It’s an action packed London Kids Weekend Scoop filled with family friendly activities and engaging child’s play. Ride an illuminated see-saw in Leicester Square, hunt for waves (or whales) inside London theatres, battle for Hastings or Stinky Bottom, or raise the roof in Chalk Farm. From Picasso Portraits to a magical piano show for ages 2+, there’s lots to entertain you this weekend. Make it a good one.
Thu-Sat: Cirque Eloize at Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street,Holborn, WC2A 2HT (Holborn tube)
LAST CHANCE: All the way from Quebec (home to Cirque du Soleil amongst numerous top circus troupes), Cirque Eloize bring their groundbreaking show ID, crammed with aerial, cycling, skateboarding, trampolining and other tricks. Prepare to be completely blown away. Ages 5+ only. 7.30pm (Tue-Sat), 2.30pm (Sat), 2pm & 6pm (Sun); £15-£42 (Sep 20-Oct 8)
Thu-Sun: Impulse: Illuminated Seesaws in Leicester Square at Leicester Square Gardens, WC2H 7JY (Leicester Square tube)
Head to Leicester Square to get lit on the brand new LED playground Impulse, featuring a series of interactive, acoustic seesaws. When you bounce up and down on one of these illuminated seesaws they respond in both sound and light, creating zones of both intensity and calm. Sounds like a fun spot to hang with the babes between West End shopping or movie outings. All ages. Open daily (park hours); FREE (Oct 5-27)
Thu-Sun: Mrs Armitage and the Big Wave, multiple locations across London
Following the success of Up and Down, Gaga Theatre return with a citywide tour of Mrs Armitage and the Big Wave, the first ever adaptation of Quentin Blake’s best loved picture book. The gnarly Mrs Armitage and her dog Breakspear are poised to ride the Californian seas on her custom-built board. All they’re waiting for is the Big Wave… Original music, clever props and projections keep this fun tale surfing along in a theatre piece that’s accessible to all, and best suited to kids aged up to 8. Catch the waves at varying dates and times from 10am at Clapham Picturehouse, Watermans, Brentford, The Tabernacle, Notting Hill, Jacksons Lane, Highgate; Kingston, Grammar Theatre; Hackney Picturehouse; Ritzy Picturehouse; Royal Albert Hall; Abbey Theatre, St. Albans; Chelsea Curzon. Tickets adult/child £14/under 2s FREE (sitting on adult lap) (Oct 5-30)
Thu-Sun: Picasso Portraits at National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery’s much hyped exhibition explores one of the best known mavericks of modern art’s work, in a breathtaking range of portraits featuring family, friends and lovers. Babies and kids will enjoy gawping at silly looking caricatures and playful takes on Cubism, and on Oct 16 tiny hands can take part in The Big Draw family drawing workshop inspired by Picasso Portraits. Advance booking strongly recommended. All ages. adult £17/concs £15.50/child under 12 FREE (Oct 6-Feb 5)
Fri-Sun: Battersea Arts Centre: Neverland, Lavender Hill, SW11 5TN (Clapham Junction rail/overground, Clapham Common/Stockwell tube)
Enter a tented den and embark on a journey inspired by JM Barrie’s Neverland in Peter Pan, a co-production by Tom Penn and the BAC. Neverland is an immersive show created specially for adult/child pairs, aimed at encouraging that sense of playfulness and wonder between kids and their grownup carers. Be dazzled by 360 video projections and let your imagination free, as music and performance combine to create a truly magical experience. For ages 1-3 and their grownups. 10am, 11.15am & 1.45pm (Mon-Fri); 10am, 11.15am, 1.30pm & 2.45pm (Sat-Sun); £16-£20 for adult + child pair (Oct 7-16)
Sat: Arts Depot: Why the Whales Came (top pic), 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, N12 0GA (Finchley Central/West Finchley/Woodside Park tube)
An intriguing title for a beguiling tale by award winning children’s author Michael Morpurgo. Storyteller Danyah Miller brings to life the story of small islanders Gracie and Daniel who follow their curiosity about a mysterious Birdman and unravel a web of secrets and superstition. Produced by the same team who created I Believe in Unicorns, Why the Whales Came promises an afternoon of adventure and excitement for ages 7+. 3pm & 6pm; £10 (Oct 8)
Sat: Barbican OpenFest, Barbican Centre, Silk St, EC2Y 8DS (Barbican/Moorgate tube)
Barbican Centre throws open its doors to all this Saturday for a free festival celebrating the best the centre has to offer. You can enjoy taster sessions of anything from dance to pop-up performances to designer crafts. Freestages will showcase a wide mix of entertainment including DJing, live music and spoken word. Kids can pick up a family trail and there will be a special OpenFest edition of the popular Framed Family Film Club from 10am (see Cinema listings below). All ages. 9am-11pm; FREE (Oct 8)
Sat: Battle of Hastings Pop Up in Hyde Park, near Apsley House at 149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park, W1J 7NT (Hyde Park Corner tube)
As part of celebrations marking the 956th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings a band of warriors set out on foot and horse in September from York on their way to Hastings (arrival scheduled for Oct 14). This Saturday, you can visit their free pop-up living history encampment, located close to Apsley House in Hyde Park. Delve into Saxon and Norman history, meet the reenactors and their noble steeds, discover the weapons used and games played back then, and watch a live recreation of the Battle of Hastings with vegetables! All ages, perfect for school-age kids. 11am-3pm, FREE (Oct 8)
Sat: Sir Scallywag and the Battle of Stinky Bottom at Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore St, W1U 2BP (Bond St/Oxford Circus tube)
A family friendly concert by the Ensemble 360 sees narrator Polly Ives explore the legend of Sir Scallywag, based on the popular book by Giles Andreae and illustrator Korky Paul. Can a 6-year-old knight defeat trolls and win the stinkiest battle in history? There’ll be lots of chances for both young and old to get involved in this lively event filled with catchy songs and an exciting score by award-winning composer Paul Rissmann. Ages 4+. 11am; adult £10/child £8 (Oct 8)
Sat: Grant Museum of Zoology: Creature Creations, Rockefeller Building, University College London, 21 University Street, WC1E 6DE (Euston Square/Warren St tube)
Enter the weird and wonderful world of the Grant Museum of Zoology where you can gaze at animal specimens from the relatively tame, to the rather ferocious. At this family event, you’re invited to create your own work of art either drawn from your imagination, or inspired by one of the creatures in the collection. 1.30pm-4.30pm; FREE (Oct 8)
Sat-Sun: Anorak Magazine: The Drawing Imaginarium (Winter Edition), Dalston Square, E8 3BQ (Dalston Junction/Dalston Kingsland overground)
Originally created to celebrate their 10th birthday, Anorak Magazine brings its travelling festival The Drawing Imaginarium back to London for its autumn/winter edition. Held in Dalston Square, you can expect lots of artsy crafty goodness including a Jolly Jellyfish making session with Julia Staite, Arty and Owl puppets with mad personality, a paper ice cream parlour, Chi He’s giant birthday sculpture and life drawing with a friendly Yeti (!), the world’s greatest origami with Mr Fold, and Anorak’s Happy Paper Band to keep your toes tapping. All ages. 11am-5pm; FREE (Oct 8-9)
Sat-Sun: Game Plan: Board Games Rediscovered at V&A Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Rd, E2 9PA (Bethnal Green Tube)
Ludo, Chess, Snakes and Ladders, Battleships… and other family feuding fuel will be represented at this broad exhibition spanning the history of board games. Check out what brothers and sisters, mums and dads squabbled over back in the Victorian era or Georgian times, and get nostalgic over some of your own childhood favourites. You can even borrow to play with family and mates right there at the museum, or become part of a huge interactive game directing visitors around the exhibition. All ages. 10am-5.45pm (daily, last admission 5.30pm); FREE (Oct 8-Apr 23, 2017)
Sun:Family Barn Dance at Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent’s Park Rd, NW1 (Camden Town/Chalk Farm tube)
It’s that time again to go swinging and dos-a-doing with your partner at these lively family barn dance sessions, aimed at anyone from mums with babies in baby carriers to granddads who are ready to stomp. There’s a live caller providing instructions throughout and a live band keeping the party pumped. All ages. Advanced booking recommended to avoid disappointment. 3pm-5pm; adult £7, child £5, under 2s FREE (Oct 9)
Sun: The Magical World of the Piano at Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9AG (Kings Cross St Pancras tube/rail)
Acclaimed pianist Noriko Okigawa leads this session on the magical world of the piano, from Debussy to Mozart, Elgar to Schumann, and other piano greats. Noriko will captivate little listeners with her exploration of varied musical styles, from ‘music like painting’ and ’scary pieces’ to ‘very fast playing’. Part of the London Piano Festival. 10am-10.30am & 11am-11.30am (ages 2-5); 12pm-12.45pm (ages 6+); adult £7.50/child £5.50/family of 4 £17.50/family of 5 £20.50 (Oct 9)
We also like
The Big Draw festival of drawing is back at venues across London (Sat-Oct 31); take part in a FREE coding weekend of activities for girls ages 5-22 with the Stemettes: Food, Coding, Weekend (Sat-Sun); make your own Picture Postcards using images from National Gallery as your inspiration (Sun); discover more than 100 varieties of apples at Roots and Shoot’s Apple Day in Lambeth (Sun)
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)
Mr Men & Little Miss Shorts (U) at 11am; Boy & the World (U) at 2pm; Child £2.50/Adult £3.50 (Oct 8)
Electric Cinema Kids Club, 191 Portobello Rd, W11 2ED (Notting Hill tube)
Blinky Bill at 9.30am; adult/child £5 (Oct 8)
Phoenix Cinema Kids Club, 52 High Rd, East Finchley N2 9PJ (East Finchley tube)
The Lion King (U) at 12pm; Adult/Child £3 (Oct 8)
Regent St Cinema Kids Kino Club, 309 Regent St, W1B 2UW (Oxford Circus tube)
Hotel Transylvania at 11.30am; £1.75 (Oct 8)
Rich Mix Kids Cine Time, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA (Shoreditch High St overground)
The BFG at 12pm; £1.75 (Oct 8)
Coming Soon
BFI Southbank: BFI Families, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XT (Waterloo/Embankment tube)
Half Term Programme: Like Mike (PG) at 12.30pm (Oct 23) & 2pm (Oct 24) and Annie at 2.30pm (Oct 25) & 1pm (Oct 30); adult £11.75/child £4 (Oct 23-Oct 30)
Soho Hotel Children’s Film Club, 4 Richmond Mews, W1D 3DH (Piccadilly Circus tube)
Kubo and the Two Strings at 10.30am (10am brunch); £10 (film only), or £20 (includes buffet brunch at 10am + popcorn and drinks for film) (Oct 30)
Check out our Parent & Baby cinema guide;
Our London Kids Cinema page launches soon, and don’t miss our picks for Top 150 Family Films!
Booking Ahead
Magical Museum Sleepover at V&A Museum of Childhood (Oct 15-16)
Classical Babies present La Traviata at Normansfield Theatre, Teddington (Oct 16)
Big Fish Little Fish: Hackney Pirate Family Rave (Oct 16)
Bloomsbury Festival (Oct 19-23)
Peter Pan Goes Wrong at Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue (Oct 21-Jan 29)
Big Fish Little Fish Halloween Monster Mash at Proud, Camden (Oct 29)
Little Angel Theatre: Let’s Fly, for ages 2 to 6 (until Nov 20)
Leaf for babies ages 0-3 at Half Moon Theatre (Nov 24-26)
Don’t miss our 16 Awesome Things to do in Autumn!
London Kids Weekend Scoop (September 29-October 2, 2016)
