Vegetimals
Following on from the popular Fruinimals, meet their adorable vegetable cousins - the Vegetimals! These quirky creatures are the result of pairing familiar animals with vegetables to create pun-filled characters full of charm and personality. Drawn in a whimsical children’s illustration style, each character is brilliantly unique and packed with playful detail.
The Vegetimals are a hit with children, families, and young adults alike. They invite curiosity, create laughter and spark group discussions about the combinations. Who’s your favourite?
I like to call my creative process “Maths Art” - a visual equation where two ideas come together to form something new. Painting makes my heart happy; it brings me peace and joy. “Maths Art” makes my head happy; it’s a fun puzzle that keeps my imagination buzzing. It’s my own mindfulness game, something I use when I’m feeling anxious or can’t sleep. Sharing this creative habit with children helps them discover their own ways to manage difficult emotions while inspiring them to invent, explore, and express themselves.
The Vegetimals don’t just promote creativity — they can also encourage healthy habits, like a curiosity for fruits and vegetables and an appreciation for the calming effects of art and imagination.
My art workshops for children bring the world of the Fruinimals and Vegetimals to life through character creation, storytelling and making. These sessions are joyful, hands-on experiences where children are guided to draw and invent their own pun-based fruit and vegetable animals - sparking laughter, excitement and boundless imagination.
Workshops are tailored to different age groups and abilities. For younger children, we explore fruit and vegetable printing with paint, turning simple shapes into expressive characters. For early years groups, I’ve created Fruinimal character dress-up so children can engage in imaginative child-led play with the characters they’ve just helped to make.
For older children and young creatives, the workshops go even further. After designing their own Fruinimals or Vegetimals, participants can dive into product design - creating posters, greeting cards, mugs, comic books and even soft toys (like my popular Pearguin plushie - part pear, part penguin!). These sessions are not only about having fun but also introduce children to real-world skills in design, visual storytelling and creative thinking.
I’ve delivered these workshops in schools, after-school clubs, summer camps, family events and at cultural venues like The Tetley Art Gallery (now Yorkshire Contemporary). Scroll down to see photos from all our fantastic Fruinimal and Vegetimal workshops.
Each workshop is built to inspire and empower - encouraging children to think outside the box, build confidence through creativity and develop practical skills in drawing, designing and making. The benefits go beyond the artwork itself. The creative process becomes a tool for mindfulness, helping children relax, feel proud and explore their feelings in a gentle, positive way. Also, by exploring fruits and vegetables, children often become more open to healthy eating and curious about trying new foods!
Whether it’s a one-off workshop or a full creative programme, these sessions are bursting with colour, character and joy.
Want to bring this creativity into your school, group or venue?
Visit my workshops page or get in touch now to find out how I can tailor a session just for you!
Get in touch now to arrange your fun-filled character art workshop