London Kids Weekend Scoop (March 17-20, 2016)

 

 
Easter is next weekend, there are already Easter egg hunts popping up in our London Kids Weekend Scoop — along with tons of family friendly activities including a piano festival, family theatre, and Find Your London activities all over celebrating the best that the capital has to offer for kids and families. Have a good one!

 

 
Fri-Sun: Move It Dance Weekend at ExCel London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, E16 1XL (Prince Regent (for ExCel) DLR)
The UK’s biggest dance festival takes over ExCel London for three days of workshops and classes, showcases, pro sessions, and special appearances by the likes of Breakin’ Convention, Upswing, English National Ballet Youth, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Zoo Nation Youth Company, Strictly’s dancers, Flawless and more! Catch Marawa and the Majorettes in action with their hoops, or join in a session with Hoop Hop’s hip hop and hula dance workouts. adult from £15.50 adv/£19 door; child from £11.50 adv/£14 door; family adv £48/door £58/under 5s FREE (Mar 18-20)

Fri-Sun: It’s All About Piano at Institut Francais, 17 Queensberry Place, SW7 2DT (South Kensington tube)
This sounds absolutely charming, a piano festival at the French Institute with a special programme just for kids. Bring your minis along for free piano tuition in Try it Yourself sessions; baby and toddler tales with Little Maestros; and a fun workshop unveiling the secrets of the piano with expert David Widdicombe. On Sunday you can hear the story of Babar the elephant brought to life with animation, storytelling and piano. There are also family friendly screenings of Laurel and Hardy with piano accompaniment, brought to you by Not So Silent Movies, and the film Renoir, with Sound on Screen. Times and dates vary, from £5-£10, some activities are FREE (Mar 18-20)

Fri-Sun: Find Your London, various locations
Have you spotted any of the posters around town and on the underground and wondered what this is about? Well, the Find Your London festival kicks off this weekend, celebrating 100 activities all over the capital. Highlights include an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party at Valentines Mansion & Gardens, spring celebration at Camley St Natural Park, Urban Fox walks, Little Yogi sessions, Project Wild Thing free screening, Search Party treasure hunts, street art workshops,cycle trails and loads more. All ages. Various times over the 11 days, all FREE (Mar 18-28)

Sat: The Rattler: World Premiere (top pic) at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX (Waterloo/Embankment tube)
Every year, the people of Hobsmoor gather to hear Hob and his band of players tell the cautionary tale of the Rattler, about Alyson, a weaver’s daughter and the Crown Prince Aiden who both dream of a different life. Enter The Rattler, who seems to bring everything they desire, but be careful what you wish for! The Rattler is an interactive reworking of the classic fairytale Rumpelstitskin, featuring folk music and puppetry, plus craft workshops and a colourful pageant leading into the show. Ages 7+. 2-4pm, adult £10/child £5 (Mar 19)

 

 
Sat: Joanna Lumley and David Walliams in Conversation at Cadogan Hall, Sloane Terrace, Chelsea SW1X 9DQ (Sloane Square tube)
Join Ab Fab’s Joanna Lumley and best selling children’s author David Walliams for a morning of stinky stories and off-the-cuff humour. Find out why David’s Auntie isn’t all that awful at all, and get your own signed copy of Grandpa’s Great Escape. For ages 4+. 10.30am, £25 (includes copy of book signed by David Walliams) (Mar 19)

Sat: British Library SoundHoppers Family Workshops, Harry M Weinrebe Learning Centre, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB (Euston/Kings Cross St Pancras tube and rail)
Crash and bang to your heart’s content at this family friendly workshop designed for creative experimentation with sound. Artist Wajid Yaseen leads this fun exploration of the different qualities of sound, where kids can try listening exercises and play with specially constructed sound boxes. For ages 5+. 1pm-2.30pm, first come first served, FREE (Mar 19)

Sat-Sun: Museum of London Night Owls Sleepover, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN (Barbican/St Paul’s tube)
Spend the night at the museum and discover what its inhabitants get up to after dark. Explore the galleries by torchlight, walk in the shoes of past Londoners, lights go off at midnight and there’s breakfast and a family friendly film to enjoy int eh morning. Definitely a one-of-a-kind experience to enjoy with your family. For ages 7-11 and carer (group must include 1 adult and 1 child at least). 6.45pm-9.40am, £60 per person (Mar 19-20)

 

 
Sun: Sport Relief Games at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, E20 2ST (Stratford tube/overground/DLR)
A couple of years back, I walked a Monopoly route around London as part of the Honkopoly for Sport Relief. Over the past week and more, several blogger mates (- Go Team Honk!) have taken part in the Tube Challenge and the London Museum Dash raising money for the fantastic charity. This weekend you can take part or cheer your friends and family along at the Sport Relief Games. Swim, walk, run or cycle your way to glory and raise lots of lovely wonga for great causes in the UK and overseas. Throughout the day there will also be food stalls, live music, sporting fun and entertainment and some famous faces to spot. It’s not too late to participate! Entry fees for races from adult £11/child £5/family of 4 £27 (Mar 20)

Sun: Streatham Common Woodland Activity Day, Streatham Common Woodlands & Rookery, The Rookery, Streatham Common South, Streatham, SW16 3BZ
If you go down to the woods today, you’ll find tree climbing activities, wild food foraging and cooking up what you find, forest school and fire craft sessions, food and craft stalls, plus Easter eggs for hunting. A great opportunity to discover more about the upper east side of the common, including the Woodlands and Rookery. Part of the Find Your London festival. All ages. 10am-4pm, £5 per workshop, £1 Easter egg hunt (Mar 20)

Sun: Keats House Family Day: A Hunting We Will Go, 10 Keats Grove, Hampstead, NW3 2RR (Hampstead Heath overground, Hampstead/Belsize Park tube)
Easter comes early at Keats House with an egg hunt around the glorious grounds. Make the most of the arrival of springtime with songs, storytelling and yes… chocolate… all to be enjoyed in the great outdoors! 1pm-4pm, drop-in, FREE (Mar 20)

 

 

London Kids Cinema Listings

A selection of movies from some of our favourite family friendly cinemas in London.

Barbican Cinema Framed Family Film Club, Cinema 1, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS (Barbican tube)
Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie at 11am; Child £2.50/Adult £3.50 (Mar 19)

Electric Cinema Kids Club, 191 Portobello Rd, W11 2ED (Notting Hill tube)
Oddball & the Penguins at 9.30am; adult/child £5 (Mar 12)

Phoenix Cinema Kids Club, 52 High Rd, East Finchley N2 9PJ (East Finchley tube)
LIAF (London International Animation Festival) selection of short films at 12pm; Adult/Child £3 (Mar 19)

Prince Charles Cinema: Disney Matinees, 7 Leicester Pl, WC2H 7BY (Leicester Square tube)
The Aristocats at 1.30pm; £3/£5/£7.50 (Mar 19)

Regent St Cinema Kids Kino Club, 309 Regent St, W1B 2UW (Oxford Circus tube)
How to Train Your Dragon at 11.30am; £1.75 (Mar 19)

Rio Cinema Saturday Morning Kids Club, 107 Kingsland High St, Dalston E8 (Dalston Junction/Dalston Kingsland overground)
My Neighbour Totoro at 11am; Child £3/Adult £4 (Mar 19)

Soho Hotel Children’s Film Club, 4 Richmond Mews, W1D 3DH (Piccadilly Circus tube)
The Iron Giant (Signature Edition) at 12.30pm; £15 (includes ice cream, movie and popcorn + prosecco for grown-ups) (Mar 19)

COMING SOON

BFI Southbank: BFI Families
Moomins on the Riviera at 2.30pm; adult £11.75/child £4 (Mar 29-30)

Check out our Parent & Baby cinema guide;
Look out for our London Kids Cinema page coming soon, and don’t miss our picks for Top 150 Family Films!

We also like
See Twelfth Night for families at Shakespeare’s Globe (Sat); Where’s Wally? Find him at the world’s highest search Where’s Wally at the Shard over the Easter break (launches this Sat) and also at the Where’s Wally Fun Run on Clapham Common (Sun); celebrate the joy of singing together at the Chorus festival at Southbank Centre (Fri-Sun)

Booking Ahead

The Goat Race at Spitalfields City Farm (Mar 27)
Easter Weekend in London
BYO Baby Karaoke at Lucky Voice Islington (Mar 31/last Thu every month)
Fun DMC Bank Holiday Monday at Royal Albert Hall (May 30)
London Games Festival in Trafalgar Square (Apr 1-10)
Nibble + Squeak Dining Club for Babies at Pidgin (Apr 9)
Little Folk with Albo folk concerts for kids and families at The Colour House Theatre, Merton SW19 (Apr 23)
Telling Tales Family Literary Festival at Shakespeare’s Globe (Jul 29-31)

Upcoming Family Festivals

Lunar Festival (Jun 3-5)
Nozstock Festival (Jul 22-24)
Deer Shed Festival (Jul 22-24)
Camp Bestival (Jul 28-31)
Just So Festival (Aug 19-21)
Electric Fields Festival (Aug 26-27)
On Blackheath (Sep 10-11)

Easter Holidays Guide out next week!