Name: Koala Ween - Italian Halloween Playgroup
Start: 2026-10-31T15:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-31T17:00:00+00:00
Location: Pollokshaws Community Hub and Garden

An Italian-language Halloween-themed afternoon for ages 0-5 years and their caretakers.
About this Event

Welcome to Koala-Ween! 🐨🎃

On the 31st of October we will be hosting a Halloween themed playgroup! Come dressed up for the occassion and celebrate with some special activities and a mini disco! If you don't have a Halloween costime, don't worry, there will be some extra dress up items and props on the day.

What to expect?

As well as our usual playgroup free play toys and resources such as mini soft play, lots of pretend play and library, we will have some Halloween themed activities such as:

🧉 Spooky potion making sensory

📸 Fun photo booth area with dress up props

🪄 Magical craft making station

😋 Mystical merenda (snack)

🧙🏻‍♀️ Interactive story with puppet theatre

🪩 A mini Halloween disco with party music, lights and bubbles

📜 Every child will go home with a personalised poem and Koala Club Sticker

Please note that this is a stay-and-play session, and parents and carers are expected to remain with their children throughout the playgroup.

Koala-Ween Goody Bags

At checkout, you will have the option to purchase a Goody Bag for £5 which will include bubbles, a craft activity, an edible treat, play dough and stickers. £2 from the sale of each Goody Bag will go towards purchasing books for the Italian lending library 📚

Who is the Playgroup for?

This session is aimed at pre-school aged children who have Italian as a home language already.

We encourage adults to try their best to communicate in Italian, so that the children benefit from an immersive experience. We completely understand that not all family members may be equally confident in Italian but any effort is warmly appreciated. You are always welcome, regardless of your level, and it could be a great opportunity to practice!

Tickets

We operate a flexible, pay-what-you-can pricing model so that Koala Club remains accessible. Just one ticket is needed per family, you will be asked at booking stage how many children and adults are coming.

Every ticket directly funds the running of Koala Club sessions. Your contribution covers venue hire (we are proud to host at a registered charity, meaning your attendance supports not one but two good causes), staff costs, craft materials, toys, and a growing Italian language book collection, as well as complimentary coffee and refreshments for grown ups and snacks for the little ones.

There is no private profit, and any surplus is reinvested entirely into our programme and community.

💛 Standard - £10 (Covers the cost of running the session, and allows us to re-invest a small amount into Koala Club.)

💚 Supporter - £14 (Everything in Standard, with a little more going back into Koala Club, helping us grow the sessions and offer subsidised or free places to families who need them.)

🩷 Community - £6 (A reduced-price option for anyone who needs it. Spaces are limited.)

Please note that an Eventbrite fee will be added during the booking process.

If the cost of a ticket is a barrier right now, reach out to us at [email protected] and we will try our best to reserve a space for you.

About the Venue

The Pollokshaws Community Hub and Garden at 132 Shawbridge Street is a charity and community-led venue in Pollokshaws. There is ample free on-street parking around the hub and there are excellent train and bus links to the venue. The venue is also wheelchair and pram accessible with a ramp entrance.

Pollokshaws Community Hub is a 2 or 3 minute walk from the Pollokshaws library and around a 10 minute walk from Pollok Park.

About Koala Club

Koala Club is Glasgow's heritage language playgroup for children growing up with multiple languages. A warm, welcoming space where little ones can hear, speak, and fall in love with a language that's part of who they are.

These are not classes, these are sessions led entirely in Italian, creating a naturally immersive environment where children can engage with the language through free play, nature, songs, arts & crafts and stories.

About The Interweave Initiative CIC

Koala Club is the first service from The Interweave Initiative CIC, a Glasgow-based social enterprise dedicated to celebrating and bringing together the city's multicultural communities.

Agenda

🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:45 PM
Arrivals, free play and Halloween themed activities

Info: Arrive when it suits you at Koala Club! We will have free play toys out as usual and special Halloween themed activities such as potion making sensory, magical craft and a photo booth area with props.

🕑: 03:45 PM - 04:15 PM
Mystical Merenda (snack) time

Info: We will enjoy a snack together, adapted to the Halloween theme. Please let us know of any allergies at checkout. Parents and carers will have as much tea and coffee during the session as they please.

🕑: 04:15 PM - 04:45 PM
Spooky story with puppets and "Tana del Koala"

Info: We will enjoy an interactive Italian spooky story with puppets, appropriate for 0-5 years. We will then sing a few of our favourite rhymes such as Whiskey Il Ragnetto!

🕑: 04:45 PM - 05:00 PM
Halloween disco

Info: We will have a short Halloween disco appropriate for 0-5 years, with fun songs to dace to or bounce along to. Please note, we will have some flashing disco lights, let us know if this may be an issue for you or your family. There will then be bubbles and stickers for all attendees!