A Celebration of Storyplay, family and community – with food, friends and play!

On the 7^th of July Licketyspit and Community Central Hall launched the Maryhill Storyplay Games Exhibition to celebrate our first Maryhill Storyplay Games 2026 (coinciding with Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games!), created with photographer Eoin Carey and the Licketyspit Child-Photographers.

 

Eoin, who has worked with Licketyspit for many years photographing many of our projects, events and festivals, perfectly captured the joy, creativity and community of Storyplay! His genius invention addition, was The Licketyspit Photography Studio, where child photographers took wonderful portraits of their families and friends!

The launch of the Exhibition at Maryhill’s Community Central Hall was a fabulous success, attended by Licketyspit families from across Glasgow, Licketyspit friends, supporters and members of the public who were experiencing Storyplay for the first time!

Our fantastic Licketyspit Patrons, actor Sanjeev Kohli and Storyplay Champion, Zainab Adeleye, cut the ribbon to open the exhibition. They spoke eloquently about the power of Storyplay to create and nurture this richly diverse, generous and inclusive community and the importance of play, not only for children but for everyone, and how creativity and human connection helps us all become people who can change the world!

There were crafts, reflecting drawing, dressing-up, a CCH cooking workshop making Quesadillas! lovely food, and we even had an impromptu Dressing-Up Parade!  And of course, everyone got to see all the brilliant giant and small photographs all over Community Central Hall!

“This place is amazing like you get to play with your mum and your dad or anyone that’s in your family playing these games has helped me find out that I can do more stuff than I think I can do. Being with your friends and your family is great”  – Child

“It also the place that everyone can feel belonged to this community and emotionally relieve the stress and feeling lonely. Even children can make new friends, also the adults can meet new people which help them to improve their language skills, make them confident in their daily lives. I feel super confident with others, they become part of my family!”  – Parent

A most excellent launch of a fantastic Exhibition that continued until the 15^th of August for the public to enjoy.

We hope this unique Exhibition can have a further life and share this celebration of children, families, play, multi-culturalism, optimism and joy with even more people!

Thank you from us all at Licketyspit!

There’s lots of ideas and activities to get you playing at home. Try our interactive videos! Including…

• Making with Iona
• Cooking with Taz
• Exploring with Jack
• Funky Chicken
• Grandma Grandma

and many more!

Find out more about what’s happening at Licketyspit by clicking on the button.

We have some Lickety Mums who volunteer at our Porridge & Play sessions as Storyplay Champions.

If you would like to find out more about Storyplay Champion training and volunteering, click on this button or get in touch with us on cfn@licketyspit.com

A new collaboration between Licketyspit and Community Central Hall

This Summer Licketyspit was delighted to host The Maryhill Storyplay Games in partnership with Community Central Hall, as part of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Festival of art, live music, sports workshops, and community city-wide events celebrating the Commonwealth Games!

Licketyspit would like to thank EVERYONE who made this brilliant day possible, especially the fantastic Licketyspit volunteers, and the team at Community Central Hall, and of course, the wonderful Licketyspit families who are at the heart of everything we do and are the true ambassadors of STORYPLAY.

Thank you from us all at Licketyspit!

There’s lots of ideas and activities to get you playing at home. Try our interactive videos! Including…

• Making with Iona
• Cooking with Taz
• Exploring with Jack
• Funky Chicken
• Grandma Grandma

and many more!

Find out more about what’s happening at Licketyspit by clicking on the button.

We have some Lickety Mums who volunteer at our Porridge & Play sessions as Storyplay Champions.

If you would like to find out more about Storyplay Champion training and volunteering, click on this button or get in touch with us on cfn@licketyspit.com

This morning it was cloudy and it even drizzled a wee bit but that does not stop Licketyspit families playing outdoors.

We had Sruthi, Shanmukha and Daiwik, James and Yulia and Boatemaa and Gabbie but then we were joined by Penny and Cyrus and Abiodun, Faridah, Dorcas and Fawsan!

How does it feel to Storyplay outdoors?

Is it very different from Storyplay inside?

Well, I’ll tell you one thing – only at outdoors Storyplay one can dress up and dance in the rain! We did it today – and it felt great!

Our dressing up today was so elaborate and families created characters inspired by the wonderful Children’s Wood –

James was Purple Tail -‘I live in the Forest , this forest the Children’s Wood, in the tree next to the beehive and that doesn’t bother me because bees are my good friends!’

Gabbie became Marshmallow – ‘I live in Candyland and I like to eat lentil soup! I like to play with my friends and do everything else in Candyland!’

Boatemaa was Mama Hippo – ‘I live next door to Candyland in the Quiet Forest and I love singing’

Shamunkha was a Party Animal from Partyland and Sruthi and Daiwik were also Partyland citizens who party all day long!

And Steven became a HUMAN BEAT BOX – he was amazing and we all danced to his beats! And then we sang Jelly On His Head to a cool beat from Steven!

We also played Funky Chicken and Stuck In the Mud and we run around so much we suddenly realised we were very very hungry!

The picnic was lovely and we all had lots to eat and to chat about – James told us how he played a similar game to Stuck in the Mud when he was wee in Taiwan!

Yulia was taking photos on everyone’s knees with her wee camera!

And Fawzan tried some pull ups on a tree branch – with a little help from Andre.

Boatemaa and Abiodun chatted for ages and Sruthi, Shanmukha and Daiwik really got into their Reflective Drawing.

Dorcas loved the Mud Kitchen and made pizza with Steven. And Yulia made ice cream in the sand pit!

All in all, it was a lovely day out with old and new friends  – HURRAY FOR THE CHILDREN’S WOOD & STORYPLAY!

Taz, Steven, Andre & Licketyspit Families

A session with Storyplay friends from across Glasgow!

North Kelvin Meadow and Children’s Wood
July 2026

Feels free and unexpected and really good!

We played in many different ways

and had great chats sitting in the shade.

First we warmed up with a song

Then made our bodies thin and long

Round and bouncy

Jelly like

Strong as giants

Feather light

Everyone dressed up in different ways

We had a fairy who learns how to twirl

A fairy who eats bugs

We had a bumblebee living in a tree

We had a dragon fly and a ladybird turning into a spider with a pink web!

Zara the Butterfly and Kim the Butterfly had a rivalry…ooh!

Rosy Butterfly liked to EAT caterpillars

Then there was the French Chef Marcell who made delicious dishes as well

Muhammed the Genie’s friend could ask the Genie for 3 wishes

And not far away were Blue Fish Ammar and a Blue Bottle Fly

A Larvae that was yet to evolve, wanted to grow into a cricket. Muhammed the Genie’s friend helped her get her wish, and a cricket she became!

And finally a Goblin and a French Pirate…

Joined us for our games!

We danced and made up funny rhymes,

with animals stinky and silly and wild!

We let loose in the children’s wood,

making fries, steak and noodles in the mud kitchen.

We climbed on the tightrope and the bouncy web.

And played in the sand with lots of new friends.

We came back together for Hide and Seek.

We searched for each other among the trees

We ate some eggs and bread and cheese

We saw some lovely bumble bees!

What a fine and happy time, I want to come here all the time!

A session with Storyplay friends from Castlemilk and Maryhill!

North Kelvin Meadow and Children’s Wood
July 2026

A blog from Ruby, Taz, Andre, Zainab and the Licketyspit Families

Hanging out with pals in the sun, there’s nothing quite like it!

While unfortunately a few of our friends weren’t well this week, those that were hopped on the minibus from Bridgeton and joined us for a super Storyplay session at the Children’s Wood.

We warmed up, dressed up and suddenly we were joined by

• Scary Movie – ‘I can eat everybody!’ – a scary monster who moves fast and chases people!
• A Giant Dinosaur called Risen who lives in 100 countries and likes to eat trees
• A Scary Cat with sharp sharp claws
• A Big Dinosaur who eats people
• Mummy Cat (Scary Cat’s mummy!)
• Scary Kitten (Scary Cat’s sister, of course)
• A Happy Bug called Fillipe
• A Builder Dinosaur who wants to build a tower for the Bug Fillipe
• A Goblin who likes to eat ladybugs feet for breakfast
• And Peaches the Fairy who eats plenty of spinach

We felt a bit worried about getting eaten. Especially the bugs and beasties who live in the Children’s Wood! So Scary Movie gave the Goblin a lollypop, which helped change his diet.

And Peaches the Fairy gave everyone some spinach. It made us all dance!

Later on, we met a Robot Dragon a Sad Elephant and Cat, and a Zombie Elephant – in a game of Funky Chicken initiated by the Scary Cat.

We were also joined by our volunteer Emmanuel, who has been coming to Porridge & Play since he was 8 (he’s now 16!) and is a stellar Storyplay Champion! His highlights included playing on the  stretchy spider web with Scary Movie and Giant Dinosaur!

We ate in the shade and did some drawing in the sun.

Peaches the Fairy even got her hair braided by Big Dinosaur (very expertly I might add).

What a lovely day of fun and friendship and play!

with Taz Andre, Emmanuel, Ruby & the Licketyspit Families

Sunshine and outdoor play for all!

Another brilliant session at The Children’s Wood…

The sun was already shining, and we could all feel that it was going to be a proper hot Summer’s Day in Glasgow!

Licketyspit families strolled into The Children’s Wood with big smiles and full of hugs from everyone.

Today some families were meeting old friends and also making new ones, as some of the participants haven’t met each other before and Storyplay is a great way to connect with each other!

We got active quickly with our Warm-up Rhyme ‘Big as a House’ and with a rather jumpy game of Funky Chicken!

Dressing-up was fantastic and being outdoors certainly inspired everyone…

Ruby became Diana the Dragon Fly who flies about looking for mushrooms

Deon was John the Really Bad Dragon – ‘I do good things though! I get food for people; I live in a flat and I have a dog named Niko and a cat named Peanut.’

Ada turned into Victoria the Nun who likes wildlife and eats cornflakes for breakfast.

Zac was Pear Trader from Ninety-nine nights – ‘I live in the forest, and people bring me pearls and I trade them for stuff’

Yasna was Owl the Owl who scares people!

 Shanmukha became Chef Shanm who likes to make and eat pizza.

Iris was Diane The Dragon who is a friend of John The Dragon! – ‘I’m good dragon and I like to fly to the moon’

Jamie said ‘I’m baby tick, a lost baby tick! I lost my Mum and Dad on that Great Dane that passed by! ‘

Zoe became a Party Fairy, and she parties all day long!

Franky was Radioactive Man, Andzelika was a lion, Lizzie was a Superhero and

Penny was a Butterfly.

Yulia was a cat; Zofia was a Cowboy and Sruthi and Daiwik were bunnies!

And everyone was up for a dance party and a game of Family Hide & Seek – so many great places to hide in…

Afterwards we got stuck into our picnic while sitting in the shade – we chatted about songs we like, and we thought we could put together a new playlist for us all to enjoy! So Emmanuel took a good note of all the songs that were suggested.

Free Play time got us all exploring around – some went to the Tree House to try out climbing and swinging from the wee trapeze! Lizzie was great at guiding some of the children through climbing and spinning.

Some played on the tight rope – like Ada, Iris and Zoe who were naturals at it!

Deon, Taz and Mihije got caught up in the massive Spider’s Web, they were joined by Andzelika, Sarah and Franky to experiment with getting in it – which is very easy – and getting out of it – which is really hard!

 Yasna and Aveen and Sruthi, Daiwik and Shanm were chilling and drawing under the lovely shade of the trees.

We found a football and a wee skipping rope so there was a kick about, a mini-Tug-o’-war and a massive game of skipping, when Ruby brought a bigger rope!! Some of the grown-ups really remembered how good they were at skipping when they were children and guess what? They are still very good at it now that they are grown-ups!. So good in fact, that they were helping the children to learn how to skip too!

What a laugh we had!

Another fantastic day out with friends of all ages playing, eating and hanging out together – hurray for FOREST STORYPLAY!

Ruby, Sarah, Emmanuel, Taz & Licketyspit Families

At the last session of this Porridge & Play block we celebrated 5-weeks of Storyplaying together –  in Zombie Style…

In Storyplay you can DO ANYTHING…

Bridgeton families love it here

Bridgeton families dance and cheer!

We love moving our bodies, learning new steps and shapes and rhythms – children and grown-ups all shared their ideas in the Dancing Warm up!

Funky Chicken is another old favourite at Bridgeton Hub!

Every week we start with a round of Funky Chicken – is such a great game to get your imagination going quickly, by thinking of an animal and how it might move and sound! And so, on this last session –

Malak created a Happy penguin

Mohammed thought of a Happy Seagull

Miriam imagined an Ugly Pig

Retaj became a Funny Horse

Moira embodied a Singing Cow

Amar transformed into a Groovy Lizard

Lin was a Sneaky Cat

Big Mohammed offered a Dancing Tiger

Alan created a Wrestling Alligator

Salah showed us a Silly Monkey

Abakr was a  Foxy Dadoodee

Aleen became a Speaking Cat

Girisha was a Fire Lion

Lin embodied a Slow Turtle

Arafa jumped as a Happy frog

Maab became a Naughty Seagull!

 

At Storyplay you can BE ANYONE…

Another ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE game for the Bridgeton families is Dressing Up – they cannot wait for the big Dressing Up bag to be unzipped! Licketyspit Dressing Up bags are really just a few old clothes but with the spark of our imaginations, these ordinary clothes can transform into extraordinary garments that inspire us to feel differently…even to become ‘someone else’! And so…

Alan – ‘I’m the King of legends, all of them like… vampires! Many different ones there, even ones you don’t know about. A big pale Man he can travel from US and UK in less than an hour.’

 Salah – ‘I’m a Police man, 778 and 10 is my password and I like to eat supercarrots.’

 Big Mohammed – ‘I’m Dobby from Harry Potter, I eats green stuff, I like playing and drawing Harry Potter Day.’

 Amar – ‘I can send shockwaves when my pants drop.’

 Maab – ‘I’m a Penguin. I live in the snow, in a tiny home. And I eat grass. I dig in the snow.’

 Summer – ‘I’m a Teddy bear, I eat grass and I live in a house’

 

At Storyplay you can go ANYWHERE…

And of course, Magic Ball is also a very loved game because the Magic Ball truly can take you anywhere in the world of your imagination!

Magic Ball, Magic Ball

Take us where we want to go…

 

Today we landed in Zombieland – a bit of a scary start!

We crouched down low to the ground to discuss what to do?

We thought maybe pretending to be zombies might help us to blend in!

So, Malak gave everyone a spectacular demonstration of how to walk and move like a Zombie!

And Alan sprayed everyone with Zombie Smelling Spray to makes us even more convincing!

Just as we were all happily Zombie-Ing along, practicing our Zombie movements and sounds an actual Zombie turned up!

Now, it was clear that this Zombie was trying to tell us something. Big Mohammed translated, he said –  ‘The Zombie wants to eat all of our brains!’

 Well! We weren’t going to let that happen…

‘Might the Zombie eat something else? – we wondered?

 ‘I think he wants some soup.’ – Big Mohammed replied.

Mariam offered soup to the Zombie.  And then we all did!

And it went down very well!

So the Zombie left…

Phew!

Narrow escape!

We thought it might be a good idea to try to be silent in Zombieland.

So we practiced creeping silently….

Suddenly, Alan realised he had lost a hand!

Luckily Malak found it for him!

We were just doing a great Zombie Dance when a hungry Werewolf appeared!

So we fed him fruit and he went away!

A lovely, shared meal

 Enjoying eating food together is very important part of Porridge & Play but the last session of every block is extra special because families often bring delicious food to share with everyone! We get a chance to taste food from all our different countries. Finger-licking home-made treats! The Bridgeton Families went overboard and we had dips and cakes and falafels and many treats – delicioso!

How lucky are we to have such a brilliant big family of families at the Bridgeton Hub – thank you all for 5 wonderful weeks of brilliant Storyplay!

Andre, Nerea, Paul, Taz, Virginia, Ruby & the Bridgeton Hub Families

Licketyspit Art Gallery

Click on the drawings!

In a deep, cold and dark forest or a warm and sunny one

In a cave with bones and cobwebs or in a two-bedroom flat…

Monsters, Monsters everywhere

Happy, scary and funny ones

Monsters, Monsters everywhere

Cheery Monsters at Bridgeton Hub!

Girisha says – ‘I am a Red Monster and I am really scary. I can make it rain and I can make it STOP!’

 Mohammed says – ‘I’m a monster who can make people pause.’

 Alan is Larry the lumberjack Monster he says – ‘I live in a cave.’ 

Aleen says – ‘I’m a Blueberry Cup Cake Monster and I dance with this outfit. I live in a Cup Cake house.’

 

These monsters love to dance and draw, play Funky Chicken till it’s hot!

These monsters may seem scary,

But I promise you they’re not!

 

Monsters, Monsters everywhere

Happy, scary and funny ones

Monsters, Monsters everywhere

Cheery Monsters at Bridgeton Hub!

 

Mariam says – ‘I’m a Monster Pants and I save food, so I am actually a superhero’.

 Mohammed is Super Granny Monster – ‘I am here to destroy the other monsters. I live in a hut. I can freeze everyone. I live with another monster’

 Summer says ‘I am Monster Teddy Bear and I can fly. I live on a mountain.            It is always sunny’.

 

These Monsters love fruit!

These Monsters love soup!

They love a good circle and they love singing too!

 

Monsters, Monsters everywhere

Happy, scary and funny ones

Monsters, Monsters everywhere

Cheery Monsters at Bridgeton Hub!

Maab says –  ‘I am Monster Penguin. I also have freezing powers. I live in a forest. It is very warm.  

I live with witches and of course – I do my penguin walk!’.

 Amar says – ‘ I am Red X Monster. I’m also free!’

 Malak says – ‘I live in Malak; it is beautiful in Malak. I eat vegetables and cupcakes.’

All monsters yes, but different!

All with individual style,

These monsters are peculiar

But they’re all fantastic fun!

 

Monsters, Monsters everywhere

Happy, scary and funny ones

Monsters, Monsters everywhere

Cheery Monsters at Bridgeton Hub!

 

Nerea, Paul, Steven & Bridgeton Hub Families

 

 

Licketyspit Art Gallery

Click on the drawings!

Come all, come all to Porridge & Play

You can be anyone; do anything every day!

With Funky Chicken you get to be,

Any animal you like – Yes even a flea!

A Happy Horsey or a Happy cat.

A Mad Lizard and a Scary cat!

An Angry Kangaroo and a Naughty Penguin.

– And let’s all cheer up that poor Sad penguin!

Pick a balloon of your favourite colour

Blow it up big and fly round the world

the world, the world which is best from the air!

People of all countries – they are here, here and there!

 

This is my red balloon, I blew it up and went to Antarctica,

 it was very cold; we counted to 5 and the balloon popped! OOOOOOOh!

 

Going around the world is like going outside our circle,

We saw lots of rainbows and our footsteps outside the circle,

going around and around and around…

 

The rivers, the countries, that’s a tree and that’s ME!

Pick up a balloon!

Fly wherever you want to be!

 

A very good cake just fit for a king.

We can bake you one in a blink!

And we can even sing!

Arafa added eggs,

Alan some raspberries,

Malak said –  let’s put apple in the cake!

Mohammed put 5 vanilla drops

And Summer binded it all up with flour!

‘let’s put rainbow cream in the cake! We put it on like this’

Salah showed us all :  sh-sh- sh- sh-ssssssh!

A cake for the King in a giant black castle!

And this is jelly, so so good with cake!

Also cream with the strawberries in!

Tastes delicious and on top… the king!

It is a birthday cake for the king of the castle;

Deliciously tasting of strawberry with pistachio!

 

All of us sitting together

we used ingredients for the cake –

flour, eggs, milk and many other things,

it was a delicious cake!

A castle and a cake!

There is also water here –

 And a dog inside a cave!

 

What a great Bridgeton Porridge & Play Day!

Thanks everybody for such a great Day of Play!

See you next week! When Nerea will welcome back Paul and Steven to our Licketyspit Team!

Ruby, Andre, Nerea, Virginia  & Bridgeton Hub Families

Licketyspit Art Gallery

Click on the drawings!