Summer Family Fun: Treasured

About the event

What do you treasure most? Discover precious and unexpected treasures of the Bodleian and enjoy exhibition trails, stories, crafts, and keepsake printing.

Craft activities are most suitable for children aged 4–11, but all are welcome.

Every week you can join in with the following activities:

Treasured exhibition trail: explore our Treasured exhibition with quirky questions, following directions from the pink elephants.
Storytime at 11.30, 13.30 and 14.30: enjoy a short story read by a member of library staff on the theme of seeking treasure
Doodle roll: doodle, colour and scribble on a giant colouring roll.
Toddleian Library: relax in the Toddleian, our space for the littlest visitors, with a soft mat, baby toys and board books.
Matching materials: Animal skin? Feathers? Gold? Match the materials to find out how books have been made through time.
Keepsake printing: print a Treasured bookmark keepsake on our historic printing press.

And don't miss these special pop-up activities on special dates!

Curator tour, 25 July at 14.00: Meet Nicholas Kontovas, one of the exhibition's curators, for a mini Treasured gallery tour to see a few of his favourite things.
Guide dogs, 31 July and 15 August, 11.00–15.00: Meet the amazing guide dogs and learn about their role supporting grown ups and children with visual impairments.
Bodleian Book Hospital, 22 August, 11.00–15.00: Bring your flapless lift-the-flaps and flattened pop-up books to the Bodleian Book Hospital. Our Conservation Team's book doctors will give tips to fix your favourites and show you how they care for our treasured, tattered tomes.

Free and no booking required – just drop in!

Sessions take place on Friday 25 July, Thursday 31 July, Friday 8 August, Friday 15 August, Friday 22 August and Thursday 28 August 2025, 11.00–15.00.

Please note: childcare is not provided and all under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.