*PURCHASE TICKETS AT KIDZANIA

TV Presenter and former Blue Peter star Helen Skelton to headline festival line-up, alongside a play-packed schedule with experts Christiane Engel, The Dad Lab, Dr Dean Lomax & Katrina Bryan

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• This Easter, Kinder will be offering families the ultimate celebration of play through their Masters of Play Festival at KidZania in Westfield London

• The immersive festival will offer expert-led play workshops for parents and children to enjoy between Sunday 2nd – Tuesday 4th April

Kinder is excited to announce it will be hosting its first-ever Masters of Play Festival at KidZania from Sunday 2nd April – Tuesday 4th April 2023. The festival, which Kinder has designed to help families discover the skills children can develop through play, has a stellar line-up to help make the most of playtime this Easter.

Headlining the festival is mum-of-three and former Blue Peter and Countryfile presenter, Helen Skelton, who will be opening with a fun-filled workshop on Sunday 2nd April. Families will also be able to enjoy a series of play workshops and activities, hosted by some of the nation’s top entertainers and play experts across the three-day festival. From a drawing master class with award-winning author and illustrator, Christiane Engel, or a fun science experiment with The Dad Lab, to dinosaur-themed activity with renowned Palaeontologist, Dr Dean Lomax, or a space adventure activity with Katrina Bryan, star of CBeebies ‘Nina and the Neurons’, there’s something for the whole family to enjoy!

All workshops have been co-designed with Play & Development Child Psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Kilbey, best known for appearing on Channel 4's The Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6-year-old's. With Dr Kilbey’s help, the workshops and activities are sure to help children build on the important skills they develop through play, including creativity, imagination and linguistic skills. Dr Kilbey will also be sharing top play tips and will be available to answer any play questions parents may have on Sunday 2nd April.

Leonardo Bertelli, Regional Category Director at Kinder UK, commented: “At Kinder, we know that a little moment of play means a lot, not only for our kids but also the bonding moments this creates for the whole family. We know that play is vital to children’s growth and development, as it is the lens through which children observe and experiment with the world.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with KidZania, to bring our Kinder Masters of Play Festival to families this Easter. Each expert-led activity and workshop has been carefully designed to provide parents with tips and inspiration to make the most out of playtime with their little ones, helping them to nurture key skills such as creativity and problem-solving, and support their growth through family activities that are inspired by our toys and free digital app. We hope families enjoy the festival and activities as much as we enjoyed creating them. After all – a little play means a lot!”

COO Patricia Rayneau from KidZania London added: “We can’t wait to wow families by partnering with Kinder. Helping families educate and entertain their little ones is a key priority for KidZania. We’re so excited to host the first ever Kinder Masters of Play Festival. This will offer Kids a series of immersive pop-up, expert-led workshops, and activations. This is another reason for families to visit us over the Easter School holidays.”

For those who are unable to make it to KidZania London can still make the most of playtime with their children this Easter by visiting the Kinder website for the workshops and activities, or by downloading the free app, launched by Kinder, which brings the toys to life in a digital world of augmented reality. The app has lots of fun games and activities for families to enjoy, all whilst encouraging their children to develop key skills through play, like organisation or memory recall.

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For further press information please contact the Kinder Surprise press office at ferrero.press@cirkle.com or on 01494 731750.

Notes to editors:

• The free pop-up event will be held at KidZania, Westfield London Shopping Centre Ariel Way, London.

• Worksheets and activity plans will be made available to download on the website following the event here: https://www.kinder.com/uk/en/m...

About Kinder

Kinder is the leading kids confectionery brand and has, for over 50 years, brought joy to families. Currently sold in 170 countries, the Kinder brand offers a wide range of high-quality products, from chocolate bars to surprise-filled treats that delight parents and children alike. Find out more at www.Kinder.com

About Applaydu

• The free app has been developed to help children grow through play and has been designed to spark the imagination of children and unite families through play.

• The app is designed to help children develop fundamental skills including analysis, multitasking, reading and writing, organisation, focus, memory recall and recognition and was recently awarded the highest rating (5*) by the Educational App Store.

• Oxford University's Department of Education provided Kinder with a set of guidelines to help development of the app, aimed at helping children's progression by creating and developing a game that utilises and develops cognitive skills including mathematics, motor skills, reading & writing and memory.

About Ferrero

Present in the UK since 1966, Ferrero is a leading family-owned global company. Ferrero is the third-largest player in the global sweet packaged foods market and its unique and iconic brands are well-loved throughout the UK.

For over 50 years, Ferrero has provided UK consumers with high quality products such as: Nutella; 350g is the UK’s No.1 selling spread SKU[4]; Ferrero Rocher, the UK’s no.2 classic boxed chocolate brand[2]; tic tac, the no.6 pocket confectionery brand[3]; Kinder, the no.3 kids confectionery brand[4]; Kinder Bueno, a top 10 countline brand[5], and most recently Thorntons, Britain’s much-loved chocolate manufacturer. The success of each brand is based on quality products which are carefully crafted and supported with significant investment, to deliver great tastes for customers and strong profits for retailers.

Ferrero’s multi-million pound acquisition of Thorntons in 2015 formed part of its continued investment in the competitive UK market. The transaction brought together two highly complementary businesses that share the same passion for innovative brand growth, underpinned by a proud heritage with drive and culture built upon family foundations. In 2020, Ferrero confirmed the acquisition of Eat Natural the maker of high-quality cereal bars, toasted muesli and granola. Eat Natural shares Ferrero’s values around caring for customers, the environment and communities in which it operates, and will expand Ferrero’s overall footprint and product offerings into the healthier snacking market segment.

Quality is at the heart of everything Ferrero does, this value runs throughout the entire business, from the approach to nutrition and sustainability, to the role played within its communities, to the unique products Ferrero creates for consumers.