Reading Children’s Festival 2014

Running from 10th May to 1st June, this year’s Children’s Festival promises a lively three weeks of fun and games for everyone at venues across Reading.

The festival kicks off with Meadow Madness, Saturday 10 May, 11am – 4pm at Christchurch Meadows. Attractions include sport and music workshops, song and dance performances and arts and crafts sessions.

This year’s theme is ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ and there will be plenty of sweet treats including a silver ticket prize hunt, and entertainment from our ‘Willie Wonka’ style magician and Giant Candy Canes.

African drumming sessions, football skills coaching, land zorb balls and a mobile zoo add to the ‘scrumdiddleyumptious’ fun.

The festival boasts a wide range of special workshops and activities run by Reading Libraries and the Museum of Reading. Storytimes based around book character favourites will keep the under-fives entertained at Whitley Library, and older children can make spaceship mobiles, paper birds and festival masks at library craft sessions across the town.

Sport lovers can take part in the European Cycle Challenge throughout next month, try canoeing at the Reading Canoe Club, or enjoy a whole day of free activities at the Children’s Festival Sports Challenge Day – part of the London 2012 Olympic legacy – at the Rivermead Leisure Complex on 31st May.

The Sports Challenge Day will feature appearances from 3 members of the 2012 Team GB. Katie Clark – from the GB Synchronised Swimming Squad – will be running taster sessions in the pool at 10am and 10.30am. Women’s Eight Rowing team member Natasha Townsend (née Page) and Sophie Hosking – who won gold in the lightweight double sculls – will be signing autographs between 12noon – 1pm. Every participant who takes part in four challenges on the day will receive a Children’s Festival medal.

For the full Children’s Festival programme and for more information, go to www.reading.gov.uk/childrensfest.