The York Stories 2012 project – part of York 800 – is offering a great deal to keep children occupied over the next few days.

The project needs a mascot – the ‘storysaurus’ – and there are two sessions for children with Richard Kay and Mary Passeri, storytellers from ‘Telling Arts’, to develop the mascot, develop the storysaurus character, go on a trail, create a York Story and collect York Stories to share.

The sessions are in the Garden Room, York Explore Library Learning Centre, on Thursday and Friday 2 and 3 August, from 2-4 pm. Children wanting to take part should attend both free sessions if possible.

On Saturday 4 August, there will be a Storylab session, an exciting creative activity for families, also with Richard Kay and Mary Passeri from Telling Arts. During the session, participants will build a huge spider’s web to catch stories about living and growing up in York. Stories can be about things that go bump in the night; the day the bus was late; or just about anything!

This free session will be in the children’s library at York Explore Library Learning Centre on Saturday 4 August from 2 to 4 pm, and is for families with children aged three and above.

Next week the focus moves on to radio, as the Shine! Radio crew use professional radio kit and the latest technology to gather stories, with help from Khaoz Media. The team will be making podcasts and internet radio broadcasts on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 August in the York Explore Library Learning Centre from 10 til 4. Places are limited for these workshops, and cost £15 per day, and are for young people of secondary school age. To book, email tim.waudby@york.gov.uk or call 01904 553426.