London Kids Weekend Scoop (March 6-8, 2015)

 

 
Did you manage to bag tickets to the underground rave with Big Fish Little Fish at Mini Vault Festival this Saturday? Lucky you, because it is SOLD OUT! Don’t say I didn’t warn you back in January…

Never fear if you missed out, there is tons more family friendly stuff to do in our London Kids Weekend Scoop. And belated happy World Book Day – what did your kids go as? I had a rather cheeky Dennis the Menace and John from Peter Pan staying in character for most of the day!

 

 
Fri-Sat: Pram Chorus and Under 10s Feminist Corner at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX (Waterloo/Embankment tube)
We love the sound of two events highlighted for the WOW festival celebrating International Women’s Day at Southbank Centre. Sing your heart out with the south London choir Pram Chorus (yup, babies welcome), founded by Ruth Routledge to help mums come together and release some of the stresses of new motherhood through music. For all ages, 12.30-2.30pm, FREE (Mar 6). In the Under 10s Feminist Corner (Royal Festival Hall) kids as young as 7, boys and girls included, are invited to come and explore what it means to be a feminist and to launch a campaign from your bedroom.For ages 7-10. 12pm & 3.30pm, FREE (Mar 8)

Fri-Sun: Plantastic at Horniman, 100 London Rd, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ (Forest Hill overground)
Friendly flowers, crawl-through installations and exploding cucumbers are all part of this interactive exhibition focusing on the world of plants. Kids will enjoy getting up close with all types of plant life to learn how they reproduce, move, feed and survive. Horniman Museum is a great family day out and on a combined ticket you can also visit the popular Horniman Aquarium. All ages. 10.30am-5.30pm; combined adult £8.50/child £4.50/family of 4 £22; Plantastic only ticket adult £6.50/child £3.50/family of 4 £16.50/unders 3s FREE (Feb 14-Nov 12)

Sat: Museum of London Docklands: International Women’s Day Celebration, West India Quay , E14 4AL (West India Quay DLR/Canary Wharf tube)
Let’s hear it for the girls at Museum of London Docklands as they celebrate East End women with tales about Grace O’Malley, the Irish Pirate Queen, Mary Driscoll and the match girls and more local legends. Hear about some awesome adventurers and make a card for a special woman in your life. All ages. 10am-4pm, FREE (Mar 7)

 

 
Sat: Cinnamon Kitchen House of Holi at 9 Devonshire Square, EC2M 4YL
Take part in this colourful festival from India at Cinnamon Kitchen’s Holi Pod. Adults and kids can dress up in protective suits and then go wild with paints and powders in a mini version of the Holi Festival that happens every springtime. For a little extra, you can tuck into traditional Indian treats and cocktails for the grown-ups. The kid-friendly Little Holi sessions (for children 10 and under) are from 12-12.30pm & 3-3.30pm (Sats), £8 or £15 including food and drink (Mar 7 & Mar 14)

Sat: Treasure Island: Pirate Puppetry & Cavernous Caves at National Theatre, Clore Learning Centre, South Bank, SE1 9PX (Waterloo/Embankment tube)
Inspired by their production of Treasure Island, National Theatre holds workshops for big kids this Saturday. Work with a puppeteer to make your own parrot that will accompany you to Treasure Island. Or you can grab a paintbrush and help recreate the secret Cavernous Caves where Captain Flint’s treasure is buried. For ages 8+. 11am-12.30pm (Pirate Puppetry) or 11am-1pm (Cavernous Caves); adult £5/child £3 (max 3 kids per adult) (Mar 7)

 

 
Sat-Sun: Mini Vault at Waterloo, The Vaults, Leake St , London SE1 7NN (Waterloo tube/rail)
The family friendly arm of this festival in Waterloo’s secret tunnels goes out with a bang this weekend. Big Fish Little Fish is a sell-out, but you can still catch Comedy Club for Kids (Sat, 12.45pm, £9.50, ages 6+); and back by popular demand, the enchantingly conceptual Albee Vector The Sound Collector (Sat, 10.30am & 12.45pm, £9.50, all ages) with pops, fizzes and farts creating a soundscape to remember! Directions: Leave Waterloo Station via Exit 1. Turn right onto Station Road Approach and keep on the right hand side of the road. Walk all the way to the bottom of the road and go down the first set of stairs you come to and turn right at the bottom of the stairs. The entrance to the VAULT Festival is 10 metres down the graffiti tunnel on the right hand side. (Mar 7-8)

Sat-Sun: Big Write at Discover, 383-387 Stratford High St, E15 4QZ (Stratford tube/overground)
Anthony Browne curates the annual festival of children’s literature, with the likes of Guy Parker-Rees and Mini Grey on hand for storytelling, signings and more fun. There will be interactive workshops, music, tips on breaking into the kiddy lit industry, and tickets provide entry to the Once There Was… The Wonderful World of Oliver Jeffers show. All ages. 11am-5pm, adult £6/child & concs. £5.50/family £21/under 2s FREE (Mar 7 & 8)

Sat-Sun: Red Riding Hood on Puppet Theatre Barge, 35 Blomfield Rd, W9 2PF (Warwick Avenue/Paddington tube)
It’s the well-known story about a girl who wanders into the wood and finds a big bad wolf in place of her grandmother. But it’s given a modern twist with puppetry, shadow play and music on this famous theatre vessel in Little Venice. Ages 3+. 11am & 3pm (Sat-Sun); adult £12.50/child £8 (until Mar 15)

 

 
Sun: Storytelling Family Workshop: Sonic Stellar Bangs at Parasol Unit, 14 Wharf Rd, N1 7RW (Angel tube)
An exciting workshop in the company of poet Francesca Beard who will lead kids and adults through a poetry workshop inspired by the 10th anniversary commission at Parasol Unit. Kids and adults can imagine the timeline of their inner worlds against the mystery of the Big Bang and the expanding universe. For ages 5-15. 2.30pm-4pm, £5 per family (Mar 8)

Sun: Team Honk and Comic Relief Danceathon at The SSE Arena, Arena Square, Wembley (Wembley Park tube)
The Comic Relief charity drive that’s evolved from three bloggers to a nationwide movement goes one (hot funky) step further this year with the Team Honk Danceathon, part of the larger Comic Relief Danceathon. Get your boogie shoes on for a dance marathon at Wembley Arena and locations worldwide to raise money for brilliant causes. Sign up, tune in and turn out! All ages. 12-6pm, registration from £10 (Mar 8)

We also like
Electric Cinema Kids Club is playing the wonderful How to Train your Dragon 2 (Sat); catch one of our favourite Disney movies The Lion King at Rio Cinema (Sat); or the madcap comedy Penguins of Madagascar at Barbican Framed Family Film Club (Sat); snuggle up for the enchanting Where the Wild Things Are at Pillow Cinema; see lambs and chicks at the Spring Family Fun Day at Vauxhall City Farm; help paint the world as it might have been 200,000 years ago at Battersea Pumphouse Gallery Sunday Social family friendly drop-in (Sun); watch Error 404 new drama for ages 8+ at Polka Theatre in Wimbledon (until Mar 29)