Mary offers a wide variety of engaging workshops:

Character Development Workshop

In this highly interactive session, students learn how to build memorable characters that leap off the page. Using games, role-play, and guided brainstorming, Mary helps participants explore voice, personality, strengths, and flaws, encouraging them to think about what makes a character truly relatable. By the end of the session, each student will have created a unique character ready to be placed into their own story.
Target Age Group: Years 3–8 (ages 8–13)

Creating Picture Books

Picture books may look simple, but creating one requires a special balance of words and images. In this workshop, Mary takes students behind the scenes of her own picture books to show how text and illustration work together to tell a story. Students will experiment with storyboarding, pacing, and page turns, while learning the essentials of picture book structure. They’ll leave with a rough draft or storyboard for their very own book.
Target Age Group: Years 2–8 (ages 7–13)

Storytelling Workshop

Everyone has a story to tell, and this session is designed to help students find their voice. Using prompts, group activities, and playful storytelling exercises, Mary guides students in creating stories with strong beginnings, middles, and endings. She also demonstrates how to build tension, use descriptive language, and engage an audience. This workshop is ideal for sparking a love of narrative and boosting confidence in creative writing.
Target Age Group: Years 2–8 (ages 7–13)

Rhyme & Meter Workshop

Rhyming stories are favourites in the classroom and at bedtime, but writing them well takes practice. With her expertise in writing rhyming picture books, Mary introduces students to the basics of rhythm, rhyme, and meter. Through fun word games and group exercises, they’ll learn how to make language flow and avoid common rhyme ‘pitfalls.’ Perfect for budding poets or anyone who loves playing with words.
Target Age Group: Years 2–6 (ages 7–11)

Creative / Craft Workshop

This workshop blends creativity and hands-on fun. Students work with Mary to create craft activities inspired by storytelling, such as designing masks, puppets, props, or simple illustrations that reflect their characters or stories. The session helps children connect the visual and tactile with the imaginative, reinforcing the idea that storytelling isn’t confined to the page.
Target Age Group: Early Years–Year 4 (ages 5–9)

Music / Theatre Workshop

Stories don’t just live in books, they can be performed, sung, or acted out. This workshop draws on rhythm, role-play, and simple stagecraft to bring tales to life. Students might act out scenes, explore how music changes the mood of a story, or create short performances from their own ideas. This session is high-energy, collaborative, and especially powerful for kinesthetic learners and performers.
Target Age Group: Years 2–6 (ages 7–11)

‘I Want to Be...’ Imaginative Play Workshops

Based on Mary’s popular I Want to Be book series, this session invites kids to step into different roles through imaginative play. Students are encouraged to dream big, dress up, and explore ‘what if’ scenarios - What if I were a movie star? A rock star? An explorer? Through improvisation and storytelling games, children discover the joy of creative expression while building confidence in who they are and who they can be.
Target Age Group: Early Years–Year 2 (ages 5-7)