The weather’s a bit mixed as ever, but loads of family fun in London to cheer you up this weekend. Everything from Polo in the Park to Festival of Sport at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Or head to Regent St on Sunday for a traffic-free shopping event and a chance to gawp at super cars from the Gumball Rally. Enjoy!
Thu-Sat: Opening Street Party at The Scoop at More London, off Tooley St, SE1 2DB (London Bridge tube)
Celebrating the opening weekend of The Scoop at More London’s Free summer festival of arts and events, there’s a big Latin American street party happening with live samba bands, salsa dancing, capoeira demos and more. The big day is Saturday finale when the live music will be joined by street food stalls from Mama’s Jerk Station, Churros Garcia, Boom Burger, Wahaca and many more for one giant carnival atmosphere. All ages. 12pm-9pm (Thu-Fri), 12pm-10pm (Sat); FREE entry (Jun 5-7)
Thu-Sun: 1001 Nights at Unicorn Theatre, Tooley St, SE1 2HZ (London Bridge tube)
An enchanting reworking of the classic Arabian Nights folk tales with a modern spin by Transport Theatre. Torn between her Eastern heritage and her new home in England, young Shahrazad uses objects around her to draw us into a fantastical world. Best for ages 7+. 11am, 1.30pm & 2pm (dates and timings vary), £10-£16 (Jun 5-22)
Read my Interview with Transport Theatre director Douglas Rintoul
Thu-Sun: Cirque du Soleil at O2, Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX (North Greenwich tube)
The astonishing circus troupe from Canada continues to thrill audiences worldwide and is back in London with new show Dralion, fusing 3000 years of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil. 8pm (Thu-Fri), 4pm & 8pm (Sat), 1pm & 5pm (Sun); £51.75-£62.75 (Jun 5-8)
Fri: The Kew Palace Snooze: Georgian Sleepover, Kew Palace, in grounds of Kew Gardens, Richmond, TW9 3AB (Kew Gardens overground/tube)
Your child will pay royally (although it includes bed and breakfast) for the privilege of bedding down like a prince or princess in Kew Palace. The evening’s entertainment includes food, lessons in etiquette and dancing to celebrate George III’s birthday. Part of the Glorious Georges season. For ages 6+. 6.30pm-overnight, £55 (Jun 6)
Fri-Sat: Musical Rumpus: The Mountain Shakers at Rich Mix (pictured), 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, E1-6LA (Shoreditch High St overground)
Handel’s score Acis & Galatea is transformed into an interactive opera for babies and toddlers filled with giants, mountains, colours and sounds for little senses to explore. Suitable for ages 0-2. 11am & 12.30pm, adult FREE/baby or toddler £5 (Jun 6-7)
Fri-Sun: RAF Museum: D Day Weekend at RAF Museum, Grahame Park Way, NW9 5LL (Colindale tube)
To commemorate the historic battle, RAF Museum hosts an entire weekend of family-friendly activities. Take part in games and secret missions, watch vintage theatre, let a Poetry Chef cook up a poem for you, explore original archive material from the RAF’s contribution to D Day, watch an fly past and ride a real army tank around Colindale! All ages. 10am-6pm, most events are FREE; tank rides adult £8.50/child £5.50 (Jun 6-8)
Sat-Sun: Polo in the Park at Hurlingham Park, Fulham, London SW6 3RH (Putney Bridge tube)
The annual showcase of sportsmanship and posh folk on horses features simplified game rules so newcomers can follow the action easily. Sunday is Children’s Day with on-field activities and autograph signings, and all three days have the Club Med Kids zone offering bouncy castles, circus games, foam dodge-ball and more. All ages. 12-9pm (Fri), 12-8pm (Sat) and 11.30am-7pm (Sun); adult £30-£50/child £15-£25/family of 4 £70-£90/under 3s FREE (Jun 6-8)
Sun: Festival of Sport at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford E20 (Stratford tube/overground)
A whole day of sporting activities to celebrate the arrival of the Queen’s Baton Relay. Try your hand at anything from judo, athletics and hockey, to frisbee, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball. Also look out for mini cricket, bouncy caves, a big dance bus and street food pop-ups. For all ages and abilities. 9.30am-5pm, FREE (Jun 8)
Sun: Prince’s Trust Family Festival, The Artillery Garden Marquee, Chiswell St, EC1Y 4TW (Old St/Moorgate tube)
A special new event for all the family in the stunning grounds of the Honourable Artillery Company. There will be laser quest, dodgems, carousels and other fairground rides, food stalls, live music and a range of activities and masterclasses run by young people who have been helped by the Prince’s Trust. Also soft play and children’s entertainers for the youngest guests. All ages. 11am-5pm; adult £15/child ages 3-18 £16/family £50/under 3s FREE (Jun 8)
Sun: Gumball 3000 Rally/Traffic Day on Regent St, W1 (Oxford Circus/Piccadilly Circus tube)
On its route from Miami to Ibiza, the famous Gumball 3000 Rally puts on a spectacular display of supercars on Regent St. It’s an all day event with Capital FM stage, BMX contests, a truck from the Transformers movie and a special kids zone right by Hamleys. All ages. 12pm-late (Gumball Rally cars arrive from 6pm); FREE (Jun 8)
LOCAL PICK (King’s Cross)
Skip Garden Pop-Up Cafe King’s Cross, a walk up from Kings Boulevard and Granary Square (just follow the Skip Garden signs), N1 0AX (King’s Cross tube)
Take the family on a tour of the Skip Garden, a community project that has brought together people of all ages and backgrounds to learn about sustainability, growing food and marketing produce. Honey, jams and chutneys have been created, fruit and vegetables grown have been sold to local restaurants. The first Saturday of the month features a Pop Up Cafe offering healthy soups, dishes, salads, drinks and cakes using produce grown in the garden. This weekend has a festival feel to mark 10 years of Global Generation, the team behind the project. 10am-4pm, FREE entry (Jun 7)
We also like
Carters Steam Fair rolls up in Peckham Rye (Fri-Sun); celebrate Petersham Nurseries 10th Anniversary at a family friendly weekend in Richmond (Sat-Sun, from 10am, FREE); find stalls, music, food, dog shows and more at the popular Big Day Out in Whittington Park, N19 (Sun, 1-5.30pm, FREE); there’s another day of fun with the joint Chickenfield and Enfield Council Festival (Sun, 11am-4.30pm, FREE); Open the Gate African Market 10 year Anniversary Festival brings African stalls and 12 hours of non-stop live African sounds to Rich Mix in Shoreditch (Sun, noon-midnight, FREE)
