Children Primary

There’s a place where all the strangest stories began… Prepare to be swept away to a land beyond your wildest imagination by master storyteller Katherine Rundell (The Explorer) as she unveils her epic new fantasy series Impossible Creatures.

Follow Christopher, Mal and a baby griffin on their urgent quest across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, a secret place in our world where all the creatures of myth still live and thrive. Discover dragons small enough to perch on your thumb, winged horses, gold-horned hares that salute the brave, and chaotic green talking squirrels. Imagine pitting your wits against sphinxes, swooping out over the sea in a flying coat – and uncover the secret at the heart of the islands that threatens the creatures’ survival, and the world itself.

In a world filled with vibrant colours, a young child feels a different shade – grey. Despite the joyous orange balloon, the huge yellow sun and the bright green trees, the child still feels grey. But when a reassuring hand reaches out and shares words of kindness, the child begins to see the warmth of colour again, and knows that they will always be loved, whether they feel grey or sunshine yellow. Delve into a heart-warming and powerful story of emotions with these two cherished creators.

Discover how to make amazing art with materials found in nature, in this inspiring session with experienced artist and educator Pippa Pixley. Pippa’s creative and exciting workshop draws on her wonderful new book Make Art With Nature. You’ll learn to sketch woodland creatures using burnt wood, twigs and coloured rocks and stones, and come away with a fresh enthusiasm for nature craft.

Find out everything you ever wanted to know about life on a farm with the Countryfile farmer. How do you know when your animals are happy or sad? How does milk get from a cow to my cereal bowl? Can children drive tractors too? From noisy machines to hungry cows, blooming flowers and crowing cockerels, the farm is a very busy place – and there’s so much to discover. From the fascinating to the funny, the author of A Year on Adam’s Farm has all the answers. Adam runs Cotswold Farm Park in Gloucestershire, which pioneers rare breed conservation.

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

This lively poetry performance introduces you to dragons, large and small, high and low, and invites you to join them as they take flight! And I Hear Dragons, edited by Wales Poet Laureate Hanan Issa, is a joyous collection of children’s poetry from across Wales, with poems from Alex Wharton, Nia Morais and Casi Wyn, among others. Come and celebrate the diversity and energy of poetry from Wales for children and young people.

Discover how to make amazing art with materials found in nature, in this inspiring session with experienced artist and educator Pippa Pixley. Pippa’s creative and exciting workshop draws on her wonderful new book Make Art With Nature. You’ll learn to sketch woodland creatures using burnt wood, twigs and coloured rocks and stones, and come away with a fresh enthusiasm for nature craft.

“I wish I had better parents!” Barry said, a third time. And then suddenly the entire room started to shake… Indulge in some epic wish-fulfilment with acclaimed author, comedian and screenwriter David Baddiel as he celebrates the ten-year anniversary of his debut children’s book The Parent Agency. Imagine the perks of a world where children can choose their parents, and get a sneak peek into some new bonus chapters from The Parent Agency musical stage adaptation, which is currently in the making. David talks to actress and comedian Carrie Quinlan.

If you are thinking I’m too small to make a difference then remember the plankton – they are one of the tiniest creatures on the planet but without them where would we be? The award-winning author and former Children’s Laureate Lauren Child talks about Smile, the final novel in utterly the best series ever. Clarice Bean knows it’s not just the planet that needs help – there’s her whole family too… And if you want things to change for the better, it’s not just up to everyone else, it’s also up to you.

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

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.

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.

Dream team Julian Clary and David Roberts spill the beans on their fabulous series. Mr and Mrs Bold are just like you and me: they live in a nice house, they have jobs and they love to have a bit of a giggle. One slight difference: they’re hyenas. Yes, that’s right – they’re covered in fur, have tails tucked into their trousers, and they really, really like to laugh. So far, the Bolds have managed to keep things under wraps, even when their children Bobby and Betty were born. But when the nosy man next door smells a rat (or a hyena), could it spell the end of their well-kept secret? Whatever will the neighbours think?

Welcome to Happy Hills – it’s a place where anything can happen and always does! Join Sophy Henn, author/illustrator extraordinaire of the hilariously funny graphic novel series. She takes us on a journey through Happy Hills to meet the friendly and not-so-friendly residents, discovering lots of characters along the way who make you flex those creative muscles.

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.

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.

Find out how families begin and how you become a part of your family, with award-winning GP and presenter Dr Amir Khan (Good Morning Britain, You Are What You Eat). Dr Khan brings his incredible knowledge, and passion for sharing it, to the question of where babies come from and what happens to them next.

Delve into the secret world of wizardry with psychologist and Member of the Inner Magic Circle Professor Richard Wiseman. He reveals how learning magic tricks can boost your confidence, social skills, creativity, happiness and much, much more. Experience the world’s greatest optical illusions, have fun discovering how to perform magic, uncover the secret science of sorcery, and find out how to transform a tea towel into a chicken!

Find out how to make a picture book with award-winning author/illustrator Mariajo Ilustrajo. You’ll have the chance to create one of your own with Mariajo in this interactive workshop featuring her newest picture book I Love Books. Discover how she goes about creating them, learn how to draw the characters from I Love Books and decide for yourself the order the pages will go in. What colours will you choose for your drawings?

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

Meet Jack-Jack, the world’s coolest dog, who looks after orphaned chimpanzees in Africa; he’s about to embark on his biggest adventure ever. “I spend my days playing with baby chimps. When I meet Ben, suddenly, I have more baths than ever (previously none). I wave goodbye to my pet fleas, and prepare to fly thousands of miles. I’ve never been on a lead or in a car, so what will an aeroplane be like?”

Find out how to make a picture book with award-winning author/illustrator Mariajo Ilustrajo. You’ll have the chance to create one of your own with Mariajo in this interactive workshop featuring her newest picture book I Love Books. Discover how she goes about creating them, learn how to draw the characters from I Love Books and decide for yourself the order the pages will go in. What colours will you choose for your drawings?

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

Do you ever wonder where the stuff around you all came from? No, not from the shops. I mean, who had the amazing idea of making video games or the annoying idea of building a school? In this laugh-out-loud event with the record-breaking and extremely handsome Adam Kay and Henry Paker, you’ll learn about everything ever invented, from the daft to the disgusting to the downright dangerous. You’ll discover the queen who pooed on the first ever toilet, how velcro was invented by a dog and why the Ancient Greeks wiped their bums on dinner plates, as well as 48,762,851,208 other facts. (Approximately.)

Worldbuilding is the key to captivating stories in films, television and gaming as well as books. You’ll have fun working together in this interactive session to help you create your own unique world. Gita Ralleigh is the author of The Destiny of Minou Moonshine and The Voyage of Sam Singh, both magical adventures set in a parallel colonial India.

Do you ever get stuck for a story idea, or when you’ve started writing quickly run out of steam? Author Emma Carroll (The Somerset Tsunami, The Week at World’s End) shares tips on how to fire your imagination in this fun, interactive workshop, searching out potential ideas and inspirations to encourage you to keep writing. You’ll consider how the unique experience of being you can be useful when writing, as well as trying out some short exercises to warm up your creativity so you’re ready to put pen to paper.

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.

Dermot O’Leary, the popular presenter and author of the Toto the Ninja Cat series, swoops into Hay Festival to tell us all about his brand new action-adventure story with a feathery twist. Wings of Glory is a wartime tale guaranteed to make you laugh and cry – featuring courageous loop-the-loops, top secret plans and more than a smattering of bird poo!

Do you ever get stuck for a story idea, or when you’ve started writing quickly run out of steam? Author Emma Carroll (The Somerset Tsunami, The Week at World’s End) shares tips on how to fire your imagination in this fun, interactive workshop, searching out potential ideas and inspirations to encourage you to keep writing. You’ll consider how the unique experience of being you can be useful when writing, as well as trying out some short exercises to warm up your creativity so you’re ready to put pen to paper.

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.

Illustrator Rob Biddulph sketches out a fun-packed and interactive session for all the family. Rob’s brilliant #DrawWithRob videos have inspired many to take up a pencil, and now you can join in live with a draw-along fresh from his latest book. The final book in his Peanut Jones trilogy, Peanut Jones and the End of the Rainbow, dazzles with magic, danger, friendship and art. Find out all about Rob’s journey from budding artist to award-winning picture book creator and Guinness World Record holder in this event fizzing with fun and creativity.

Join bestselling and award winning author and illustrator Steve Antony in a high energy, interactive, story time and drawing event. Meet Steve's mischievous character, Cat, and hunt down a vibrant dinosaur in his brand new picture books Rainbowsaurus and Cat Nap. These perfect family reads introduce naptime, colours and animals to little ones.

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.

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.

Learn about the biggest vanishing trick of all time with multi-award-winning author Frank Cottrell-Boyce. In Frank’s adventure mystery, The Wonder Brothers, Blackpool Tower has disappeared. Can two young magicians do the impossible and bring back the tower? Find out about magic, hear readings and get writing tips from the master of storytelling in this fun-filled event.

Join Sarah Coyle for a highly interactive event, specially created for Hay Festival, where you’ll embark on two adventures and decide what happens every step of the way. First, you’ll work together to find out why Tylwyth Teg the fairy is cross and causing all sorts of mischief at the Festival. Then you’ll help Zara, the star of Sarah’s latest book (Pick a Story: A Monster Princess Shark Adventure), to find her beloved Old Ted. But was he taken by a monster, pinched by a princess or snapped by a shark? You decide!