My weekend’s all about BritMums Live 2013, the largest blogging conference for UK parenting and lifestyle bloggers, that’s taking over the Brewery in Shoreditch from Friday.
But for all you twiddling your thumbs, wondering how to entertain the kids, here’s our regular Scoop of fun things to do with the family in London.
Taste of London, West End Live, Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, Sadler’s Wells Sampled Festival, In the Night Garden Live, Brixton Windmill Parade and Festival, All Saint’s Rd Summer Solstice, Hafla on the Square, Musical Rumpus at Rich Mix…
Take an umbrella, the weather’s a bit iffy at the mo.
Thu: Musical Rumpus: Movers and Shakers at Rich Mix, Bethnal Green Rd, E1 (Shoreditch High St overground)
Spitalfields Music Festival presents a world of Monteverdian rolling, dancing and bouncing for little ones courtesy of Musical Rumpus and their brand new show. Performers from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s OAE Experience are among those getting toddlers moving and shaking. For ages 0-2. 10.30am and 12pm, FREE (booking required) (Jun 20)
Thu-Sun: Taste of London in Regent’s Park, NW1 (Regent’s Park tube)
Knives and forks at the ready as the self-styled world’s greatest restaurant festival takes over the park for the annual gastro-fest. Come for taster menus, masterclasses, fine wine sampling and people watching. 12-4pm (Thu-Sat), 12-5pm (Sun) & 5.30-9.30pm (Thu-Sun); adult £25.80-£28/child 6-14 £12.90-£14/under 6s FREE (Jun 20-23)
Thu-Sun: Aston’s Stones at Unicorn Theatre, Tooley St, SE1 (London Bridge tube)
Some stones are big, some are small. Yet all of them just need a friendly pocket or someone to keep them safe. This heartwarming show with interactive elements celebrates the value in small things. For under 5s. Foyer event on Sat & Sun, to decorate your own stone to take home. 11am & 2pm, adult £16/child £10 (Jun 18-23)
Thu-Sun: In the Night Garden Live at the O2, Greenwich, SE10 (North Greenwich tube)
Tickets are already selling out for this wonderfully enchanting show based on the popular CBeebies characters. You can watch either the Pinky Ponk or the Ninky Nonk performances and catch up with your faves Iggle Piggle, Tinky Winky, Upsy Daisy and the teeny tiny Pontipines live on stage! 10am, 12pm, 2pm & 4pm (Tue-Sun, ongoing). £17.50-£29.50. Babes-in-arms (6 months and under) are half price (Jun 6-22)
Read our In the Night Garden Live Review
Fri-Sat: All Saints Road Summer Solstice, W11 (Ladbroke Grove tube)
Bring the whole family along to this celebration of the heritage of All Saints Rd and its independent retailers. The road’s first ever shopping event will feature street food, live music and master classes. Plus for the kids, there are headband and hat making workshops, performances by the Portobello Dance School and a special all-day ‘Children on Wheels’ event by the Bicycle Workshop. 10am (Fri) until 8pm (Sat); FREE (Jun 21-22)
Fri-Sun: Greenwich + Docklands International Festival (pictured), around Greenwich, SE10 (Greenwich tube/Cutty Sark DLR)
London’s leading festival of free outdoor performing arts including street dance and theatre. Highlights this weekend include astonishing Aerial Theatre in As the World Tipped (Fri-Sat), Greenwich Fair (Fri-Sun) featuring more than 20 productions from Bollywood juggling to giant interactive puppet games! Dates and times vary, FREE (Jun 21-29)
Sat: Brixton Windmill’s Parade & Festival, Windrush Square to Windmill Gardens, off Brixton Hill SW2 (Brixton tube)
Cakes, puddings and pies is the theme of this popular summer parade and celebration, with stalls, live music, farm animals and more entertainment in Windmill Gardens. Parade begins from 1pm at Windrush Square and of course come dressed up as a cake, pudding or pie! 1-6pm, FREE (Jun 22)
Sat-Sun: Sadler’s Wells Sampled, Rosebery Ave, EC1 (Angel tube)
A brand new festival showcasing bite-sized performances from the best in contemporary dance at affordable prices. The two-week series kicks off this weekend with Made, featuring short masterpieces by 3 of the world’s top choreographers including Wayne McGregor, Russell Maliphant and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. For ages 5+. 7.30pm (and 4pm on Jul 7), from £8 standing/£12 seated (Jun 22-Jul 7)
Sat-Sun: West End Live, Trafalgar Square, WC2 (Charing Cross Rd tube)
Love a sing song? Don’t miss this totally free opportunity to catch some of the hit performances from London’s top shows. Cast of Let It Be, Thriller Live, Mamma Mia, Disney’s the Lion King, Once, Dirty Dancing and pretty much every show running in the West End will be drawing the crowds to Trafalgar Square. 11am-6pm (Sat) and 12-6pm (Sun), FREE (Jun 22-23)
Sat-Sun: Shubbak Festival: Hafla on the Square at Lyric Square, Hammersmith, W6
It means party in Arabic and it’s taking over one of West London’s most pouplar zones for a weekend of family-friendly fun. The ‘Hafla’ on the square is part of the Shubbak festival, offering a window into Arab culture. Enjoy a music stage, dance to the latest Arab sounds spun by DJs, learn to play tabla, catch a film on the outdoor screens and sip on coffee. 12-6pm (Sat), 12-5pm (Sun), FREE (Hammersmith tube)
Sun: Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dancehall in London Wonderground at Southbank Centre, SE1 (Waterloo/Embankment tube)
As part of the Festival of Neighbourhood and the London Wonderground, internationally-renowned DJ Monski Mouse rocks the Spiegeltent with her afternoon dance club for kids under 5 and their parents. Spinning every other Sunday through September, DJ Monski and her crew will have young and old raving to pop faves, retro classics and nursery rhymes remixed. 3pm, £8 (Jun 9, until Sep 15)
LOCAL PICK
Sun: Sunday Family Workshop: Textures of Paint at Parasol Unit, 14 Wharf Rd, N1 (Angel tube)
Experiment with different textures of paint and blend in elements like debris, glue and saw-dust then explore ways of applying the paint onto manipulated paper and canvas. For ages 5+, younger siblings welcome. 2.30-4pm, £5 per family (Jun 23)
We also like
Explore a kingdom of money in Theatre Rites: Bank on It at Barbican Centre (Sat, until Jul 14); it’s Okinaway Day at Spitalfields Market (Sat); get the blues at Global Smurf Day at Westfield London (Sat); join in with the Varmints Family Day at Stratford Circus (Sat-Sun); root for Robin Hood and his Very Merry Men at Arts Depot (Sun); the City of London Festival, kicks off around EC1-EC4 and E14 (Sun, until Jul 26)
Can totally recommend ‘In the night garden live’. Saw it when A was 2 and she adored it. She was mesmerised! Great round-up as always – that All Saints Rd event sounds fab. Going to try and make it there.
Oh we loved Night Garden live when we saw it! Did you make the All Saints Rd event? Always so much going on, would have loved to check it out x