Warrnambool Storytelling Festival invites families to Story Kids, a joyful celebration of creativity and imagination designed especially for young readers and writers. This free event offers the opportunity for children aged 0-12 to explore stories through a variety of fun and educational workshops and activities, including Auslan-interpreted storytime and guest author sessions.
Guided by this year's theme of Flight, Story Kids will see children explore stories that soar through words, art, rhythm and play, sparking curiosity and inspiring young imaginations to take wing. Families are welcome to drop in for individual sessions or stay for the full program.
DETAILS:
Date: Saturday 11 July 2026
Location: Warrnambool Library
Length: 10-2pm (session times below)
Price: Free event
THE PROGRAM
Playful storytime with Vikki Conley 10 - 11am
(Auslan interpreted)
A lifelong love of stories and creativity lifts off with multi-award-winning author Vikki Conley's Playful Storytime! Full of tales, giggles and hands-on craft adventures, perfect for little creators and big imaginations.
For children aged 0-6
Story Stones 11am - 12pm
This special Story Stones session will demonstrate this wonderfully creative way to share stories with children. Following a narrative, children will be invited to make their own stones so they can tell their own stories.
For children aged 0-6
Illustration workshop with Jess McGeachin 12pm-1pm
Author and illustrator Jess McGeachin joins us for an illustration workshop! Inspired by the natural world, Jess's award-winning books combined with his shared knowledge and guidance will have you creating a masterpiece of your own.
For children aged 6-12
Jess McGeachin is an author and illustrator from in Naarm, Melbourne who loves telling stories about nature and hidden worlds.
His debut picture book, Fly, and was shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia and Queensland Literary Awards. Since then, Jess has written and illustrated 15 fiction and non-fiction picture books that have been published in Australia and around the world. He was awarded an Australian Antarctic Arts fellowship to write South with the Seabirds, which was a CBCA Honour Book in 2025.
Jess draws quite literally from nature and has a day job at a museum, where he occasionally gets lost in the basement.
Popcorn Writing and Pebble Poetry Workshop with Vikki Conley 1pm-2pm
Get ready to pop kernels of ideas in seconds with fun brainstorming games, bring drama to your writing, and discover new tricks to make your stories shine. Explore writing from the heart and spark your senses with multi-award-winning author, Vikki Conley.
For children aged 6-12
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover… but what if your book cover was judged by a festival audience? We’re inviting children to enter their creative designs in our Story Kids Book Cover challenge, inspired by this year’s theme, Flight. Think soaring imaginations, wildlife, and adventure!
Winning entries will be selected during the Storytelling Festival, and all submissions will be proudly displayed at the Warrnambool Library Learning Centre, with some featuring in the September edition of Kelp Magazine.
TO ENTER:
Create your artwork on an A4 sheet of white paper, in a vertical orientation. On the back, record your initials, your school name, your age, and have your parent/guardian sign. Hand it in to Collins Booksellers Warrnambool by Friday 12 June.
All entry participants are giving the Warrnambool Storytelling Festival consent to the use of artwork for advertising; marketing or promotional/commercial materials, teaching and learning and research materials. The images may be used in websites, publications, presentations, and other digital or print formats.