When: Events daily, from today until next Saturday.

Where: Hull Truck Theatre, Ferensway, Hull.

Tickets: Some events are free. To book: Call 01482 323638.

Visit: www.hulltruck.co.uk

Other festival events to look out for:

Scrap store stall: Come along on Thursday, from 11am to 2.30pm, to create something exciting out of scraps.

Story time: Storytellers from Hull Library will be reading tall tales for little ones from 11.30am to 2.30pm every day except Tuesday.

Face painting: Wednesday, 11.30am to 2.30pm.

Art of marbling: Learn to make ceramics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Half term means hundreds of kids across the region are looking for stuff to do. Ian Midgley finds there's plenty of fun things happening at Hull Truck's Children's Theatre Festival

H ull Truck will be bursting at the seams with Big Bad Wolves, Velveteen Rabbits, Golden Geese and old women with an icky taste for swallowing flies this week.

In fact, if a child's sense of wonder can imagine it, it's probably part of Hull Truck's debut Children's Theatre Festival.

Timed to coincide with the week of the year parents dread most, half term, the Ferensway theatre has lined up a launch week crammed with interactive events, activities, plays and storytelling shows that will keep your infuriating bundles of energy well and truly occupied.

Or, as festival organiser Emma Waslin, of Hull Truck's creative learning department, likes to put it: "It's a programme that will spice up all of the senses."

Emma says the festival is an ideal chance for youngsters who have never visited a theatre to come along and get involved.

"We want to reach out to a new audience of children and families that we perhaps haven't reached in the past," says Emma.

"It's really important we engage with children and young people now because they are our audience of the future.

"We hope they will come in and see the work that goes on here and maybe want to get involved in other things, too.

"Most importantly, though, it is going to be a lot of fun and we have got some great shows lined up."

Among the highlights of the half-term launch week will be a production of Little Red ... You Know Who, which is Freehand Theatre's subversive twist on the famous fairytale that will be staged at 11am and 2pm on Monday.

On Wednesday, The People's Theatre Company will return to Truck after last year's successful The Koala That Learnt To Hug with a new show based on the nursery rhyme, There Was An Old Woman Who Swallowed A Fly.

Again that will be staged at 11am and 2pm.

On Friday, Backhand Theatre will bring a "magical mixture" of puppetry and storytelling to stage the classic tale of The Velveteen Rabbit to life. Again, at 11am and 2pm.

Finally, next Saturday, youngsters will be given the run of the Ferensway Theatre to take part in the Hunt For The Golden Goose.

Here, young theatre-lovers will race from glue to clue to help the Fairy Godmother. But watch out, an Evil Witch is on the loose.

All the shows are aimed at three to seven-year-olds and tickets cost £6/£5.

For older kids who like to get a little more hands on, Truck will also be hosting a series of workshops aimed at honing their theatrical skills.

On Wednesday, a session for 15-year-olds and upwards, based on boosting your audition skills, will run from 2pm to 5pm, costing £10.

On Thursday, eight to ten-year-olds will be able to learn how to tell super stories, from 10am to 1pm. This one costs £10.

On Friday, a workshop for budding playwrights will give hints and tips from the professionals on how to improve your writing skills. This one is aimed at ten to 14-year-olds and costs £15 per person.

"I'm looking forward to seeing lots of new faces in the theatre," says Emma.

"The parents can relax and have a coffee while the kids create chaos. But that's OK, I like a bit of chaos."