BRADFORD school children have been treated to a host of fun-filled events and activities already this half-term.

From festive-themed events to taking a peek at how stop-motion animation works with Aardman, the city has had it all.

On Tuesday, Halloween fanatics were treated to a monstrous pumpkin carving in the city centre yesterday.

A Mini Pumpkin-Carving Festival was hosted by the Bradford Businesses Improvement District (BID) and sculpture specialists Sand In Your Eye (SIYE) throughout the day.

With half-term well underway, youngsters and adults, were invited to take part in hourly workshops, just outside The Broadway.

SIYE team member Jamie Wardley (above), also showcased his own talent.

He used clay tools and a knife across four hours, to create a unique pumpkin sculpture of horrifying proportions.

Mr Wardley said: “This pumpkin came from a farm in Preston. We go pick pumpkins every year.

“They actually do some there that are even bigger.”

The best tip the sculptor can give for this Halloween is to look at the pumpkin’s shape and let that “inspire” the creation.

Meanwhile, Aardman animators have been at the National Science and Media Museum hosting creative and inclusive workshops for children and families.

Coinciding with the recent release of A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, Aardman has held sessions where children can make models of the film's characters out of clay, learn the tools and tricks of the animation trade and do their own Shaun the Sheep-themed drawings.

George Watson, a model maker from Aardman, has been hosting some of the workshops and said, "These workshops have brought together families from all sorts of different backgrounds and helped everyone to have fun."

"Events like this are great for children's well-being. Lots of families are impressed at how well their children are concentrating, and being focussed on a creative task and blocking out any negative or intrusive thoughts is almost the epitome of mindfulness."

"It also brings a sense of achievement to the children and a sense of pride to the families when they finish their models."

George also made reference to the autism-friendly Early Birds event, taking place at the museum this Saturday, 2 November: "Autism-friendly events like this enable children with autism to do things they may not have been previously aware that they could do."

"Children on the autistic spectrum may feel isolated at times, but events like this are becoming more accessible to them."

Emma Jones, from Mirfield, visited the museum with her children Poppy, 6, and Harvey, 10, and said the workshops were "Interactive and inclusive."

"Workshops like this help children with creativity. Entry to the museum is free and it is an accessible and amazing resource for all families, no matter their background or how much money they have."

"The workshops help to get kids away from screens and technology and also brings families like us who don't live in Bradford to the city."

6 year-old Poppy said, "I had fun and enjoyed myself", while her brother Harvey said the workshop, "Helps to bring different families together."

Katie Canning, Press and PR Manager at the Science and Media Museum, said, "This is an amazing event which is open to all. As a museum, we want to be forward thinking and welcome people of all backgrounds."

"Bradford is doing amazing things right now, such as its bid to be the city of culture for 2025, and it's a great time to visit the city."

Further creative activities for children and families will feature at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery tomorrow, on Thursday 31 October.

Bradford artist Musarat Raza will be making Halloween hats and masks at the gallery from 11am-3pm..

The event is part of Bradford’s Young Open 2019, an initiative celebrating young artists in the region and is also part of the national Big Draw Festival, which focuses on the vital role of creativity in people's health and well-being.

Tomorrow's session will also give visitors to the gallery the chance to see the new exhibition, where the artwork submitted as part of Young Open, by children in Bradford aged between 5 and 16, will be featured.

Sonja Kielty, Curator of Exhibitions at the gallery, said, "Events like this are hugely important. With the Big Draw Festival being UK-wide, it helps us to establish a link with national campaigns and also helps to put Bradford on the map."

"It's great for families to come here and see all the home-grown talent on offer. We want to promote artists here in Bradford and inspire others."