Mother’s Day Weekend Scoop for London Families (March 3-6, 2016)

 

 
World Book Day today, The Big Write Festival launches this weekend and it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday. What an action packed weekend!

Here’s a special Mother’s Day London Weekend Scoop filled with ideas from flower arranging at Hampton Court Palace to making poetry on the floating cafe in Little Venice. Have fun, spoil your mum and Happy Mother’s Day to all the fabulous babe mamas out there!

Thu-Sun: Michael Rosen’s The Big Write at Discover, 383-387 High St, Stratford E15 4QZ (Stratford overground/tube/DLR)
The popular annual festival of stories is curated by Michael Rosen whose exhibition is still going strong at Discover. Highlights include The Great Big Cuddle with Michael Rosen and Chris Riddell; baby-friendly concerns with the Groove Baby Organ Trio; puppetry and stories with Sam Lloyd and Boris, Doris and Friends; a musical workshop with Winston Nzinga; a Fun DMC daytime hip hop block party with DJ Charlie Dark; and for Mother’s Day, a special poetry making session for mum with poet Paul Lyalls. A whole fortnight of talks, workshops, readings, signings and activities await you. All ages. 10am-5pm, events various timing, pre-booking essential on 020 8536 5555; adult/child from £5/family of 4 £18, extra charges apply for some events (Mar 3-11)

Thu-Sun: Fashion Rules Restyled, Kensington Palace State Apartments, Kensington Gardens, W8 4PX (High St Kensington/Queensway tube)
Gorgeous sounding exhibition exploring how Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana remixed the rule book to come up with their own unique style and redefine royal fashion. See one-of-a-kind designs and influences from Bruce Oldfield, Christian Dior, Zandra Rhodes and other top designers All ages. 10am-6pm; adult from £16.90/child under 16 FREE (ongoing)

Thu-Sun: Magical Lantern Festival at Chiswick House, Chiswick, W4 2QN (Gunnersbury overground/Turnham Green tube/Chiswick rail)
LAST CHANCE: For the first time in its illustrious history, the Magical Lantern Festival lights up Chiswick House and Gardens. Soak up the festive atmosphere, surrounded by gorgeously sculpted lanterns of animals, birds, buildings and abstract shapes. There’s live music and performances and delicious Chinese food to fuel your experience. All ages. 5pm-8.45pm (Tue-Sun); adult £16-£18/child £10-£12/family £48-£56 (until Mar 6)

Thu-Sun: Comic Creatrix: 100 Women Making Comics at House of Illustration, 2 Granary Square, King’s Cross London N1C 4BH (Kings Cross St Pancras tube/rail)
This is super cool and I can’t wait to take the babes. It’s the UK’s largest ever exhibition of female comic artists, co-curated by Olivia Ahmad and Paul Gravett. Check out works from the 1800s to the present day; from observational comedy to surreal fantasy, challenging biography to subversive dissent. The sweeping exhibition features artists from Marie Duval and Tove Jansson to Posy Simmonds, Audrey Niffenegger and Nina Bunjevac. 10am-6pm, adult £7/child £4/family of 4 £18 (until May 15)

Thu-Sun: Horniman Museum: Dinosaurs – Monster Families at Horniman, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ (Forest Hill overground)
Enter the fascinating world of dinosaurs and their dino babies at this interactive exhibition showing how the creatures looked after their eggs, nests and offspring. You’ll get up close and personal with T-Rex’s relative – a life-size Tarbosaurus skeleton cast and see a replica of ‘Baby Louie’, the near-complete skeleton of a dinosaur hatchling. Tons to see and do at this wonderful museum and the exhibition also features interactive stations and illustrations by artist Luis V Rey. 10.30am-5.30pm, adult £7/child £4/family of 4 £17 (until Oct 30)

 

 
Fri-Sun: Play Holi at Cinnamon Kitchen, 9 Devonshire Square, London, EC2M 4YL (Liverpool St tube)
Put on your protective white suit and step into the purpose-built party pod, that’s popping up outside Cinnamon Kitchen this month in celebration of the colourful Holi festival. Say hello to spring as you pelt each other with non-toxic paint! Follow this up with a three-course feast including dishes from Kentish lamb and King prawns to Holi inspired cocktails. For ages 5+. 12pm-7.30pm daily; £8 per person (including colours and overalls),£15 per person (including colours, overalls, a Holi-inspired cocktail and traditional canapés), or £38 per person (includes meal and Play Holi session) (Mar 4-12)

Fri-Sun: Florimania at Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, KT8 9AU (Hampton Court rail)
Every year Hampton Court Palace celebrates Mothering Sunday weekend with this festival of flowers. This year’s arrangements in William III’s Apartments take their inspiration from Hampton Court’s gardens and the periods they represent. See blooming displays, watch flower arranging demos and wander through the glorious daffodils in the Wilderness. All ages. Flower arranging demos at 11am, 1pm & 2.30pm; regular hours 10am-4pm; included in palace admission prices adult £18.20/ages 5-16 £9.10/under 5s FREE (Mar 4-6)

Sat: Soho Hotel Children’s Film Club: Inside Out, 4 Richmond Mews, W1D 3DH (Piccadilly Circus tube)
Riley moves with her family to San Francisco, setting off her inner world on a startling coming of age journey where she learns to navigate emotions like Anger, Sadness, Joy and Fear. Inside Out is a brilliant film from Disney Pixar and the perfect Saturday morning flick to enjoy with the the whole family on Mother’s Day weekend. Settle in for ice cream, movie and popcorn (+ prosecco for grown-ups) in the cozy comforts of the Soho Hotel. Best for ages 4+ and families. Also check out the Mother’s Day Film Club at Soho Hotel and participating Firmdale hotels. 12.30pm, £15 (Mar 5)

Sat: The Party at Jacksons Lane, 269a Archway Road, N6 5AA (Highgate tube)
Someone’s having a party and he’s waiting for his guest to arrive. The cake’s ready, the music’s bumping and all he needs are some friends to play with. But then some unexpected visitors arrive: a French guy on a bike, a giant chicken, and a mysterious person who has never had a birthday. Prepare for chaos, humour and a hugely engaging show that also explores some challenging themes (exclusion, not getting what you want). And maybe play some pass the parcel too! For ages 3+. 12pm & 3pm; adult/child £9.95 (Mar 5)

 

 
Sat-Sun: Barbican Shakespeare Weekender: Play On at Barbican Centre, Silk St, EC2Y 8DS (Barbican/Moorgate tube)
It’s a Bard takeover at the Barbican Centre with the Barbican Shakespeare Weekender: Play On featuring Codasign, Iroko Theatre Company, Museum of London, Boogalu Stu, Royal Shakespeare Company and loads more. Promising two activity-packed days ‘as boisterous and subversive as Shakespearean drama’, come for pop-up performances, interactive workshops, offbeat installations and even a bite of Shakespearean-inspired food. These events are always brilliant fun for all the family. Double double! All ages. 11am-6pm, most events FREE (Mar 5-6)

 

 
Sun: Mother’s Day in the Origami Garden on the Floating Showroom, Origami Poetry Cafe, Little Venice, Delamere Terrace W2 6ND (Warwick Avenue tube)
We stumbled across the Floating Showroom on Regent’s Canal one Sunday and had a lovely session making origami paper boats and enjoying tea and cake with a welcoming hostess. For Mother’s Day, you can immerse your senses in the Origami Garden, surrounded by butterflies, passing swans and views overlooking Grand Union canal. A professional poet will lead a session to create personalised poems, while you can make paper flowers to take home. And of course there’s tea, home-baked cakes and hot chocolate fondue. All ages. 10am-6pm; tea, cake & hot chocolate fondue £5 per person; optional personalised poem £5 (Mar 6)

Sun: Design Your Mum a Chocolate Box at Museum of Brands, 2 Colville Mews, Lonsdale Rd, W11 2AR (Notting Hill Gate tube)
This Mother’s Day, say a big thank you to your mum by designing your own chocolate box. All visitors can get a 10% discount in our café and fill your box with some tasty Munchies. Great chance also to explore more than 12,000 branded items from the Victorian era to present day. From tuck-shop treats to TV characters, this is a fun trip down memory lane for mamas and papas alike. All ages. 10am-6pm (Tue-Sat), 11am-5pm (Sun); adult £7.50/ages 7-16 £3/family £20/under 7s FREE (Mar 6)

We also like
Watch The Longest Reign at Kensington Palace (ongoing); The First National Trust Children’s Book Festival is taking place all weekend at Wray Castle (Fri-Sun); catch a shadow theatre version of
Jungle Book at Little Angel Theatre (Fri-Sun); enjoy a day of musical Family Workshops at Kings Place in N1 (Sat); Mum’s the Word at National Gallery on this family-friendly walk and talk through the collections (Sun); tuck into Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea, £28 with free prosecco for mums at Drink Shop Do in N1 (Sun); strike a pose for Vogue 100: A Century of Style at National Portrait Gallery (ongoing until May 22)

Booking Ahead

Big Fish Little Fish Camp Bestival Warm Up Party at Zanzibar, Sydenham (Mar 20)
BYO Baby Karaoke at Lucky Voice Islington (Mar 31/last Thu every month)
Little Folk with Albo folk concerts for kids and families at The Colour House Theatre, Merton SW19 (Apr 23)
Fun DMC Bank Holiday Monday at Royal Albert Hall (May 30)

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)