THE children of Bradford were spoilt for choice with things to do in the city yesterday.

In City Park, the Bradford Family Film Festival kicked off with a showing of Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip on the Big Screen.

Bradford Industrial Museum hosted its latest animal attraction, with children getting the chance to meet a selection of small animals, while The Children’s Food Trust and the Eat Happy Project held cooking classes in Great Horton.

Families flocked to City Park for the Family Film Festival, which started at 11am with the 2015 film about a group of singing rodents that achieve worldwide fame.

Following the film, children could took part in a Lego workshop where they made some of their favourite Pokémon out of the little coloured bricks.

David Wilson, director of Bradford City of Film, said he was really happy with how the summer festival had begun yesterday.

He said: “It was so good and refreshing to see so many people turning up at City Park this morning to watch a film.

“For the first film, it was great to see people embrace the idea; we provided chairs but it was good to see people bringing their own and also picnics.

“What better way is there to spend the day than watching a film outdoors, it was something to savour.

“With the Mirror Pool and also Bradford Council providing the Lego activities, people can spend the whole day in City Park having fun, all for free.

“The Family Film Festival is about spending time with your family, and it’s a great way to celebrate our City of Film status.”

The next film that will be shown on the Big Screen will be Cars, in the lead up to Bradford Classic Car Show next weekend, and the celebrated Bollywood film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which has been showing in cinemas in India for the last 20 years.

Micaela Romero came to City Park with her husband and their two young children from Cookridge, Leeds, especially for the children’s film festival.

She said: “We came all the way from Leeds just for this.

“Since it’s the summer holidays we were looking for fun activities for the kids to do, and our son who is four really loves Alvin and the Chipmunks.

“They both love playing in the water fountains too, it’s been a brilliant day, and we will probably come down again, especially for the Minions film, and we’ll try to remember a towel next time as well!”

For more information about the Family Film Festival, visit bradford-city-of-film.com/big-screen/family

At Bradford Industrial Museum, local rangers from Zoolab, a nationwide animal handling experience company, treated visitors to the chance to get hands-on with a range of different exotic creatures.

Liz Llabres, assistant curator at the museum, said the children who attended the sold-out session all seemed to have fun.

She said: “It went really well, the children got to see and touch a variety of animals.

“When they first saw the animals their reactions varied from excitement to fear, but they all really seemed to enjoy themselves.

“Zoolab brought down a tarantula, a scorpion, a royal python, a Madagascan hedgehog, a rat and a tree frog.

“The children could stroke them all apart from the tarantula and scorpion.”

Ms Llabres said following the success of the event the museum is planning on holding a similar event in the near future, and for more information about events at the museum visit bradfordmuseums.org.

The Let’s Cook event took place in the store café at Tesco Extra in Great Horton Road to encourage children to make healthy and tasty food from scratch.

The event was organised by the Eat Happy Project and the Children’s Food Trust.

Around 50 children aged between five and 11 years old will be taking part in the sessions, which also run next week at the store.

Ceriann Rush, from the Children’s Food Trust, said the classes are great for helping children to improve their cooking skills.

She said: “The kids absolutely love it, from kids who have cooked before to those who have some skills already.

“Children come back year after year, and they often send us photos of the recipes we teach them that they’ve cooked at home.”

Linda Cregan, chief executive at the Children’s Food Trust said: “We’re on a mission to get every child eating well.

“By learning to cook healthy, tasty meals from scratch at a young age, children are gaining the vital skills they need to ensure they benefit from a nutritious diet now, and for the rest of their lives.

“This is why we’re so happy to be delivering these invaluable Let’s Cook sessions in the Tesco store in Great Horton.

“We’re taking inspiration from this summer of sport by teaching children how to make our Brazilian picadillo.”

Caroline Silke is the head of community for Tesco, which runs the Let’s Cook sessions as part of its Eat Happy Project.

She said: “Let’s Cook is part of our commitment to give the next generation of children a healthier, happier, relationship with food.

“Over the past three years of hosting the courses in our stores, we’ve seen fussy eaters trying things they’d never normally contemplate, new friends being made and such enthusiasm from families for the new recipes children take home.

“Most importantly, these sessions will give kids the skills they need to grow into healthier adults.”

For more information about how to get involved with Let’s Cook classes, visit eathappyproject.com