The beating heart of Sidmouth FolkWeek’s Children’s Festival remains at Blackmore Gardens with a superb line-up of Young Performers Showcases and some very special surprises.

Sidmouth Herald: Blackmore Gardens.Blackmore Gardens. (Image: Archant)

You will also find Walkabout Entertainment, the ever-popular Marble Maze and Do It Yourself Puppet Theatre, Pop Up Performances, Morris and Dance displays, Parachute Games, Face Painting, Dancing, The Knitting Circle, and a host of other family entertainment.

There is a wealth of activities for children to get involved in, with something for each age group. A ‘Musical Journey’ theme encourages all youngsters to join the journey at whichever point suits them. There are Songs and Percussion & Action Songs for the under 4s. The Sunshine Singers choir and the Minims Beginners Band for 5-7-year-olds, and for over eights the Sidmouth Songswell choir led by Bryony Griffith, Steel Pans Workshop with The Sunshine Panners and of course the amazing Seaside Stompers Ceilidh Band which works hard to learn the tunes to play for the Stomping Ceilidh in Blackmore Gardens Marquee on Thursday evening.

New this year is the Rooty Tooty Collective for 10-13-year-olds looking at moving on to Shooting Roots.

For the creatively minded, there are many opportunities to get crafty! Under 4s have Mini Crafts, Messy Crafts and Teddies’ Hospital whilst 5-7-year-olds can choose from Crazy Crafts, Bag It! (decorating fabric bags!), Sun Moon and Stars Plaques, Dragons and Windsocks and Gargoyles and Masks. Over 8s have the ever-popular Craft Carousel, Make a Crankie or you can join Mr Stomp the Rocket Man to make Stomp Rockets. Families can join in the Children’s Festival Torchlight Processional Build and make something spectacular to carry in the torchlight procession.

Sidmouth Herald: Zulu Tradition promise an unfirgettable performance.Zulu Tradition promise an unfirgettable performance. (Image: Archant)

And for movers and shakers, there is Yoga for under 4s, as well as Jungle Jiggle and Woodland Wiggle with Jenny Read plus Dancing Round the Maypole. Over 8s can learn some Clog Dancing with Alex Fisher, join in Morris Dancing with Sara Marshall-Rose (with help from members of Summertown and Willington Morris) or practise their Circus Skills with Snapshot Productions.

For 5-7-year-olds there is Poetry with Emily Mae Winters or they can join Captain Sid and the Drama Crew for drama activities and exercises, stories and arts activities. Families can enjoy Family Story Time with Chris Cole and Thomas McCarthy or join Ursula Holden Gill for ‘Holler and Snitch with the Story Witch’.

Sidmouth Herald: The Festch Theatre Company will present East of the Sun, West of the Moon.The Festch Theatre Company will present East of the Sun, West of the Moon. (Image: Archant)