As Children’s Day approaches, Lagos is once again opening its doors to a wave of creative experiences designed specifically for young minds. Across the city, festivals, workshops, and storytelling events are creating spaces where children can do more than simply celebrate; they can read, imagine, draw, learn, and explore different forms of creative expression.
From books and live storytelling to animation screenings and comic illustration workshops, this year’s Children’s Day activities reflect a growing interest in building stronger creative cultures around children and family experiences in Nigeria.
For parents searching for meaningful ways to engage their children during the holiday period, here are three creative events worth exploring this Children’s Day weekend.
Akada Children’s Book Festival
One of Nigeria’s biggest children-focused literary gatherings returns this year with the theme “Big Dreams, Brave Stories.”
Scheduled to hold at Rugby School Nigeria, Eko Atlantic, the Akada Children’s Book Festival continues its mission of promoting reading culture, storytelling, and literary engagement among young audiences through a wide range of interactive activities.
The festival is expected to feature book readings, storytelling sessions, stage performances, games, workshops, and creative learning experiences designed to encourage curiosity and imagination in children.
Over the years, Akada has evolved into one of the country’s most visible platforms dedicated to children’s literacy. Beyond simply introducing children to books, the festival creates opportunities for young readers to directly engage with authors, storytellers, educators, and performers in an environment built around creativity and discovery.
At a time when digital distractions increasingly compete for children’s attention, events like Akada continue to reinforce the importance of reading, imagination, and literary culture within younger generations.
Toontopia 2.0
For children fascinated by cartoons, animated films, and visual storytelling, Toontopia 2.0 offers a more immersive entry into the world of animation.
Connected to the National Theatre’s May Season activities, the event introduces children and families to animation and digital storytelling through screenings, live performances, and creative engagements tailored toward younger audiences.
As animation continues to expand across Africa’s entertainment and creative industries, events like Toontopia are becoming increasingly important in exposing children to the creative processes behind the cartoons and animated stories they consume every day.
Beyond entertainment, animation also represents one of the fastest-growing sectors within global digital media, combining storytelling, design, technology, sound, and performance into a single creative experience.
By creating child-friendly spaces centred around animation culture, Toontopia helps younger audiences see cartoons not only as entertainment but also as an art form and a possible creative career path.
SirGai Children’s Day Comic & Illustration Workshop
Hosted by IC Studios, the SirGai Children’s Day Comic & Illustration Workshop focuses on introducing children to the foundations of comic creation and illustration through practical, hands-on learning experiences.
Designed for children between the ages of 8 and 14, the workshop will explore illustration basics, character design, comic storytelling fundamentals, colouring techniques, and visual creativity.
Scheduled to hold on May 30 at TXTv Studios, Acme Road, Ogba, the workshop creates an environment where children can actively participate in storytelling rather than simply consume it.
As comics, manga-inspired art styles, and African visual storytelling communities continue to grow online and offline, workshops like this help nurture creative confidence among younger audiences while introducing them to the possibilities within illustration and sequential storytelling.
For children who enjoy drawing or creating characters, the workshop offers an early opportunity to experiment with visual storytelling in a structured but engaging environment.
Bonus: Tales n Tells IG Live
Outside physical venues, storytelling is also continuing to evolve through digital platforms.
Through its Children’s Day-themed Instagram Live session, Tales n Tells offers families and children an opportunity to participate in storytelling experiences remotely, reflecting how reading and creative communities are increasingly adapting to online spaces.
The digital session also highlights the growing role social media platforms now play in shaping accessible storytelling experiences for younger audiences beyond traditional classrooms or event venues.
Celebrating Creativity Through Childhood
Together, these events reflect a broader cultural shift toward creating more intentional creative experiences for children in Lagos.
Whether through books, cartoons, storytelling sessions, or comic illustration workshops, each event encourages children to engage with stories not just as audiences, but as participants, thinkers, and creators.
As Nigeria’s creative industries continue to grow across publishing, animation, comics, and digital media, these spaces may also help shape the next generation of storytellers, illustrators, animators, and readers discovering their voices for the very first time.
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