Well now you can, as these types of activities, and more, come to Orton on Friday as part of the month-long Family Learning Festival.

Families in the area will be cooking up a treat for Gimme 5, during the school half-term holidays, at Christ Church, in Orton Goldhay, on Friday, October 31, from 9.45am to 12.15pm.

The Family Learning Festival, previously known as Family Learning Week, has been extended for a longer celebration to highlight the important role families play in supporting each other's learning.

The family food event has been organised by Orton Children's Centre and Peterborough City Council's Orton extended services.

The event gives families the opportunity to try their hand at a range of cooking and creative kitchen activities, including pizza making, food art and vegetable printing.

Families can also take home free recipe packs with ingredients required to make a healthy vegetable soup.

Children will also have the opportunity to create their own smoothies by riding a special bicycle-powered smoothie machine, which is being provided by Peterborough-based Anglia Co-operative.

A Captain Carrot puppet will also be on hand to tell the story of a reluctant superhero and his band of friendly vegetables, as they battle the evil Baron Von Burger and his plans for world domination with an army of noxious nuggets.

Marketing and events manager at Orton Children's Centre Jason Wilson said: "The event promises to be a fantastic morning for the whole family, and it will be an opportunity to keep the children occupied for a time during half-term.

"As well as providing a variety of fun cooking activities, families will learn lots of healthy eating messages, including the importance of eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day."

The morning of activities is being supported by Anglia Co-operative and Peterborough College of Adult Education.

nFor more information on the family learning festival, call Jason on 01733 237209.