It’s the Father’s Day special of our London Kids Weekend Scoop with ideas to entertain your poppa and the rest of the family ranging from a foodie festival in Regent’s Park to a hip hop groove in Shoreditch. Our highlights:
Father’s Day Italian Supper Club at the Doodle Bar, Taste of London, Sunset Safari at London Zoo, Carsten Holler’s Giant Slide, Traces 7 Fingers Circus, British BMX Series, West End Live, Fun DMC, Streatham Common Kite Day…
Happy Father’s Day to all our wonderful Babe papas and to our very own BAHD daddy!
Thu-Sun: Taste of London festival, Regent’s Park, NW1 5HA (Baker St tube)
Feeling hungry? Taste of London is back to fill that gap in the middle of the day (and make you salivate more, actually) with delicious samples from some of the top eateries in town. Described as the ‘world’s greatest restaurant festival’, you can enjoy tastings, chef masterclasses, cooking demos, kids workshops and more edible entertainment. All ages. 12-4pm & 5.30-9.30pm (Sat), 12-5pm & 5.30-9.30pm (Sun); adult £16-£36.50/child £13/under 5s FREE (Jun 17-21)
Thu-Sun: Carsten Holler’s Giant Slide and the Festival of Love at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX (Waterloo/Embankment tube)
Carsten Holler’s playful exhibition featuring a giant slide structure outside Hayward Gallery is a surefire winner to tickle Papa’s inner child. It’s just one of the highlights of the Festival of Love at Southbank that’s bursting with activities including the urban beach, the Jeppe Hein fountains and tons of acts in Udderbelly and London Wonderground. All ages, various times and prices (ongoing)
Thu-Sun: Star Wars at Madame Tussaud’s, Marylebone Road, NW1 5LR (Baker St tube)
Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away, they’re wondering why Hans Solo and Yoda aren’t blinking. Madame Tussauds’ brand new Star Wars exhibition has 16 wax figures from the iconic series, helping to build the anticipation towards the newest movie coming out before Christmas. Explore the Star Wars universe and feel the wind in your hair as you recreate the most famous Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader scene. Open from 9am-6pm daily (or 8.30am-7pm during peak periods e.g. half term); adult £33/child £28.80/under 3s FREE – NB pushchairs must be checked in, but baby carriers are available on loan (from May 16-ongoing)
Thu-Sun: Traces: The 7 Fingers at Sadler’s Wells Peacock Theatre, Portugal St, WC2A 2HT (Holborn tube)
Circus acts that come to London continue to break new ground, like the Traces: The 7 Fingers circus production now turning heads at Peacock Theatre. A blend of film clips, narration, street theatre, comedy and of course dazzling circus stunts creates a high-voltage show that’s guaranteed to light up the stage. 7.30pm (Tue-Sat) & 2.30pm (Sat), 2pm & 6pm (Sun); £15-£38/concs and child tickets half price (Jun 9-Jul 12)
Thu-Sun: Sunset Safari at London Zoo, Regent’s Park, NW1 4RY (Regent’s Park/Baker St tube)
Experience the residents of London Zoo during their nighttime feeds and bedtime rituals in this summer long Sunset Safari season (only Gorilla Kingdom is closed to allow new baby gorilla Alika a good night’s sleep). Go on self-guided safari trails, hear acoustic music in the Safari Base Camp, hear talks and watch performances in the Zoo’s Theatre of Life, and tuck into yummy treats at the World Food Market. Lovely way to spend an evening with the family or for a special Date with Dad. 6pm-10pm; advance tickets £14.56-£20.80, full price tickets £22.40-£32. (Jun 5-Jul 17)
Sat-Sun: Grand Medieval Joust at Eltham Palace, Courtyard, Eltham, Greenwich SE9 5QE (Eltham/Mottingham rail)
This is a show-stopping event for Father’s Day weekend that’s guaranteed to thrill all the family. Watch knights in armour charge at each other on horseback in this ‘friendly’ tournament set against the lavish backdrop of Eltham Palace. The day will include feasting, falconry, young knights’ school, medieval games, music and more. All ages. 12-5pm, adult £15.10/child £9.10/family £39.30/under 5s FREE (Jun 20-22)
Sat-Sun: British BMX Series Round 7 & 8, Albany Road, London SE5 (Elephant & Castle tube)
Burgess Park goes bike crazy this weekend as the BMX kids take over. Racers as young as 9 will be showing their stuff, and don’t miss the likes of pulling all kinds of don’t-try-this-at-home stunts. If you’re tempted to have a go though, there are gentle intro sessions for all ages at various points. 12pm-6pm (Sat) & 10am-6pm (Sun), FREE entry (Jun 20-21)
Sat-SunWest End Live, Trafalgar Square, SW1Y 5AY (Charing Cross tube)
West End shows are fab but let’s face it, they do put a hole in your wallet. So why not head to Trafalgar Square this weekend to experience some of the best of musical theatre for free? Performers from The Lion King, Matilda, War Horse, Mamma Mia and more will be wowing the crowds – get there early for a good viewing spot. Don’t forget to check out the Spiegeltent in Leicester Square for more family fun such as a dinosaur petting zoo. All ages. 11am-6pm (Sat), 12pm-6pm (Sun), FREE (Jun 20-21)
Sun: Streatham Common Kite Day, Streatham Common, Streatham High Road, London SW16 (Streatham/Streatham Common rail)
Let’s go fly a kite at the annual Streatham Common Kite Day that sees kites of all descriptions soaring in the skies above picnickers. Come for competitive races, kite show-offs, food and craft stalls, face painting, bouncy castle and a lovely spectacle. Perfect Father’s Day fun. All ages. 11am-5pm, FREE (Jun 21)
Sun:Father’s Day with Italian Supper Club at The Doodle Bar, 33 Parkgate Road, Battersea, London SW11 4NP (Battersea Park rail/Sloane Square tube)
Treat Dad and your loved ones to a relaxed Italian brunch or lunch with the Italian Supper Club whipping up a special menu for the Doodle Bar crowd. There will be live gypsy jazz music, chalkboards for kids to scribble on, and of course delicious nosh to celebrate this special day. All ages. 12.30pm-2.30pm, £34 (kids’ menu also available) (Jun 21)
Sun: Father’s Day Beer Tasting at London Museum of Water and Steam, Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, London TW8 0EN (Kew Bridge rail, Gunnersbury/Kew Gardens/South Ealing tube)
Take a mini day trip to Brentford to explore the London Museum of Water and Steam. You can check out working steam engines and as a special treat for dad, Twickenham Fine Ales are offering beer tasting. Cheers! 11am-4pm, pre-booking advised. Adult £11.50/child £5/family £28/under 5s FREE (Jun 21)
Sun: Fun DMC: Father’s Day Superhero Special at Blueberry Bar, 4 Paul Street, London EC2A 4JH (Old St tube/Shoreditch High St overground)
He loves it when you call him Big Poppa! Take Dad for an old school groove with the Fun DMC crew, where hip hop lovers will reminisce over youth. Lots of hands in the air, heads to the floor, superhero fancy dress and music from founders Charlie Dark and The Doctor’s Orders plus guest dj Shortee Blitz. 12-5pm Party, adult £6/walking kid £5/family of 5 £20/non-walkers FREE (Jun 21)
We also like
Kids workshops at the Grow London Garden Fair on Hampstead Heath (Thu-Sun); Me, My Dad and our Airplane LEGO Workshop with Mini Engineers in South Kensington (Sat-Sun); Painted Planes family workshop; Codasign LED badge making at British Museum (Sun)
