Children can enter a storybook world of pirates, animals, dinosaurs and sea creatures at a series of state-of-the-art summer storybook sessions.
Each Friday until 1 September, The Word: National Centre for the Written Word, at South Shields, is holding storytelling sessions in its StoryWorld, which brings books to life with backdrop projections and sound effects.
And as they listen to stories told by a costumed storyteller, youngsters will be surrounded by images of jungles storybook and sea scenes in a completely immersive experience.
The fun begins on Friday 11 August, when StoryWorld will be transformed with projections and sounds of forest swamps as Dinosaur Tales transports listeners back to the days when giant monsters roamed the earth.
The following week, on Friday 18 August, the action will be Under The Sea, with songs and tales of sea creatures and fish against a backdrop of life under the ocean.
Then, on 25 August, children will be able to enjoy tales of a picky parrot, sing songs about life on board a ship and speak to a pirate called Captain Two-Toes Sparrow with Pirate Adventures on Land and Sea.
Everyone is encouraged to come dressed in their best pirate costume and they may even receive a special video call from a pirate seeking their help.
The summer StoryWorld programme will be rounded off with Animal Mysteries on 1 September, when animals, such as Hermelin the mouse detective, will take children on a mystery journey.
Not only will they explore fairyland, a cheese shop and more, but they will sing, dance and get creative as they come up with their own superhero name, solve mysteries and draw their own wanted criminal.
The StoryWorld sessions are part of a full programme of summer holiday activities for all ages at The Word and will take place each day between 10am and 10.40am, 11.15am and 11.55am and 2pm and 2.40pm.
Tickets cost £3.50 child/ £2.50 adult / £10.50 family of 4/ under 12 months £1 to be paid at the shop on the day/ £25 group ticket (10x tickets). Suitable for under 7s and their families
StoryWorld is just one of the innovative facilities at The Word: National Centre for the Written Word, designed to give young people opportunities to learn, engage and discover using the latest technology.
Others include a lending library of more than 70,000 books, a digital media wall, interactive touch-tables, FabLab – which gives budding designers of all ages access to 3D printers, vinyl and laser cutters – and OpenZone, which provides digital learning and ICT to schools.
To book tickets for StoryWorld sessions visit www.theworduk.org or visit the venue’s gift shop, Shop@The Word.
For more information about The Word, call 0191 427 1818 email enquiries@theworduk.org or visitwww.theworduk.org.