PonyTales - Interactive

Behind every PonyTales - Interactive™ session is a lot of planning, creativity, and sometimes a little bit of trial and error!

Today we spent the afternoon testing some of the themed craft activities that will accompany our award-winning book Tea with a Pony as part of our interactive literacy and wellbeing sessions.

A huge thank you to Eva-Lucia, Brooke and Willow, who helped us trial the activities. Not only are they fantastic craft testers, but they are also characters featured within the Sidney's Adventures book series, making today's session even more special.

From colourful pony decorations to cupcake crafts, these simple activities are designed to encourage creativity, conversation, fine motor skills, imagination and, most importantly, fun. They provide wonderful opportunities for children and families to create something special to take home and remember their experience.

One of the things we love most about PonyTales - Interactive™ is bringing stories to life through hands-on experiences. Reading the story is just the beginning — the real magic happens when children can explore, create, play and connect with the characters and themes in meaningful ways.

We're really pleased with how today's craft prototypes turned out and can't wait to share them at future Tea with a Pony sessions.

Which one is your favourite — the ponies or the cupcakes? 🐴🧁

"For some children, animals can provide a calm, reassuring presence during times of stress or overwhelm. Our special Sidney helps create a safe, nurturing space where children feel accepted, supported and able to reconnect, build confidence and experience positive emotional wellbeing at their own pace."

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In pictures: More than 26,000 visitors attend Northumberland County Show The Northumberland County Show has celebrated a successful event in the sunshine with the highest number of visitors in 10 years.

We’re so proud to see Sidney spreading smiles and making new friends at the Northumberland County Show — and even making it into the Newcastle Chronicle!. . . This beautiful moment captures exactly what PonyTales – Interactive™ is all about 💛

I’m incredibly honoured to share that Tea with a Pony – Sidney’s Adventures has been chosen as the winner of The Golden Wizard Book Prize ✨

This little book was created from a deeply personal place — growing up struggling with reading as an autistic, ADHD, dyslexic and dyspraxic child, and later seeing similar challenges in my own child. I wanted to create something gentle, engaging and accessible… a story that could truly come alive through connection, imagination and experience.

Through PonyTales – Interactive™, Tea with a Pony becomes more than just a book. Children can meet Sidney, explore stories through play, sensory experiences and real-life interaction, helping make reading feel enjoyable, meaningful and inclusive.

To have this recognised by The Golden Wizard Book Prize means so much, especially as an independent author from the North East trying to think differently about literacy and storytelling.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Sidney’s Adventures so far — every share, kind message, session booking and book purchase genuinely helps keep the magic going.

💛 Mental Health Awareness Week 💛

At PonyTales – Interactive, we believe stories can be more than words on a page. They can become safe spaces to explore, connect, imagine and grow.

Through immersive storytelling, sensory play, outdoor exploration, creative activities and gentle interactions with our ponies, we aim to create inclusive experiences that support emotional wellbeing, confidence and connection for children and families.

Not every child learns, communicates or regulates in the same way — and that’s okay.

Sometimes wellbeing looks like:
🌿 exploring nature.
🎨 getting creative.
📖 sharing a story.
🐴 spending quiet time with animals.
💛 feeling accepted without pressure.

During Mental Health Awareness Week, we want to celebrate the importance of compassionate, inclusive spaces where children and young people can simply be themselves.

Thank you to every family, volunteer, supporter and community partner who continues to support our journey and believes in the power of bringing stories to life.

🐴💜 Pony Safety Matters 💜🐴

At PonyTales Interactive™, creating a calm, safe and positive environment for both children and ponies is incredibly important to us.

Our ponies are gentle, kind and love meeting new friends — but just like people, they feel safest when everyone uses calm and respectful behaviour around them 🐴✨

Before we visit, we encourage everyone to remember our simple pony rules:

💜 Stay calm around ponies
👂 Listen carefully
🤫 Use quiet voices
🫶 Be kind to our ponies
🙋 Ask for help if you need it

By working together, we can create magical, safe and happy experiences for both children and ponies alike 💜✨

Join us at the Northumberland County Show on the 23rd of May 2026. . .

We’re really excited to be attending this year’s show, where we’ll be creating a calm, welcoming and interactive space for families to enjoy together.

Our sessions are open to all children and families, and are especially supportive for children with SEND and those who benefit from quieter, sensory-friendly environments.

Working in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and The Palomino Trust, we’ll be offering:

🐴 The chance to meet Sidney, the star of the book
📖 Gentle, engaging story time sessions
🎨 Sensory play and interactive activities
🌿 A safe space to pause, explore and connect through stories

Reading for pleasure plays a powerful role in children’s development — helping build confidence, language skills, imagination and emotional wellbeing. By bringing stories to life in a relaxed, hands-on way, we hope to make books feel accessible and enjoyable for every child.

These sessions are inspired by Tea with a Pony – Sidney’s Adventures, where the story truly comes alive when children can meet Sidney in real life.

Come and say hello — we’d love to meet you 💛📚🐴

Happy 14th Birthday, Sidney 🤍

Today we’re celebrating a very special pony who has spent many years bringing comfort, happiness and gentle moments of connection to so many children and older people in our community 💛

Long before becoming the star of Sidney’s Adventures, Sidney worked quietly as a therapy pony — standing beside children who needed confidence, calm or reassurance, and visiting people living with dementia to share companionship, warmth and smiles. He has helped many children feel safe, included and proud of themselves simply by being his kind, patient self.

More recently, Sidney has begun a new chapter helping bring stories to life through his book adventures — but his real magic has always been the difference he makes in people’s lives every single day ✨

For many children, Sidney isn’t just a pony — he’s a gentle friend.

Thank you, Sidney, for 14 wonderful years of kindness and light. Please join us in wishing him a very Happy Birthday