It’s the first day of the year, welcome 2013 in style at one of these top events and attractions for London kids and families.
1. The crowds will be out in force for the annual London New Year’s Day Parade featuring the stars of 2012 Olympics along with dancers, acrobats, marching bands, floats and more spectacle than you can shake a stick at. 11.45am-3pm, FREE (Piccadilly Circus/Westminster/Charing Cross tube, W1)
2. There’ll be rocking and a-rolling at the Strictly Winter Swing family-friendly dance party, with DJs El Nino and Lady Kamikaze spinning tunes from 1920s to ’50s. 2pm, FREE (Waterloo/Embankment tube, SE1)
3. Chug along with your little ones to the Grand New Year Steam Up at Kew Bridge Steam Museum, see working engines in action and sketch chalkboard impressions of Victorian locomotives. 11am-5pm, adult £10/child £4/under 5s FREE (Kew Bridge rail, TW8)
4. Enjoy Giraffe High Tea (3pm) at London Zoo and say Happy New Year to all the animals, including the frogs in the new amphibian exhibit. Zoo open 10am-4pm, from adult £18.18/child £14.09/under 3s FREE (Regent’s Park tube, NW1)
5. Take your loved ones for a spin at the New Year’s Day Masked Ball at the Musical Museum at Kew Bridge. DJs will play popular tunes and instructors will lead in Ballroom, Latin, swing and other dance classics. All levels of ability are welcome. 2.30pm, £8 (Kew Bridge rail, TW8)
6. Catch seasonal classics It’s a Wonderful Life (3.40pm) or White Christmas (6pm) on the big screen at BFI South Bank. £5 (Waterloo/Embankment tube, SE1)
7. Explore the magical aquarium at Horniman Museum, scope out the museum’s treasures and gawp at the Body Adorned exhibition, closing this week! 10.30am-5.30pm, FREE entry, aquarium adult £2/child £1 (Forest Hill overground, SE23)
8. Bring the year in with a bang at the New Year’s Eve Gala at Barbican Centre, playing rousing classical and opera. 2.30pm, £19.50-£42.50 (Silk St tube, EC2)
9. Take a trip back in time and explore one of the world’s most famous ships, the Cutty Sark and treat the kids to a ship’s apprentice lunch! 12-5pm, adult £12/child £6.50/under 5s FREE (Greenwich DLR, SE10)
10. Wander through the Magical Ice Kingdom, a brand new attraction at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, filled with dazzling snow and ice sculptures. 10am-10pm (booking online advised), adult £7/child £5/family £20 (Hyde Park Corner tube, W1)
And don’t forget many of the Christmas shows are still playing on New Year’s Day – check out our Top 10 Family Shows
Pic via London Parade web site
