The first May Bank Holiday in London is packed with family friend things to do over the next 5 days. Number one on my agenda is going to a Prince tribute party tomorrow night at Bloomsbury Lanes. I’m still reeling from the shock of his passing (massive Prince fan here) and I’ve been putting together a round-up post with contributions from fellow bloggers, writers and creatives so stay tuned!
In the meantime check out the May Bank Holiday London Kids Weekend Scoop filled with last chance to catch Damon Albarn’s Wonderland, a free Breakin’ Convention hip hop party in Islington, illuminated boats in Little Venice, a Magic Garden at Hampton Court Palace, May Day fun around town and loads more. Enjoy!
May Bank Holiday London Kids Weekend Scoop
Thu-Sat: Wonder.land at National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 9PX (Embankment/Waterloo tube)
LAST CHANCE: Follow the mind-bending story of a girl named Aly, lost in a virtual Wonderland, set to a soundtrack by Damon Albarn in an inventive adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic blending pop wizardry, digital technology and a cast of unforgettable characters. For ages 10+. 2pm & 7.30pm; £15-£55 (until Apr 30)
Thu-Mon: The Magic Garden at Hampton Court Palace (main pic), East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU (Hampton Court rail)
The Bank Holiday weekend in London is a perfect excuse for a mini day trip, and what better time to discover the Magic Garden that opened over Easter at Hampton Court Palace. The interactive play space is filled with mythical beasts, battlements to storm, towers to besiege and a secret grotto to explore. Inspired by the fairytale like quality of the Tudor Palace, the Magic Garden adds a layer of fun for the kids on a family visit to the historic palace, gardens and maze. All ages. Open daily 10am-6pm until Oct 30. Maze and Magic Garden adult £7, child under 16 £5.50; Magic Garden entry free with regular entry to Hampton Court Palace, adult £21/child under 16 £10-50/under 5s FREE (ongoing)
Thu-Sun: Drawing on Childhood at Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, WC1N 1AZ (Russell Square tube)
LAST CHANCE: Explore the exhibition Drawing on Childhood that highlights drawings of orphaned or abandoned children, from the 18th century to the present. The exhibition features illustrations from some of our best-loved children’s literature, including Nick Sharratt’s illustrations for Hetty Feather, James Trotter’s illustrations for Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach; along with other famous faces from Harry Potter to Cinderella. Coram’s Fields playground is just around the corner for blowing off steam afterwards. All ages. 10am-5pm (Tue-Sat), 11am-5pm (Sun); adult £8.25/concs £5.50/child under 16 FREE (until May 1)
Fri-Sun: Quentin Blake: Seven Kinds of Magic at House of Illustration, 2 Granary Square, King’s Cross, N1C 4BH (King’s Cross St Pancras tube/rail)
Magic and mystery, wonder and trickery. Seven Kinds of Magic is the inaugural exhibition of the new Quentin Blake Gallery at House of Illustration. The gallery becomes the first permanent exhibition of original artwork by Blake, one of the world’s best known illustrators. This show, curated by Blake himself, features depictions of magic in his own books and in those of writers such as Russell Hoban, John Yeoman and Roald Dahl. 10am-6pm (Tue-Sun, closed Mons), adult £7/child £4/family £18/under 5s FREE (Apr 29-Aug 24)
Sat: The Many Doors of Frank Feelbad at Stratford Circus, Theatre Square, Stratford, London, E15 1BX (Stratford tube/DLR/overground)
Fresh off the success of their previous show, The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Bootworks Theatre bring the story of Frank, a boy on an emotional journey to find out what happened to his mother. Using puzzles, scavenger hunts and perhaps some dancing to dub step, this show offers a creative and sensitive approach to handling grief and loss. You can join in pre-show workshops with crafts and storytelling too. For ages 4+. Workshop 10am, £4; shows 2pm & 4pm, £10-£12 (Apr 30)
Sat: Monstersaurus at Canada Water Culture Space, Canada Water Library, 21 Surrey Quays Road, SE16 7AR (Canada Water DLR)
From the creators of Aliens Love Underpants comes this tale of young Monty and his whacky inventions, creator of magic and mayhem. Once he dreams up the incredible monsters that he brings to life, how on earth will he get rid of them? Fun, thrills and spills for ages 3+. 1pm & 3pm; £7/family ticket £24 (Apr 30)
Sat-Sun: Breakin’ Convention at Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN (Angel tube)
London get ready! The Breakin’ Convention is back for another dizzying showcase of fly girls, freestyle street dancers, b-boys, and other performers going head spin to head spin at Sadler’s Wells. Jonzi D hosts this festival of hip hop culture that continues to grow, attracting artists from across the globe. The line-up includes one of the UK’s finest Boy Blue along with Flawless, Damon Frost (USA/Sweden), Soweto Skeleton Movers (South Africa) and many more. In the foyer, there are live improv sessions with DJs, cyphers and spray can art. Under 5s welcome! There are daytime workshops over the weekend for ages 7+ for all stages between 12.15pm-3.30pm (Sat-Sun, £10 only). All ages. Doors open from 4pm, live shows from 6pm (Sat-Sun) & 6.30pm (Mon). Shows £15 (standing/£17 concs)-£24 (seated), workshops £10 (Apr 30-May 1)
Sat-Sun: Polka Theatre: Bed Time, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19 1SB (South Wimbledon tube)
It’s time for bed but it’s SO hard to go to sleep when your imagination is wandering and there are friends to play with. Enjoy this special show created for your little darlings, with storytelling, games and maybe even a pillow fight. PJs optional. For ages 2-6. 11am & 2.05pm (Sat-Sun limited availability – Friday performances are now SOLD OUT); £12/£9 concs (until May 1)
Sat-Mon: Canalway Cavalcade, Little Venice, Paddington, W9 (Paddington tube/rail, Warwick Avenue tube)
Every Bank Holiday, this popular waterways festival brings tons of families to Little Venice for an exciting day out by the canal. Have a go at kayaking and boating classes, catch a charming show on the enchanting Puppet Theatre Barge, take part in workshops on the floating classroom and more, shop at canal side stalls, see Morris Dancers do their thing, enjoy live music and entertainment and loads more. Sunday night brings the illuminated procession of boats (from 8pm-10.30pm, Sun), a colourful spectacle to enchant old and young… even if it’s a little late for the wee ones. All ages. 10am-6pm (Sat-Sun), 8pm-10.30pm (Sun), 10am-5pm (Mon), FREE (Apr 30-May 2)
Sun: Kentish Town City Farm May Day Festival, 1 Cressfield Close, off Grafton Road, NW5 4BN (Gospel Oak overground/Kentish Town tube)
Get your wellies on and head down to Kentish Town City Farm for another family friendly day out at their annual May Day Festival. The kids can get nose to nose with real farm animals including the resident billy goat Zorro, and there’s a host of activities from felt making, goat grooming, art in the garden workshops, children’s games and tug of war competitions, to maypole dancing and live music. Don’t miss out on the prize draw and barbecue food! All ages. 1pm-4pm, adult £1/child 40p (May 1)
Sun: May Day on the Docksat Museum of London Docklands, No 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL (West India Quay DLR/Canary Wharf tube)
Mon: Breakin’ Convention Park Jam at Spa Fields Park, Northampton Rd, EC1R 0DF (Angel tube)
It’s one of the hottest free events happening in London every Bank Holiday Monday and one of our favourites. For the fourth year running Breakin’ Convention founder and hip hop legend Jonzi D brings beats, love and flavour to Spa Fields for a hugely entertaining, family friendly day out. Come for live music with surprise special guests, street performances and delicious food stalls. Get there early to avoid disappointment as once the park reaches capacity, that’s it! All ages. 1-6pm, FREE (May 2)
We also like
Visit the brand new Children’s Commission at Whitechapel Gallery (all weekend-Aug 14); engage the babes at the OAE Tots, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment classical concerts for under 6s at Royal Festival Hall, SE1 (Sat); catch Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales at Arts Depot (Sat); celebrate the 200th birthday of Brixton Windmill with a FREE beer and bread festival (Sat); Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids returns to Udderbelly at Southbank Centre (from Mon May 2-May 22)
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)
Belle and Sebastian: The Adventure Continues (PG) at 11am; Child £2.50/Adult £3.50 (Apr 30)
Electric Cinema Kids Club, 191 Portobello Rd, W11 2ED (Notting Hill tube)
The Incredibles at 9.30am; adult/child £5 (Apr 30)
Phoenix Cinema Kids Club, 52 High Rd, East Finchley N2 9PJ (East Finchley tube)
The Muppets at 12pm; Adult/Child £3 (Apr 30)
Regent St Cinema Kids Kino Club, 309 Regent St, W1B 2UW (Oxford Circus tube)
The Jungle Book (animated) at 11.30am; £1.75 (Apr 30)
Rio Cinema Saturday Morning Kids Club, 107 Kingsland High St, Dalston E8 (Dalston Junction/Dalston Kingsland overground)
Kirikou and the Sorceress (subtitled) at 11am; Child £3/Adult £4 (Apr 30)
Soho Hotel Children’s Film Club, 4 Richmond Mews, W1D 3DH (Piccadilly Circus tube)
Kung Fu Panda 3 at 12.30pm; £15 (includes ice cream, movie and popcorn + prosecco for grown-ups) (Apr 23)
COMING SOON
BFI Southbank: BFI Families
The Angry Birds Movie at 11.15am; adult £11.75/child £4 (May 8)
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!
Booking Ahead
Free Comic Book Day at Gosh Comics (May 7)
Big Fish Little Fish Hawaiian Luau Rave at The Garage, Islington (May 8)
Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall at London Wonderground, Southbank centre (May 8-Sep 25)
Michael Morpurgo’s Running Wild at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre (May 13-Jun 12)
Barnes Children’s Literature Festival (May 14-15)
Little London Party at Hamleys (May 15)
Septimus Bean and His Amazing Machine at Unicorn Theatre (May 20-Jun 26)
Big Fish Little Fish Carnival Family Rave at Stratford Circus (May 29)
Fun DMC Bank Holiday Monday at Royal Albert Hall (May 30)
Bugsy Malone at Lyric Hammersmith (Jun 11-Sep 4)
ArcelorMittal Orbit giant slide at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (opening Jun 24)
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)
Our Family Festivals Guide is out next week!
Aw as ever so much to do-Drawing on Childhood looks incredible, I love Quentin Blake x