Fun with Fossils

iDOLRiCH Theatre Rotto are running a series of workshops for children in Hastings this November, with sessions on Sunday 15, 22 and 29 November, each from 11.30am to 2.30pm. The whole thing is called Fun with Fossils, and it brings together three different activities: fossils, shadow puppetry and paleo art. The first session, Mrs Mantell's Tooth, already took place on 1 November, so there are two left to catch if you're just joining in.

The workshops draw on the region's fossil heritage, with local palaeontologist Phil Hadland on hand to keep things grounded in the real thing. That heritage includes the iguanodon discovered by Gideon Mantell, a name that still rings through the county's prehistoric history. The sessions are fully accessible and aimed at children aged 8 and over, though younger ones can join if they're accompanied by an adult. There's a short lunch break for packed lunches, and coffees and teas are provided. The best bit is that whatever the kids make—puppets and artefacts—they get to take home with them.

Behind it all is iDOLRiCH Theatre Rotto, an award-winning Hastings puppet and theatre company that's toured across the UK and Europe. In recent years they've shifted their focus closer to home, with productions, events and training that follow Sussex and its prehistory. This series is part of that work, and it's a good example of what they've been doing lately: taking the local story and turning it into something kids can actually get their hands on.

Booking is through the HMAG website. Individual workshops are £9 per session, or you can do all three for £25, with children under 10 at £5. Each one runs from 11.30am to 2.30pm on Sunday 15, 22 and 29 November.