London Kids Weekend Scoop (November 12-15, 2015)

 

 
So many fun things happening in our London Kids Weekend Scoop, and it’s getting to that time of year when I can hardly pack it all in (see our ever expanding Booking Ahead list).

Ice rinks are opening, Christmas shows are popping up everywhere and my annual Christmas guide is starting to take shape (out later in the month).

Meantime enjoy a new Tintin exhibition, jazz shows around town, I Want My Hat Back on stage at National Theatre and the Lord Mayor’s Show with Fireworks. Happy weekend!

Thu-Sat: Into the Hoods Remixed at Sadler’s Wells, Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, Holborn, WC2A 2HT (Holborn tube)
LAST CHANCE: Back in 2008, Zoo Nation dance company dazzled audiences with their hip hop fairytale Into the Hoods. Now they’re back with a revamped version, new choreography and designs as they showcase the journey of two lost schoolkids from Ruff Endz estate who follow a trail of rap, rhythm and rhyme. Wicked production for ages 5+ (younger ones will not be admitted). 7.30pm (Tue-Sat), 2.30pm (Sat), 2pm & 6pm (Sun), no show on Wed 4 Nov; £15-£38/under 16s half price (until Nov 14)

Thu-Sun: Tintin: Herge’s Masterpiece (pic) at Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA (Charing Cross tube)
Tintin was one of those heroes who captured my fantasies when I was little (I even had an imaginary dog called Snowy!). So I’m excited to take the boys to this brand new exhibition. Enter the colourful, eccentric world of artist-author Hergé and Tintin, his daring young reporter, in a retrospective showing the evolution the artwork from early newspaper strips to the globally renowned graphic novels. All ages. 10am-6pm daily (late closing 9p on Thu & Fri); FREE (Nov 12-Jan 31)

 

 
Thu-Sun: Elf the Musical at Dominion Theatre, 268-269 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7AQ (Tottenham Court Rd tube)
Just 40 days (gasp!) to go until we pull the crackers, and I’m more than a little ding dong over the opening of Elf the Musical last week. The Will Ferrell comedy is one of my favourite Christmas movies, and now it’s been adapted for the stage, in what we expect to be a big-hearted, toe-tapping experience. Find out what happens when a boy who (wrongly) believes he’s an elf comes face to face with reality. Recommended for ages 4+, children under 2 not allowed. 7.30pm (Mon-Sat) and 2.30pm (Wed & Sat); £30-£83.90 (Nov 5-Jan 2, 2016)

Thu-Sun: Baddies the Musical at Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, Southwark, SE1 2HZ (London Bridge tube)
So you think you know everything there is to know about fairytale’s anti-heroes? What happens when someone rips up the rule books, and it’s hard to separate the good guys from the villains. Follow the Big Bad Wolf, Captain Hook and other famous baddies in this riotous family musical for ages 6+. Shows between 10.30am, 2pm, 5.30pm, 7pm & 9pm (Tue-Sun, performance times vary); adult £18-£28/child £12-£22 (until Dec 24)

Thu-Sun: I Want My Hat Back at National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 9PX (Embankment/Waterloo tube)
Bear’s hat is gone. He loves his hat. He wants it back. Jon Klassen’s 2011 picture book has become an instant classic, and it’s brought to the stage by National Theatre in a production filled with humour, music and surprise. children’s classic. Track Bear on his journey of rediscovery as he searches for his elusive headwear. Described as ‘a treat for everyone aged 3-300′. 10.30am weekdays, 11am & 2pm Sats, no shows on Sunday; adult £12 & £15/child £10 (Nov 12-Jan 2)

Fri-Sun: London Jazz Festival at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX (Waterloo/Embankment tube)
London’s largest celebration of jazz from all across the globe takes over the capital for another two weeks. Southbank Centre free sessions in the Clore Ballroom include Seriously Talented musicians showcase (all day Sun Nov 15) and the upcoming Jazzcotech Dancefloor Jazz Party (Nov 22). Jazz for Toddlers (Nov 20) ALWAYS sells out super early but you can still book for Groove Baby Presents, grown-up concerts that your babies and toddlers can groove to (Nov 18, 10.30am, adult £10 + up to 3 kids FREE). Find more family jazz events around town at the London Jazz Festival site (Nov 13-22)

 

 
Sat: Lord Mayor’s Show and Fireworks Display, (nearest tubes Bank/St. Paul’s to arrive, Blackfriars or Mansion House to leave, check TFL for best routes)
One of the capital’s most extravagant displays rounds off Bonfire Night season, in celebration of the new mayoral year. The fun starts with the spectacular river pageant setting out near Westminster Bridge at 8.30am, followed by the Lord Mayor’s procession with 3 miles of floats head out from Mansion House at 11am, and then a grand finale of fireworks in the early evening. Best viewing points are riverside between Waterloo and Blackfriars Bridges, either on Victoria Embankment or on the South Bank. Show from 8.30am, parade 11am, fireworks 5.15pm; all FREE (Nov 8)
Best viewing points are riverside between Waterloo and Blackfriars Bridges, either on Victoria Embankment or on the South Bank. 5.15pm, FREE (Nov 14)

Sat: Super Cross at Granary Square, Stable Street, King’s Cross, N1C 4AB (King’s Cross St Pancras tube)
It’s a London first, but already the third and final round of the Rapha Super Cross Series with races for kids, amateurs, veterans and pros. A bespoke urban course features obstacles co-designed by Central Saint Martins architectural students and cyclocross experts, and runs through fountains and even through the university hallways! Along with the fun sights, there are street food stalls, beer tent with local brews, guest DJ and live commentary. All ages. From 10.30am (children and youth races start) and 12pm (adult races start); FREE (Nov 14)

Sat: Celebrate Diwali at National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN (Charing Cross tube)
Throughout Saturday morning and afternoon, you can celebrate Diwali in a series of activities themed Light Up the Darkness Family Festival Day. There will be Musical Magic Carpet sessions, shadow puppet drop-in workshops and performances, rangoli drawing, musical performances, henna hand designs and much more for all ages. Sessions between 10.30am-4pm; FREE but tickets are first come, first served so arrive early to avoid disappointment (Nov 14)

Sat: Family Concert + Workshop with EFG London Jazz Festival: Chapter 100 and a Dream at Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP (Oxford Circus tube)
Vocalist Emilia Mårtensson, percussionist Adriano Adewale and accordionist Janez Dovč take listeners on an evocative journey across the globe through folk and jazz influences, using the power of words, music and imagination. Earlier in the day you can join singer Emilia Mårtensson in a pre-show workshop to learn some jazz and folk songs and create magical musical worlds of your own. Ages 6+. Workshop 10.30am-12pm; Performance 1pm; adult £10 performance, £15 + workshop/child £8 performance, £12 + workshop (Nov 14)

Sat: Grant Museum of Zoology: Explore Zoology, 21 University Street, WC1E 6JJ (Euston tube)
Take your little animal lovers along for a fascinating rifle through the drawers and cabinets of the museum, checking our specimens and asking questions. If you’ve ever wondered what the skin of a python feels like or how sharp a shark’s tooth is or how many spots a leopard has, this could be a fun and informative afternoon. All ages. 1-4.30pm, FREE (Nov 14)

Sun: Ulla’s Odyssey at Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9AG (Kings Cross St Pancras tube)
It’s a 21st century retelling of Homer’s Odyssey, created by OperaUpClose in a family friendly show designed to get young ones interested in opera from their early childhood. The award-winning nautical fantasy by New Zealand composer Anthony Young and Canadian librettist Leanne Brodie traces the story of 14-year-old Ulla on her quest to become the youngest person to sail the world single-handedly. The show includes live music and puppetry and is suitable for kids ages 7+ and their families. Buy a Big Day Out ticket (adult £34.50/child under 14 £24) and you can take part in a drawing workshop with House of Illustration before the show, followed by lunch at Green & Fortune Cafe before catching Ulla’s Odyssey! 2pm (Nov 15 & Nov 22); adult £19.50/child under 14 £12/family of 3 £36/family of 4 £54 (Nov 15 & 22)

We also like
Toast to London’s first ever Mulled Wine Festival in Covent Garden (Thu-Sat); explore gizmos and gadgets at a Family Day at Keats House (Sat); they’re switching on
Christmas lights in Regent Street (Sun); and the ice rinks are opening all across London including the Natural History Museum Ice Rink (until Jan 3)

Booking Ahead

Groove Baby Presents at London Jazz Festival (jazz for babies and toddlers) at Southbank Centre (Nov 18)
Skate at Somerset House (Nov 18-Jan 10)
Raymond Brigg’s Father Christmas at Lyric Hammersmith (Nov 20-Dec 24)
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (Nov 20-Jan 3)
Winter at Southbank Centre (from Nov 20-Jan 17)
Framed Family Film Festival at Barbican Centre (Nov 21-22)
Cinderella at Lyric Hammersmith (Nov 21-Jan 3)
Winterville at Victoria Park (Nov 26-Dec 23)
Children’s Christmas Spectacular at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (Nov 28)
Big Fish Little Fish at Museum of London Docklands (Nov 29)
Dr Seuss’s The Lorax at the Old Vic (Dec 2-Jan 16)
Peter Pan Goes Wrong at Apollo Theatre (Dec 4-Jan 31)
Nutcracker the Musical at Pleasance Theatre (Dec 8-Jan 3)
Big Fish Little Fish at The Garage, Islington (Dec 13)