Santa's Workshop at Thinktank

Santa's Workshop opens at Thinktank on 5 December, and it's one of the family sessions Birmingham Museums are running across the city this Christmas. It's held in The Grotto on Level 2 of the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, so you'll be heading up into the museum rather than staying on the ground floor.

Each session is built around a few set pieces. First, every child gets to meet Father Christmas. Then there's a 45-minute hands-on craft activity led by the Christmas Elves, and every child goes home with a special gift. Parents are welcome to take photos throughout, so you've got the whole thing documented. It's a proper sit-down activity rather than a quick walk-through, which makes it a bit easier to manage if you've got little ones who need a bit of time to settle in.

It's not just a one-off, either. The sessions run on weekends and throughout the Christmas holidays from 5 December to 23 December, with three slots a day: 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3pm. That gives you plenty of choice if you're working around school runs or other plans. It's also part of a wider festive programme from Birmingham Museums, which includes Breakfast with Santa, so you can pick the one that fits your morning or afternoon best.

Tickets are £7.00 per child to see Santa, and accompanying adults go in for free. One detail that makes it a better value day out: the ticket includes same-day admission to Thinktank, so you can spend the rest of the visit exploring the museum's galleries around the science and technology on display. Between the craft, the gift, and the full museum entry, it's a decent way to stretch a single trip.