• Menu
  • Skip to left header navigation
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Start Here
  • Our Story
  • Meet Uju
  • Connect
  • Press and Media
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Babes About Town

Love. Play. Eat. London.

  • London
  • Kids
  • Life
  • Books
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Weekends
  • Search
  • Start Here
  • Our Story
  • Meet Uju
  • Connect
  • Press and Media
  • London
  • Kids
  • Life
  • Book
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Weekends

Mobile Menu

Buy Now

Weekend Scoop for London Families (May 11-13, 2012)

May 10, 2012 //  by Uju//  2 Comments

Family concerts, pets on show, nonsense rhymes and puppets with Punch in Covent Garden create a knock-out weekend for kids and families in London.

Fri: Giraffes Can’t Dance Family Concert at Jerwood Hall, LSO St Luke’s, EC1 (Old St tube)
Tango, waltz and jig your way through the musical retelling of the popular story, in this special concert for under 5s. 12.30-1.15pm, £3/babies under 12 months FREE (May 11)

Sat: What on Earth? Family Activity Day at Grant Museum of Zoology, University St, WC1 (Euston tube)
Explore strange specimens and bizarre bones on this epic odyssey of the museum’s treasures, part of Silly Season. 11am-4pm, FREE (May 12)

Sat: Family Day: The Factory of Confessions at Whitechapel Gallery, Shoreditch, E1 (Aldgate East tube)
Share your family confessions in typed, edible, written or spoken format, with a family trail of Gillian Wearing exhibition and a chance to dress up and get snappy in the photo booth. 12-4pm, FREE (May 12)

Sat-Sun: Mr Punch’s Big Grin Birthday Party & Covent Garden May Fayre, Covent Garden Piazza and St. Paul’s Church Gardens, WC2 (Covent Garden tube)
A special celebration of Mr Punch’s 350th birthday, with Punch professors and puppeteers from around the world appearing in the Piazza (Sat) for birthday cake, photocells and free shows; plus the annual May Fayre (Sun) in St. Paul’s churchyard with puppet shows, workshops, stalls and folk music. 11am-5pm (Sat), 11am-5.30pm (Sun), FREE (May 12-13)

Sat-Sun: London Pet Show at Earl’s Court Two, SW5 (Earl’s Court)
Find a furry, scaly or slimy friend at the largest exhibition of pets with hundreds of breeds on show. Plus special family activities throughout the day. 9.30am-5pm, adult £13 adv/£16 door; under 16s £9 adv/£10.50 door; under 5s FREE (May 12-13)

Sun: Nonsense! The Wonderful World of Edward Lear at British Library, 96 Euston Rd, NW1 (King’s Cross tube)
Come and celebrate the mad lyrics of Lear in popular rhymes like Owl & the Pussycat and The Jumblies, with top poets Michael Rosen, Roger McGough and special guests. 2.30-4pm, £7/£5 concs. (May 13)

Sun: Planet of the Beetlebuns at Jacksons Lane, 269a Archway Rd, N6 (Highgate tube)
Kids ages 0-5 are invited to hop onto a magical, interactive carpet filled with spinning objects, glowing moons and colourful plant life. Fabulous show for babies, toddlers and bigger kids. 10am, 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm (cafe open until 4pm); £8.95. Booking essential, limited spaces per show, call 0208 341 4421 (May 13)

Local Pick
Fri-Sun: Remember the Umbrella at Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, N1 (Angel tube)
An enchanting tale of shadow puppetry, music and audience participation as we follow the adventures of the Umbrella-seller storyteller. For ages 4-7, baby-friendly performance on Sun am. 5pm (Fri), 11am & 2pm (Sat-Sun); £8/£6 concs. (May 11-13)

We also like
Sunshine on a Rainy Day at Chickenshed Theatre, Southgate (Sat), May in a Day at Cecil Sharp House, NW1 (Sat), Not So Silent Movies at King’s Place, N1 (Sun), Kid Carpet and the Noisy Animals at Arts Depot, N12 (Sun), LPO Funharmonics Family Concert at Southbank Centre, SE1, Town Mouse and the Country Mouse at Puppet Theatre Barge, Little Venice (ongoing)

Don’t miss our action-packed May Family Events Calendar

Share
Pin
Tweet
Share

Category: WeekendTag: activities, central London, east London, events, family, kids, north London, shows

About Uju

Uju Asika is a writer, blogger and creative consultant. She is the author of Raising Boys Who Do Better: A Hopeful Guide for a New Generation (DK/Penguin Random House), Bringing Up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World (Yellow Kite/Hachette UK) and the delightful picture book A World for Me and You, illustrated by Jennie Poh (Hachette Children's Group). Uju's books are available at Bookshop.org, Amazon, Waterstones and other good bookshops. Follow Uju @babesabouttown on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram.

Previous Post: « Babes Review: Beauty and the Beast 3D
Next Post: Top 20 Family-Friendly Festivals in London and Beyond (Summer 2012) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Honest Mum

    May 11, 2012 at 6:26 am

    So many wonderful events to keep the kids entertained here. Coming to London soon so looking forward to checking some of these out x

  2. Uju

    May 11, 2012 at 2:39 pm

    Always loads on in London, hard to keep up. But we try ;-) x

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

I’m Uju, author, blogger, screenwriter. I curate cool finds and experiences for city families. Read more…

Get the Book

Buy Now
Buy Now
A World for Me and You cover
Buy Now

VuelioTop10Badge2021 VuelioTop10Badge2022 VuelioTop10Badge2023

Footer

  • FAQS
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Competitions

Copyright © 2025 · Blog Design by Shauna Callaghan