, invites a new generation of readers to discover the magic of Shakespeare. He will bring ten of his favourite Shakespeare plays alive for a young audience, in warm and accessible retellings. From Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Winter’s Tale, this is the perfect introduction to the Bard. In his own words, “I thought it was important for young people to know these stories, to read them told in a language they will readily understand, and in a way they can enjoy so that they might be all the more likely to want to read the great plays of Shakespeare and go to see them on stage.”

Family, 7+ years
This event has taken place

Event F16

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Zeb Soanes

Peter the Cat’s Little Book of Big Words

– Spring Stage
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What’s your favourite long word? Peter the Cat, a favourite character from Zeb Soanes’ Gaspard the Fox picture book series, always has the right one for any particular situation. Bring your thinking cap to join the author and Classic FM broadcaster as he introduces his feline friend and explains some of Peter’s favourite ‘big words’.

Please bring your own notebook and pen or pencil to this event.

5+ years
This event has taken place

Event W14

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Rotoscope Animation Workshop

With MASH Cinema

– Creative Hub
Read more

Rotoscope and remix! Leave your mark – help reanimate, reimagine and remix short films with visual artists MASH Cinema. During the workshop you’ll experiment with techniques pioneered by animator Max Fleischer to produce new moving image artwork in this fun, hands-on collaborative creative project. Completed animations will be available to view online.

9–11 years
Parents/carers may attend (no ticket required), or sign children in/out.
This event has taken place

Event MT5

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Make & Take Crafting

Sunday Lunchtime Session

– Make & Take Hub
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An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative: your imagination is the limit.

Book for the session and you can drop in at any point during the 1.5 hour duration. Accompanying adults: please stay in attendance at all times, but you do not require a ticket.

3–11 years
This event has taken place

Event F17

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Louie Stowell

Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Ruling the World

– Spring Stage
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Are you a fan of Norse myths? Have you ever wondered what Loki, the mischievous shape-shifter and cunning trickster god would be like if they were banished to Earth in the form of an 11-year-old? Well, look no further – this is the event for you! Join author and Norse myth super fan Louie Stowell to hear all about her bestselling series Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to… Discover how to draw Loki and even create your own Norse gods in this interactive event packed full of humour and cool facts.

Please bring your own sketchbook and pencils to draw along in this event.

9+ years
This event has taken place

Event W15

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Rotoscope Animation Workshop

With MASH Cinema

– Creative Hub
Read more

Rotoscope and remix! Leave your mark – help reanimate, reimagine and remix short films with visual artists MASH Cinema. During the workshop you’ll experiment with techniques pioneered by animator Max Fleischer to produce new moving image artwork in this fun, hands-on collaborative creative project. Completed animations will be available to view online.

12+ years
No parent/carer attendance nor sign in/out is required.
This event has taken place

Event F18

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Imagine… Science: Am I Made of Stardust?

– Discovery Stage
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Award-winning scientist and BBC broadcaster Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock returns to Hay Festival with more of her fabulous facts, mind-blowing insights and engaging explanations. Dr Maggie’s new book Am I Made of Stardust? addresses such questions as whether there are rainbows on other planets, and what dinner tastes like on the International Space Station…

9+ years
This event has taken place

Event F19

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Laura Bates

Sisters of Sword and Shadow

– Spring Stage
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Take a fresh look at chivalry with activist and bestselling feminist writer Laura Bates. She introduces her new YA fantasy Sisters of Sword and Shadow, a reimagining of the tales of the Arthurian Round Table through a feminist lens. Discover the Sisterhood of Silk Knights who live in a world of ancient feuds and glorious battles and who are determined to protect their community and right the wrongs of men. Laura shares her original inspiration, her action-packed research at Knight school and why she hopes this novel will energise and bring joy to feminists young and old.

14+ years
Please bring your own notebook and pen or pencil.
This event has taken place

Event MT6

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Make & Take Crafting

Sunday Afternoon Session

– Make & Take Hub
Read more

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative: your imagination is the limit.

Book for the session and you can drop in at any point during the 1.5 hour duration. Accompanying adults: please stay in attendance at all times, but you do not require a ticket.

3–11 years
This event has taken place

Event W16

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Pizza-making Workshop

Kitchen Garden Pizza

– Family Garden
Read more

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven. And while you wait for your pizza to cook, you can decorate your own pizza box!
Dairy-free and gluten-free options available

4+ years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place

Event W17

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Rotoscope Animation Workshop

With MASH Cinema

– Creative Hub
Read more

Rotoscope and remix! Leave your mark – help reanimate, reimagine and remix short films with visual artists MASH Cinema. During the workshop you’ll experiment with techniques pioneered by animator Max Fleischer to produce new moving image artwork in this fun, hands-on collaborative creative project. Completed animations will be available to view online.

7–9 years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place

Event F20

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Alex Norris

How to Love

– Spring Stage
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Who should I love? Can I love more than one person? Is jealousy good or bad? Will I ever love again? From singlehood to happily ever after, internationally renowned comic artist Alex Norris explores nuanced ideas on love in their fresh signature style in How to Love: A Guide to Feelings & Relationships for Everyone. Alex answers these questions, shares how they create their hit comics and reveals why a bright, silly and wonderful book all about love is just the thing you’re looking for.

Please bring your own notebook and pen or pencil to this event.

12+ years
This event has taken place

Event W18

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Pizza-making Workshop

Kitchen Garden Pizza

– Family Garden
Read more

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven. And while you wait for your pizza to cook, you can decorate your own pizza box!
Dairy-free and gluten-free options available

4+ years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place

Event F21

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Jonny Duddle

Gigantosaurus

– Meadow Stage
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Celebrate the 10th anniversary of everyone’s favourite dinosaur-who-cried-wolf story, Gigantosaurus – as seen on TV! Listen to bestselling author and illustrator Jonny Duddle read the story and join in with his draw-along, creating your own dinosaurs to take home.

Please bring your own sketchbook and pencils to draw along in this event.

5+ years
This event has taken place

Event F22

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Abi Elphinstone

Ember Spark and the Thunder of Dragons

– Spring Stage
Read more

Rusty Fizzbang, vet to magical beasts, needs an apprentice. Ember Spark, looking for adventure, is his newest recruit, along with an unlikely friend called Arno. But keeping magical beasts a secret isn’t an easy task, especially with arch-villain Jasper Hornswoggle hot on their heels…

Join bestselling children’s author Abi Elphinstone as she talks about her new book Ember Spark and the Thunder of Dragons. Abi reveals where she finds her ideas – from shower gel bottles and street signposts to adventures in the Arctic and Mongolia – as well as showing you how to plan your own stories, dream up titles and nail that opening line. An event that champions the joy of reading and writing while encouraging you to be curious, courageous and kind.

Please bring your own notebook and pen or pencil to this event.

8+ years
This event has taken place

Event W19

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Ready, Steady, Music! Workshop

– Creative Hub
Read more

Get your Hay day off to a brilliant start with our daily Ready, Steady, Music workshops! With different activities each day, these interactive, fun-filled sessions for mini musicians will have you tapping sticks, roaring like dinosaurs, flying with unicorns, dancing with scarves, playing with parachutes and much more. Come and meet our puppets, explore our instruments and be accompanied by the beautiful sound of the cello.

0–4 years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place

Event W20

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Pizza-making Workshop

Kitchen Garden Pizza

– Family Garden
Read more

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven. And while you wait for your pizza to cook, you can decorate your own pizza box!
Dairy-free and gluten-free options available

4+ years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place

Event W21

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Stories in the Wilds Workshop

With Emma Bettridge

– Meet at Wild Garden
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Come to a fun, story-generating workshop with Emma Bettridge and her dog Nell. During this inspiring outdoor session, you’ll walk to the River Wye where you’ll write, draw and record your stories, inspired by the river and its surrounding area. Emma Bettridge is a theatre producer, nature lover and children’s author whose books include Goodbye Hobbs and Red is Home.

Please come dressed for the weather. We regret that we can’t accommodate dogs at this session.

4–7 years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place

Event MT7

Events taking place live 23 May–2 June 2024

Make & Take Crafting

Monday Morning Session

– Make & Take Hub
Read more

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials, with today’s sessions focusing on rivers. Get messy and creative: your imagination is the limit.

Book for the session and you can drop in at any point during the 1.5 hour duration. Accompanying adults: please stay in attendance at all times, but you do not require a ticket.

3–11 years
This event has taken place

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