KENNETH MORE THEATRE

FOLLOW Hansel and Gretel on their journey through the enchanted forest as they discover a Gingerbread house made out of cake and sweets for the Kenneth More Theatre’s mini-pantomime this half term.

Featuring the usual songs, laughs and audience participation, help the siblings escape the clutches of the evil witch on Saturday, February 20.

On Tuesday, February 16, Blunderbus Theatre Company’s magical tale of The Dragon’s Daughter flies onto the stage. Told using hand-carved puppets, the story follows a lonely little boy who dreams of fighting scary monsters, finding hidden treasure and slaying dragons. One day, his dreams come true, as a baby dragon falls out of the sky crashing at his feet and he begins the adventure of a lifetime.

The Kenneth More Theatre will also play host to the Children and Young People’s Festival of Performing Arts from Tuesday, February 16 to Friday, February 19.

Presented by the London Borough of Redbridge’s Arts and Leisure Service, the festival will feature comedy, music, dance and drama performed by the young Rebridge stars of tomorrow.

For more information visit www.kenneth-more-theatre.co.uk or call 020 8553 4466

MUSEUMS & LIBRARIES

Victorian antiquarian William Winters drops into the Epping Forest District Museum, Sun Street, Waltham Abbey on Saturday, February 13, between 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm, to share stories behind the archaeological treasures on display, including the Epping Forest Bible.

The museum is also holding a buried treasure event for children on Tuesday, February 16, between noon and 4pm (01992 716882).

Elsewhere, the Redridge Museum, at Ilford Central Library, will hold a Techno Gadget event, with quizzes and 3-D model making and painting on Monday, February 15.

The museum will also host a Funky Fashion day on Tuesday, February 16, where you can have a go at the ‘guess the decade’ fashion quiz, create a piece of funky fashion with textiles and craft materials and take part in a fashion show (020 8708 2317) A range of other half term events are taking place at libraries across the boroughs of Redbridge and Waltham Forest, including Chinese New Year Craft at Wanstead Library and North Chingford Library, origami at Walthamstow Library, a fun recycling workshop at Hale End Library, collage making at South Woodford, writing and poetry sessions at Leytonstone Library and Wood Street Library and numerous story time events.

There are also various play schemes and sport camps going on across Waltham Forest.

For information on Redbridge call 020 8708 3044 or visit ww.redbridge.gov.uk. For Waltham Forest visit www.walthamforest.gov.uk

DEBDEN LIBRARY

A monster with knobbly knees, turned-out toes and a wart on his nose, The Gruffalo pays a visit to Debden Library, Epping Forest College, Borders Lane, Loughton, on Saturday, February 13, at 2pm, for a special day of games, activities and fun.

Children of all ages can enjoy making popular characters from Julia Donaldson’s modern-day classic, such as the clever little mouse, a wheeler-dealer fox, an eccentric owl and a maraca-shaking-party-mad snake, which they will then use to put on a play of their own.

The day will also feature a mask making workshop, a trail around the library and the chance to meet The Gruffalo himself.

For more information call 020 8508 5869

WALTHAMSTOW TOY LIBRARY

FROM cookery classes, to arts and craft workshops, the Walthamstow Toy Library has events for your under-fives covered this half term.

The week kicks off with a pizza-making session on Tuesday, February 16, 10am-noon, where the children can pick their own ingredients and learn about the process of cooking. Then, let them go wild on Wednesday with a very messy play session, where anything goes with paint!

On Thursday, 10am-noon, plant, dig and hunt out bugs beneath the soil.

And finally, pirates and princesses are needed for Friday’s session of treasure hunting.

Call 020 8509 3401 for more details

PARKS & WOODS

BUDDING David Attenborough’s will savour the chance to get up close and personal with the creepy crawly residents of the James Leal Visitor Centre, in Ray Park, Woodford Green on Tuesday, February 16, 11am.

Park rangers will introduce visitors the park’s stick insects, European green toads and hissing cockroaches by giving a short talk on each animal.

Later in the week, there will be the chance to meet our winged friends with a beginners’ bird watching for children walk and talk through Claubury Woods on Friday, February 19, 10am.

Animal lovers can also enjoy the farm and zoo at Hainault Forest Country Park, Chigwell, which will be open all half term. With two play areas and an adventure woodland tree trail there is something for all ages.

For more information about Ray Park and Claubury Woods call the Nature Conservation Ranger Team on 020 8501 1426. For details on Hainault Forest Country Park call 020 8500 7353

VALENTINES MANSION

ARE you sitting comfortably? Then Valentines Mansion’s writer-in-resdience Adam Guillain can begin his workshop, Stories Up My Sleeve on Tuesday, February 16. Telling stories insipired by the mansion, Adam will also help you write your own.

Details: www.valentinesmansion.comor call 020 8708 8100