About Family Workshop: Tales on Track for ages 7 – 9
Choo-choo… listen closely…
An unexpected train is arriving at the British Library this August. Allegedly, it only appears when there are stories waiting to be told.
No one knows exactly where it came from.
Some say it wandered through wild forests, where Thumbelina drifted downstream inside a walnut shell. It crossed restless seas that remembered the Little Mermaid's sacrifice, before following the shapeshifting Selkie to hidden islands where the secret language of the sea lived on. Far to the east, back in time, it paused beside rivers where the Snail Maiden quietly wove her kindness into everyday life and travelled through ancient villages where Hachikazuki carried a mysterious bowl that concealed an extraordinary fate.
Wherever it has been, Tales on Track has gathered fragments of fairy tales from around the world and keeps making room for new ones along the way.
But today, something has gone terribly wrong. All the Story Suitcases have been lost. Without them, the train cannot continue its journey. Passengers are invited aboard to help the Conductor replace the missing Story Suitcases. Through imaginative play, making and storytelling, each child creates their own Story Suitcase, filling it with a character, creature, magical object, map or letter made by them and inspired by a familiar fairy tale or entirely invented. These suitcases are not just containers. They are the fuel that powers the train. Together, they shape its next destination.
Join us for a 1-hour family workshop designed for children ages 7 to 9 inspired by the Fairy Tales exhibition. In our Tales on Track workshop, children and parents will jump into a train to travel around the world exploring stories and building their own story suitcase! Through games, prop-making, imagination and lots of fun, children can discover how their ideas can travel, connect and grow into something unexpected.
A version of this event for children ages 4 to 7 is also available, as is a version suitable for SEND families.
Your support
The British Library is a charity. Your support helps us open up a world of knowledge and inspiration for everyone. Please consider adding a donation to your basket.
Family activities at the Library
We have lots of free family events and workshops in London and West Yorkshire. Spaces can fill up quickly, so please book ahead.
You can also pick up a Family Trail from the Information Desk to help you explore the Library further, and visit our free Treasures Gallery.
Food and drink
Families are welcome at all of the Library’s cafés and restaurants. The Terrace Café on the first floor has lots of seating (including an outdoor terrace for sunny days). Highchairs are available in the Terrace Café and the Upper Ground Floor Café, subject to availability.
Families with children may also bring their own food to eat outside on the Piazza or in our public spaces, and there are water fountains that can be used to refill water bottles across the building. Please do not consume food or drink inside the exhibition galleries.
Baby-feeding
Parents are welcome to breastfeed or bottle-feed anywhere in the Library. Please ask a member of Library staff if you would like help finding a quieter space.
Please note that we cannot heat bottles or baby food in our cafés and restaurants.
Bags, cloakrooms and lockers
Our cloakroom and digital lockers are free to use, located on the Lower Ground Floor with step-free access. Please note our cloakroom is closed on Sundays, but you can still use our lockers. View more information on our bags and luggage restrictions.
Baby-changing and toilets
There are baby-changing stations available in the following toilets:
- in the men's and women's toilets on the Lower Ground Floor, near the cloakroom
- in the women's toilets near Reader Registration on the Upper Ground Floor
- in the men's and women's toilets in the Terrace Café on the First Floor
- in the men's and women's toilets in the Knowledge Centre.
Accessible toilets can be found on all floors. The nearest Changing Places toilet is at King's Cross station.
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