Helen Skelton: Strictly star set to headline Kinder Masters of Play festival in London

Helen Skelton is set to headline the first ever Kinder Masters of Play festival at KidZania in London.

The Countryfile Presenter, 39, will be hosting the event which Kinder has designed to help families discover the skills children can develop through playtime.

As headliner at the festival, the former Blue Peter presenter, will be opening with a fun-filled workshop on Sunday 2 April.

The line-up at the event also includes children’s illustrator Christiane Engel, online sensation The Dad Lab, children’s author and Palaeontologist, Dr Dean Lomax, and Cbeebies entertainer and presenter, Katrina Bryan.

Leonardo Bertelli, Regional Category Director at Kinder UK, commented: “At Kinder, we know that a little moment of play means a lot, not only for our kids but also the bonding moments this creates for the whole family.

“We know that play is vital to children’s growth and development, as it is the lens through which children observe and experiment with the world.”

The festival’s expert-led activities and workshops have been carefully designed in order to provide parents with the best possible tips and inspiration to make the most out of play time with their little ones.

During the three day festival, children can enjoy a drawing master class from author and illustrator, Christiane Engel, or even take part in a fun science experiment with the social Media stars, The Dad Lab.

They could also take part in a space adventure activity with Katrina Bryan, star of CBeebies ‘Nina and the Neurons’, or even a dinosaur-themed activity with renowned Palaeontologist, Dr Dean Lomax.

There is something for the whole family to take part in and enjoy during the three day event.

The workshops and activities have been co-designed by Play & Development Child Psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Kilbey, to ensure that they are effectively developing the children’s skills in linguistics, imagination and creativity.

Dr Kilby is best known for appearing in Channel 4’s documentary series, The Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6-year-olds. She will also be at the event on Sunday to answer any questions about the importance of play and to share all of her top tips on developing all those important skills.

The festival will run at KidZania in Westfield Shepherds Bush, London all day on Sunday 2nd April, Monday 3rd April and Tuesday 4th April.