MORE than 400 children and parents are set to take part in a host of free family events in venues across York this week as part of the ‘CU in the City’ programme.

Families will learn all about everything from York’s very own bugs and beasties with Bug Life to high voltage experiments with the University of York.

York CU (Children’s University), which is led and managed by employee charity York Cares and the university, aims to raise aspirations and foster a love of learning in children aged 5 - 14 through quality and innovative activities.

Events, which are all fully booked, are hosted by local entrepreneurs and academics which aim to engage children and their families in short, fun educational topics.

They include It’s a Bug’s Life tomorrow night, at which people will learn all about bugs, beasties and York’s very own beetle, the tiny Tansy. They will get the chance to pot up and take home some tansy plants and make their very own mini bug hotel for the garden.

Sophie Badrick, conservation officer for organisers, Bug Life, said: “I’m really looking forward to helping the families of York CU to explore and learn about the exciting lives of insects, especially the Tansy beetle, a rare beetle found only on the banks of the Ouse in York.

“We’ll be getting hands-on and making some mini bug homes so every family can create a tiny bug haven in their garden!”

Events also include ‘Science to make your hair stand on end’ by the University of York’s Physics Department on Wednesday evening, when people will travel through a story of electricity and magnetism and find out how electricity is made, see magnetic hedgehogs, plasma balls, high voltages and lots of sparks.

Did I really see that? will be staged by the University’s Psychology Department on Thursday, involving an interactive talk to explore the world of illusions, ‘where things are not always what they seem.’ Flamingo Land will stage Quizzical Creatures on Thursday, about how animals have learnt to adapt to the natural world and answering questions such as: “Why do snakes shed their skin, and what do deer use their antlers for? how animals have learnt to adapt to the natural world.”