Crafty Café drop-in (all ages)

Café Royal is hosting a Crafty Café drop-in on Tuesday 27 October, a family session that runs from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. It's a drop-in, so you can turn up whenever suits you during the day rather than committing to a set time. The whole thing is free, and it's open to all ages, which makes it an easy one to bring the kids along to without worrying about tickets or bookings.

The session takes its lead from War Horse and the artistry of puppetry. The idea is to get families making their own puppets, with a couple of suggestions to get you started: a fluttery butterfly or a spooky bat. Since it's just before Halloween, the bat fits the season well enough, and you can take whatever you make home with you. It's a creative, hands-on sort of thing, so it works as well for the little ones as it does for anyone who just enjoys making something by hand.

Café Royal, over in Chapelfield, is a comfortable, friendly space to spend time as a family, and there's a range of treats and hot drinks on hand. If you're buying a kids' hot chocolate or a fruit shoot, you get a free cookie with it, which is a nice little extra for the smaller ones. It's the kind of place where you can settle in for an hour or two and let the kids get stuck into the making without feeling rushed.

The session is part of the Creative Families programme, which is supported by the Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust, The Geoffrey Watling Charity, the Simon Gibson Charitable Trust and The Educational Foundation of Alderman John Norman. It runs from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Tuesday 27 October at Café Royal, and it's free to attend.