Weekend Scoop for London Kids and Families (June 6-9, 2013)

Sun is shining, weather is sweet… we’re loving the warmer weather and there’s so much fun to be had this weekend in London with kids, outdoors and (just in case) inside.

In the Night Garden Live, the Big IF Campaign in Hyde Park, Open Garden Squares Weekend, MINT Polo in the Park, Kensington Mums Motherhood Exhibition, Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dancehall, Gizzi Erskine at Street Feast…

Enjoy!

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! 2pm & 4pm (Thu Jun 6) and 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: Kensington Mums Motherhood Exhibition Launch (pic), Beaufort House Chelsea, 354 Kings Rd, SW3 (South Kensington tube)
I’m one of dozens of mums who took part in the Kensington Mums Motherhood Exhibition, sharing our stories about motherhood in photos and videos, as part of a wider project collaboration between Story of Mum and the Museum of Motherhood in New York. The exhibition is unveiled this Friday at the swanky Beaufort House and there’s an open invitation and viewing party. We can’t wait to check it out! 8pm, FREE (Jun 7)

Fri-Sun: MINT Polo in the Park at The Hurlingham, Hurlingham Park (off Hurlingham Rd), SW6 (Putney Bridge/Parsons Green tube)
Saturday tickets are gone baby, but you can still bag tickets for Friday and Sunday at this lively sporting event, straight out of a Jilly Cooper novel. Watch thrilling action on the field, stop by the Pommery Champagne garden, munch on delicious street food from Kerb, relax in the Mahiki Bar and let the kids run riot in the Club Med Kids play area. Sunday is Family Day with special activities for little ones including giant slides, bungee runs and mass dodge ball! 12-9pm (Fri) and 12-7pm (Sun); adult £20 (Fri) or £25 (Sun)/child £10/family £60/under 2s FREE (Jun 7-9)

Sat: Gigz for Kidz at Arts Depot, 5 Nether St, Tally Ho Corner, N12 (West Finchley tube)
The popular north London theatre is throwing open its doors for the first Gigz for Kidz, a special concert to raise money for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. Come out and make some noise for young, handpicked performers including singers, dancers, musicians and songwriters all between the ages of 5 and 25. Dance crews on stage will include Trouble Makers, Viberz and Infuzion. 4pm, £8/concs £6/under 3s FREE (Jun 8)

Sat: The Big IF in Hyde Park, W1 (Hyde Park Corner tube)
The Babes are supporting Action Aid along with other international charities and thousands of Londoners in this mass campaign to shake David Cameron and the G8 Summit leaders into taking action against global hunger. Come to Hyde Park to hear about how we can all play our part, help plant a field of flowers representing 2 million hungry children, hear inspirational speakers and add your voice to the cause. There will be chill-out areas, activity tents for families, professional storytellers and more. Famous faces in attendance include Bill Gates, Eddie Izzard, Angelique Kidjo, Beardyman, Myleene Klass and more. Activities from 10am, picnic area from 12pm, big screens and live campaign from 2pm, event ends 5pm, all FREE! (Jun 8)

Sat: Gizzi Erskine’s Barn Party at Street Feast, Merchant Yard, 317-319 Kingsland Rd, E8 (Haggerston overground)
Chef Gizzi Erskine is hosting a BBQ fiesta with everything from Korean and Yakitori to Jamaican and Tandoori in the mix. Street food faves Lucky Chip, Big Apple Hot Dogs, Disco Bistro, Mama’s Jerk and more will be feeding the faithful, with live bands, DJs and cocktail bar to keep the party going. 12pm-late, FREE entry (Jun 8)

Sat-Sun: Open Garden Squares Weekend, venues around London
A magical two day event that allows visitors from all around the world exclusive access to some of London’s most amazing, secret oases, community gardens and private squares. Explore everything from prisons and barges to contemporary roof gardens. From 8am daily (times vary by venue), adult weekend passes only £10 (bought before Jun 8) or £12 (on weekend)/under 12s FREE. (Jun 8-9)

Sat-Sun: Waterloo Festival at Apsley House 149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner, W1 (Hyde Park Corner tube)
The historical house launches its season of celebrating significant events in the build up to the Battle of Waterloo. Every weekend in June sees different family activities, kicking off with special interpreters on Saturday and Sunday to give an insight into the dressing and manners of this dramatic period. 11am-4pm, adult £6.70/child 5-15 £4/under 5s FREE (Jun 8-9)

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

Sat: Big Day Out in Whittington Park, Holloway Rd, N19 (Upper Holloway overground)
The Holloway Arts Festival rounds up with this fun and friendly day of workshops and performances for all ages. There will be yoga, Tai Chi and other fitness sessions, circus skills with Jacksons Jugglers, Arsenal penalty shoot-out, puppet making with the Little Angel Theatre and loads of other kids’ activities. And don’t miss live shows from Love Buzz, Sage Ballet (for over 50s) and One Youth Dance. 12-5pm, FREE (Jun 8)

We also like

Beanotown is open at Southbank Centre’s Festival of Neighbourhood (all weekend, ongoing); there’s a Family Fun Day about genius and invention at Royal Institution, Piccadilly (Sat, 11am-4pm); Learn to Swaddle your Baby with Aden & Anais at Selfridges (Sat, 2-6pm); watch out, London Naked Bike Ride is cycling about! (Sat); the Bedford Park Festival kicks off in Chiswick this Sat (until Jun 23); watch lovely theatre for the very young with Circles in the Sand at Arts Depot, N12 (Sun); brilliantly funny film The Croods is on at Vue Kids AM cinema for pocket money prices, in Islington and other locations around town (Sat-Sun).