Tinker | Make | Play

Tinker | Make | Play is running at the Coventry Transport Museum across a handful of dates this spring, starting on Saturday 20 February. It's a drop-in family making session aimed at ages 5 to 11, though they've made it clear everyone is welcome, so it works if you're bringing a group of kids or just one little one.

The whole thing is built around three words: tinker, make and play. You tinker with tools and materials, you make whatever you fancy, and you play through maker challenges and a dedicated play room. It's a drop-in, so you don't have to commit to a set time — you just turn up when it suits you and stay as long as you like. The sessions are part of the museum's wider Family Programme around Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEAM), so it's less about following a set of instructions and more about letting kids get stuck in and figure things out as they go.

It's worth keeping in mind where this is happening. The Coventry Transport Museum is home to the world's two fastest cars, Thrust SSC and Thrust 2, and they run Learning Outside The Classroom sessions for school groups, so there's plenty of engineering and speed on display around the building if you fancy a wander after the making is done.

The sessions run on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays: 20, 24 and 27 February, 28 and 31 March, and 3, 7 and 11 April 2027, from 10.30am to 3.30pm. It's included with admission, so if you've already got your tickets for the museum, you're sorted.