We’re back with our London in Summer school holiday edition showcasing 31 Coolest Things to do with Kids in London. From riding a zip wire past the London Eye to searching for dinosaurs at London Zoo, it’s all happening this summer. Happy holidays!
London in Summer: 31 Coolest things to Do with Kids
DISCOVER
1. TAKE A SELFIE the old-school way at National Portrait Gallery drop-in family workshops. From portrait fridge magnets to play-doh art, there’s plenty of self-expression, inspired by the current exhibitions including the BP Portrait Award 2017. Varying dates, FREE (Jul 24-Aug 20)
2. ZOORASSIC PARK is a giant new experience at London Zoo, where you can walk amongst life-size animatronic dinosaurs . Meet baby dinos, try fossil digs, and become a dinosaur explorer. And don’t miss Dinosaurs Live! with Andy Day (Jul 22-23). Adult from £24.30/child from £18/under 3s FREE (Jul 22-Sep 3)
3. STAY HOT TO TROT on the Great Fire of London Walks. Museum of London’s interactive family walk offers challenges to solve, as you trace history along Pudding Lane, London Bridge and Monument. From 11am, adult £7/child £5 (Aug 8-27)
4. GO BEHIND THE SCENES of Britain’s first social network as the Postal Museum finally opens this month and there are two weekends aimed at folks with kids (main picture): Opening Family Extravaganza (Jul 28-30 & Aug 5-6) offers storytelling, face painting and costumed actors. Sorted! is a special play area for little Postman Pat wannabes. And yes, you can ride Mail Rail (but hurry, all tickets selling fast). Adult £16/child £8/under 1s FREE (booking from Jul 13 for visits from Sep 4)
5. BLACK POWER is the inspiration for Soul of a Nation (pictured), a glorious retrospective of African American art at Tate Modern. From Civil Rights to the politics of Black hair, it’s essential and educational viewing. All ages (parental discretion). adult £16.50/under 12s FREE (until Oct 22)
We also like
explore a Future Forest at Westfield including the Forest Zorb Lagoon (Jul 21-Aug 3); get stuck in with the Institute of Imagination Mini Maker Faire and Coding Camps (Jul 19-Aug 22, varying dates); make a play in a week with Little Angel Theatre puppetry summer school, ages 7-11 & 11-17 (Jul 24-28); summer camps at V&A Museum of Childhood include film and fiction for ages 8-11 and story making inspired by Michael Morpurgo, for ages 5-10 (Jul 31-Aug 4 & Aug 7-11); join Gamewagon’s Junior Game Creators coding club in Palmer’s Green (Jul 25-Aug 29, other locations and dates available); from interactive gaming to rainbow mathematics, there’s loads of STEM fun for kids at Royal Institution (until Aug 2); try immersive, artist-led workshops and games at Futureheads Creative Summer Project for ages 8-11, at Hackney Showroom (Aug 21-25); book your kids on a group adventure with the Exploration Society (varying dates around the UK, ongoing); create a hand-drawn ice cream parlour at House of Illustration’s Family Workshop: Summer Fun with Paint (Aug 26)
WATCH
6. CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER… Opera Holland Park brings Alice in Wonderland into the heart of West London. Follow the White Rabbit, the quirky Caterpillar, and the Queen of Hearts in this fun adaptation sung with operatic finesse. Best for ages 3+, younger ones welcome. 4pm; adult £15/child £3 (Jul 13-29)
7. ROALD DAHL’S Fantastic Mr Fox is back by popular demand for a brief summer run at Lyric Hammersmith. Brilliant, bushy-tailed musical theatre for you and your cubs ages 6+. £15-40 (Jul 26-Aug 20)
6. GANGSTA GRANNY is on the loose at Garrick Theatre, in a brand new adaptation of David Walliams’ hit tale of a very naughty nana. For ages 5 to one hundred and five. From £19.50, Wed-Sun (Jul 26-Sep 3)
9. RUDYARD KIPLING’S The Jungle Book (pictured) gets a hip hop twist at the Underbelly, South Bank Centre. Get ready for a Bagheera with graffiti skills, a beat loving Baloo and a skateboarding Wolf crew, from Metta Theatre. For ages 8 up. From £11.50 (Aug 1-24)
10. GO GLOBE TROTTING with Jules Verne’s riotous romp, Around the World in 80 Days featuring six trains, five boats, four fights, three dances, two circus acts and an elephant! 2.30pm & 7pm; £17.50-£49.50 (Aug 2-Sep 2)
11. OPEN AIR CINEMA is all the rage in London this summer with outdoor screenings across the capital. We recommend: St Katherine Dock’s Floating Film Festival (Jul 17-30); + wanderlust cinema with The Nomad; sky high views at Rooftop Film Club; canal-side screenings with Floating Cinema; the popular Film 4 Summer Series at Somerset House; Kew the Movies at lustrous Kew Gardens; and more outdoor cinema at The Scoop at More London (Jul thru Sep, various dates)
We also like
Unicorn Theatre Play in a Week workshops (Jul 17-Aug 5); Mr Maker at Hackney Empire (Jul 22); Telling Tales Family Literary Festival at Shakespeare’s Globe (Jul 28-30); The Adventures of Pinocchio at Ambassador’s Theatre (Jul 28-Aug 31); The Borrowers at Polka Theatre (until Aug 20); What the Ladybird Heard at Lyric Theatre (until Sep 10)
PLAY
12. WHIZZ down the world’s fastest city zip wire on Zip World London. See sights like the London Eye and the Shard from brave new heights! Ages 8+ only. 10am-7pm, daily; adult £22.50/child under 16 £16.50 (Jul 14-Oct 1)
13. BEACH PLEASE! We say YES to London beaches, with sandy play spaces popping up everywhere: Camden Beach (pictured) at The Roundhouse (Jul 15-Aug 28); plus Beach East at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park; Southbank Centre Urban Beach on the Pier; Brixton Beach; Royal Victoria Docks beach; Brent Cross beach; the Beach at JW3 in north London
14. DE LA BOWL is a hip hop themed bowling alley and we can’t wait to take our nippaz along for a session. Prove your skills on the green to some top tunes, only 18+ but kids 12 and under are FREE every weekend from 12-5pm (ongoing)
15. TAKE A LICK of our London Ice Cream Crawl, as we give you the inside scoop on the best places to eat gelato, ice cream cakes and sorbets around the capital. Slurp! (ongoing)
16. FUNFAIR RIDES take over London; George Irving’s Funfair at Shepherd’s Bush, Burgess Park in Southwark, London Fields for the Bank Holiday weekend; also Hampstead Heath Funfair over the August Bank Holiday.
We also like
Fly high with kids ages 4-15 at Flying Fantastic aerial workshops (varying dates from July); hop on for a family bounce at Oxygen Freejumping in Acton, West London or Flip Out Trampoline Park in Earlsfield, south London (ongoing); and you can still go bombing down the world’s longest slide ArcelorMittal Orbit giant slide at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (ongoing)
PARTY
17. ALLY PALLY hosts its annual Summer Festival with highlights including Big Fish Little Fish family rave, outdoor cinema, giant water slide, street food and a woodland silent disco. All ages. (Jul 22)
18. HIP HOP, DON’T STOP. Fun DMC family block party is back at the Last Days of Shoreditch. Think big beats, gangsta fancy dress, giant slide, sandpit and a low-key vibe. 1pm-4pm, adult £6/walking kid £4 (Jul 23)
19. RAVE ON at Disco Loco in the Park, the East End collective’s annual free festival of DJs, street food, live music and creativity in beautiful Springfield Park. All ages, FREE (Aug 12)
20. GO SHAWTY! Shake it like it’s your birthday at Southbank Centre’s Urban Weekend. Another epic throwdown with DJs, beat boxing and break dancing, street art and sports and a block party on the terrace. FREE, for all ages. (Aug 26-28)
21. CARNIVAL FEVER hits West London at the biggest street party in Europe. Sunday is children’s day at Notting Hill Carnival, go for colourful costumes, funky floats, soca tunes and sound systems. Plus delicious street food! All ages, FREE (Aug 26-28)
Find more festivals and street parties in our Family Festivals guide!
We also like
Garden party fun and rickshaw rides at V&A Museum of Childhood Summer Festivalin Bethnal Green (Jul 22); enjoy a Great Day Out in Victoria Park (Aug 5); don’t miss electrifying live music in Lewis Cubitt Square, King’s Cross with Cubitt Sessions, all FREE (Jul 26-Aug 13)
SPLASH
22. SLIPPERY FUN is guaranteed as the giant water slide (pictured) returns for the Alexandra Palace Summer Festival (Jul 22)
23. CANAL BOAT RIDES from London Canal Museum take place at various dates throughout summer, or you can board the Hidden Depths Canal Cruises from Granary Square (pre-booking essential).
24. TAKE A DIP at Tooting Bec Lido, super busy at weekends and sunny days. There’s more outdoor swimming at Brockwell Lido, the Serpentine Lido, Parliament Hill Lido and Hampstead Heath Bathing Ponds (ongoing). London Fields Lido is currently closed for renovations (tbc).
25. BRAVE A FOUNTAIN DASH at Granary Square Fountains at King’s Cross, beautifully lit after dark. Around the corner, there are more fountains in Lewis Cubitt Garden. Also run through Jeppe Hein’s Appearing Rooms fountains at Southbank Centre, the V&A museum fountains, Somerset House fountains, Victoria Park Splash Playground at the Hub, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park fountains (ongoing)
26. PADDLING POOLS at Clissold Park are perfect for a sunny day with your mini me. Find more fab paddling pools at Highbury Fields, Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (ongoing)
EXPERIENCE
27. MOVE AND GROOVE at The Place Family Dance Day with family b-boy sessions, parkour workshops and a silent disco for ages 5+. Lots on for ages 2-8 and their families. 11am-3pm, from £3/many activities FREE (Jul 22)
28. DIG THIS! Archeologists of every age and size can make (and break) things across the city, at the annual Archikids Festival. From fortress building to games with LEGO, there’s tons on for all ages. (Jul 22-23)
29. STEAM TRAIN RIDES through Epping Forest on the Epping Ongar Railway are a magical way to escape the din of the city. Look out for special weekends including a visit from The Gruffalo (Aug 19-20) aboard the heritage steam and diesel engines. (Jul 28-Aug 20)
30. RIVER STAGE FESTIVAL (pictured) at National Theatre, brings weekend performances, live music from WOMAD Festival, Rambert Dance company, family theatre, street food, DJs and more to the riverside. And it’s all FREE! All ages. (Jul 28-Aug 28)
31. BE DAZZLED at Kensington Palace Family Fantastical with live shows by Science Museum and an open-air staging of My First Sleeping Beauty by English National Ballet. Adult £7/child £5/under 5s FREE (Aug 18-20)