Can you believe it’s almost Halloween? We’ll have our London Kids Halloween guide out next week along with our Half Term in London guide to help you out over the coming holidays.
In the meantime, there are some great things to do in London with kids this weekend. Take a look!
Fri-Sun: Room on the Broom at Arts Depot, 5 Nether Street Tally Ho Corner North Finchley London N12 0GA (Finchley Central tube)
Tall Stories’ adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s witchy tale is an enchanting brew of sight gags, live music and clever props. Catch this freakishly fun tale in time for Halloween (come in costume)! For ages 3+ and their grown-ups. 4.30pm (Fri), 11am & 1.30pm (Sat-Sun); £8-£13 (Oct 17-19)
Fri-Sun: Polka Theatre: Grandad, Me and Teddy Too, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1SB (South Wimbledon tube)
Bring your own bear to the Polka’s Adventure Theatre, magically transformed into a winter garden with soft grass that kids can sit on and be part of the show. Join in her anticipation for her Granddad’s arrival from a hot country, and journey with them to wherever their imagination takes them. Special show for ages 2-5, younger ones welcome. All kids ages 12 months and over require a ticket. 10.35am, 12.35pm & 2.05pm (Thu), 10.35 & 2.05pm (Wed & Fri), 11.05am, 12.30pm & 2.35pm (Sat), 11.05am & 2.35pm (Sun); adult/child £11.50/under 12 months FREE (Oct 8-Feb 6)
Fri-Sun: The Art of the Brick at Old Truman Brewery, Loading Bay 91, Brick Lane, E1 6QL (Shoreditch High St overground, Liverpool St/Aldgate East tube)
LEGO mania hits Shoreditch as the long-awaited Art of the Brick exhibition comes to Brick Lane (geddit?). Gawp at 80 sculptures lovingly crafted brick by brick by NY artist Nathan Sawaya from more than 1 million pieces of LEGO. Why not make a lazy Sunday visit to the show, then have a browse of the vintage shops and stalls on Brick Lane market, grab a bite to eat from local street traders (we recommend the Rib Man but don’t bother after 1pm!), and, if you still have the stamina, round off with a trip to nearby Spitalfields City Farm. All ages. 10am-6pm (Sun-Wed), 10am-8pm (Thu), 10am-7pm (Fri-Sat); adult £14.50/child £8/family of 4 £40 (Mon-Thu); adult £16.50/child £9.50/family of 4 £47 (Fri-Sun) (Sep 26-Jan 4)
Fri-Sun: Fantastic Mr Fox at Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, N1 2DN (Angel tube)
Watch the very clever Mr Fox in a battle of wits against the farmers trying to trap him, in this joyous adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic tale, performed by puppets. Best for ages 4-11, baby-friendly performances on Sundays at 11am. Regular shows 10am & 1pm (Wed-Thu), 1pm & 5pm (Fri) and 11am & 2pm (Sat-Sun); adult £14/child £12/Friday 5pm shows £5 (until Nov 9)
Sat: Robin Hood at Cockpit Theatre, Gateforth St, NWH 8EH (Marylebone/Edgware Rd tube)
Swashbuckling adventure is promised at this family friendly retelling of the Robin of Sherwood Forest legend. Wizard Theatre in association with Ilyria present evil Prince John in a timeless battle between Robin and his band of merry men. Expect dazzling swordplay, live music and an archery contest! For ages 5+. 11.30am & 2.30pm; £8 / £25 family of 4. NB: Tickets only £5 for local postcodes NW1 5**, NW1 6**, NW8 7**, NW8 8**, W2 1** (Oct 18)
Sat: Brixton Kids Book Jam, 6 Somerleyton Rd, SW9 8ND (Brixton tube)
Literary fun abounds for the little ones at the inaugural Brixton Kids’ Book Jam. Hear readings and take part in workshops with authors like Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow (London Calling and A Possum’s Tale), Emer Stamp (The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig) and Sam Hepburn (Chasing the Dark). Sessions for ages 5-7, 6-9 and 9-12. 1-6pm, FREE (Oct 18)
Sat-Sun: Once there Was… the Wonderful World of Oliver Jeffers at Discover Story Museum, 383-387 Stratford High St, E15 5QZ (Stratford tube/overground/DLR)
Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of one of the best loved picture book authors and illustrators. Celebrating the 10th birthday of Oliver Jeffers’ classic tale How to Catch a Star, Discover museum invites little adventurers to play in favourite scenes from his books brought to life. Row a boat, befriend a penguin, take a trip to the seaside, visit the Lost and Found office, and see stars appear as if by magic. For this Opening Weekend you can also meet the characters from his books. Recommended for ages 0-6 and their families. Term time weekdays: 3-5pm (Tue-Fri); 10.20am, 11.20am, 12.20, 1.20, 2.20, 3.15 and 4.15pm (Sat-Sun and school holidays; NB: 10.20 am show on weekdays during school holidays only) (Sep 27-Sep 6, 2015)
Sat-Sun: House of Illustration: Paddington Illustrated and Animated at 2 Granary Square, N1C 4BH (King’s Cross tube)
It’s gonna be a beary (ahem) good year in the run-up to the first ever Paddington movie (out November). Aside from stalking 50 Paddington statues popping up around the Capital this autumn, you can also visit this brand new exhibition featuring original drawings, clips from the stop-motion TV show and material from the upcoming movie. Admission is FREE with entry to the main Quentin Blake exhibition. 10am-6pm; (Paddington exhibition only) adult/concs/child £4/£3/£2 (Oct 18-Jan 2)
Sun: Big Fish Little Fish with Readers Wifes at Shapes, 117 Wallis Rd Hackney Wick, E9 5LN (Hackney Wick overground)
It’s a special edition of London’s hottest family friendly rave as they also host Out with the Family and their LGBT parent community, friends and allies. Readers’ Wives are on the decks, there’s a Halloween dress-up theme and as always Happy Monkey crafts, licensed bar, bubble machine, glow sticks, costume themes and a big floaty parachute dance finale. Recommended for ages 8 and under and their parents/carers. 2-4.30pm; adult £8 adv/£10 door, child £4.50 adv/£5 door, non-walkers FREE (Oct 19)
Sun: Rich Mix Casa Community and Mwalimu Express Day, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA (Shoreditch High St overground)
Enjoy a day of multicultural partying, as the Casa Festival of Latin American culture joins forces with Mwalimu Express monthly African club for families. There’s mask-making, parent and toddler dance, food and artisan stalls, live performance, community choir, storytelling and a screening by Mwalimu Express showcasing the rich Afro heritage of Latin America. All ages. 12-6pm, FREE (Oct 19)
Sun: Geoffrye Museum Family Day: Autumn Explorers, 136 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8EA (Hoxton overground)
It’s a perfect weekend to go crunching around the Geoffrye Museum’s gorgeous gardens and enjoy some autumn themed workshops. There’s sensory play for little explorers, collage-making, creating autumn mobiles, treasure hunts, garden games and more. Plus you can chill out (or warm up) afterwards with a hot chocolate in the Geoffrey’s cafe. 10.30am-4pm, FREE (Oct 19)
Sun: Diwali with Dishoom at Kings Cross in Granary Building, Granary Square, N1C (King’s Cross tube)
We’ve gotten messy with Dishoom at Holi in the past and now they’re bringing the fun to King’s Cross Granary Square for a day of storytelling, face-painting and pavement art. And yes it’s a nice little promo for the restaurant branch opening in Granary Square in November Hear tales from Vaishu, taste traditional Indian sweets and listen to Asian rock band ABBRR. If it’s a nice day, you could play in the fountains or hire a canal boat afterwards. If it’s wet, why not duck into House of Illustration round the corner to check out the Quentin Blake or Paddington (above) exhibitions? 11am-2pm, FREE (Oct 19)
We also like
The exciting Technopop Festival is ongoing at TIQ (The International Quarter) Stratford, E20 (until Nov 2); it’s your last days to explore the Frieze festival Regent’s Park (ends Sat);
sink into the plush sofas and beds to watch hip kids’ musical Bugsy Malone at Electric Cinema (Sat); bite into Apple Day at Capel Manor Gardens in Enfield (Sun); get creative with The Big Draw at Keats House Family Day (Sun)