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Free half-term stories and crafts at Docklands
A free family programme brings spooky stories and making to London Museum Docklands. Joseph Coelho’s 27 October talk needs tickets; the separately listed bookmark sessions are drop-in.
Choose a session, not just the half-term week
The museum advertises its main programme for 24–31 October, with activities on different days.
For a flexible craft visit, Beastly bookmarks offers cat-and-bat paper making for ages five and over. Its detailed timetable confirms 10:30–13:00 and 14:00–16:00 every day from 25 October to 1 November.
The headline range starts on 24 October, but the session text does not confirm that Saturday: check with the museum before travelling specifically for crafts on the 24th.
- Programme
- 24–31 October 2026; activities have their own dates
- Confirmed drop-in craft slots
- 25 October–1 November · 10:30–13:00 and 14:00–16:00 GMT
- Joseph Coelho
- Tuesday 27 October · 13:00–14:00 GMT · ages 7+
- Cost and tickets
- Free; the author session requires a ticket for every adult and child
- Last source check
- 20 October 2026; live booking inventory not confirmed
On this page
Tuesday: stories with Joseph Coelho
Former Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho discusses his Fairy Tales Gone Bad books on 27 October, from 13:00 to 14:00.
The session explores how familiar tales can change and invites children to make stories in ten words. It is for ages seven and over.
Admission is free but ticketed for both adults and children; booking was advertised to open on 19 October at 10:00. The museum asks visitors to arrive five minutes early.
A visible booking link is not proof of remaining places.
A small chooser for your family
Choose the drop-in craft if a flexible arrival and a shorter activity suit the group; the museum describes an approximate 30-minute activity within its session windows.
Choose the author talk if your children are seven or older and happy with a fixed hour of listening and storytelling. An accompanying adult is still needed for the crafts.
These are two different activities: the author ticket does not reserve craft space, and a general museum visit does not reserve the author talk.
Keep the day in Docklands
The museum is at No.
1 Warehouse, West India Quay, E14 4AL, near West India Quay and Canary Wharf stations. Its published opening hours are 10:00–17:00.
Save this address rather than the museum’s future Smithfield site. Our suggestion is one activity followed by a small selection of the free galleries, with food and travel budgeted separately.
Check the museum’s visitor information for lifts, facilities and any support your group needs.
Free still needs a little planning
Read the individual activity page again before leaving.
Some half-term sessions require advance reservations while others are drop-in. Book for every person who needs a ticket and keep the confirmation available.
We checked the published programme and times, not a completed booking or a queue on the day. October’s London clock change falls on 25 October, so all the precise sessions reproduced here are GMT; use Europe/London when saving them to a calendar.
Questions, answered
Can we simply turn up for Joseph Coelho?
No. It is a free ticketed session for ages 7+; both adults and children need tickets. Check current availability.
Are the bookmark crafts confirmed for 24 October?
The page headline starts on 24 October, but its detailed session timetable starts on 25 October. We recommend only the explicitly timed 25 October–1 November slots.
Are these activities at the new Smithfield museum?
No. They are at London Museum Docklands, West India Quay, E14 4AL.
