Happy Friday. Your weekend guide to London for kids and families is bursting with fun ideas for all ages. From Windrush Day celebrations to live circus events, family orchestra and a new Sunday trading schedule at Borough Market.
There’s also a long list of events to plan for over summer in the Booking Ahead section below. Enjoy!
**As always (and especially in light of our current situation), please confirm with venues ahead of time as activities may be subject to changes in times, dates and pricing.**
Your Weekend Guide to London for Kids and Families
Fri-Sun: Giffords Circus: The Hooley at Chiswick House and Gardens, Chiswick, W4 2QN (Turnham Green tube/Chiswick rail)
The popular circus returns with The Hooley, a showstopper produced by co-founder Nell Gifford’s niece, Lil. Experience dance, comedy, music and horses in a white tent surrounded by handmade burgundy and gold showman’s wagons. Giffords Circus is a magical village green circus that tours England throughout summer and is loved by everyone from locals to rock stars to royalty. Various shows including this weekend at 5pm & 7.30pm (Thu-Fri), 11am, 2.30pm, 7.30pm (Sat) & 11am, 2.30pm, 5.30pm; adult £15/child age 3-14 £10/under 3s FREE (Jun 24-Jul 11)
Fri-Sun: Quentin Blake: Gifted at Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, WC1N 1AZ (Russell Square tube)
Beloved illustrator Quentin Blake is the man of the moment at Foundling Museum. Gifted presents 24 large-scale drawings from two emotive series ‘Children and Dogs’ and ‘Children, Birds and Dogs’ (made specially for Foundling Museum). The images are accompanied by poems created in response to the drawings by writers Jackie Kay, Michael Rosen, Yomi Sode, Opefoluwa Sarah Adegbite, 4 Brown Girls Who Write (Roshni Goyate, Sharan Hunjan, Sunnah Khan and Sheena Patel) and Ben Westwood. Kids are invited to write and illustrate their own story chapters, inspired by Blake’s drawings (find details on the website). 10am-5pm (Fri-Sun); adult £10.50/child FREE (Jun 25-Sep 26)
Fri-Sun: Wandsworth Arts Fringe, multiple locations and online
It’s one of the hottest arts and culture moments on the London calendar. Wandsworth Arts Fringe is back for another two weeks of dance, music, comedy, circus and creative workshops. See more than 130 live and digital events, from the city’s quirkiest museum to a silent disco tour. There are lots of family friendly activities (see Lost in Translation Circus below), including free stuff in pubs, parks, galleries and online. All ages (check individual events for guidance). Various times and prices, booking ahead recommended (Jun 25-Jul 11)
Sat: Windrush Family Event at Black Cultural Archives, 1 Windrush Square, SW2 1EF (Brixton tube)
Windrush Day was on Monday but the celebrations roll on. Brixton’s Black Cultural Archives are hosting a family friendly day to learn about the history and legacy of the Windrush generation. Authors will read from the BCA and Scholastic’s new book The Place for Me: Stories about the Windrush Generation. You can listen to elders tell their tales and go on a Windrush fact trail. 11am-4pm; pay what you can/donations welcome – advance booking essential (Jun 26)
Sat: Cabinet of Living Cinema Enchanted Cinema: Where the Wild Things Are, Gunnersbury Park Museum, Popes Lane, Gunnersbury, W5 4NH (Acton Town tube)
Enjoy an enchanting cinema experience under the stars, courtesy of Cabinet of Living Cinema. Their 100 Years Tour: Enchanted Cinema features Where the Wild Things Are and other beautiful and rare animation from Europe over the last 100 years. The scenes are set to live scores composed and played by professional folk, world and cinema performers. Come with your blanket and picnic (bar on site) and look out for a full-scale replica of Max’s Boat from the Where the Wild Things Are! Families with younger kids should turn up earlier for an afternoon workshop with graphic novelist Hannah Eaton, creating Wild Things themed diorama miniature sets (NB: please confirm workshop timing with the museum ahead of your visit). Screening event 8pm-10.30pm; £20 (Jun 26)
Sat-Sun: Windrush Festival: Festival In the Square, Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road, Tottenham Green, N15 4RX (Seven Sisters tube)
The Bernie Grant Arts Centre has been holding a week-long celebration of the Windrush generation and this weekend there’s a Festival in the Square. Saturday highlights include Steppaz dance performance, Emmanuel the Magnificent Circus Skills, Ayo and Solomon family storytelling and Yemella drummers. On Sunday, there’s African family mask-making, Blingwear arts graffiti workshop, Black Heroes Soul Food Cafe and the whole day’s hosted by our fave East End family party people, Disco Loco. 1pm-5pm (Sat) & 1pm-4pm (Sun); advance tickets are sold out but limited day tickets will be available on site (Jun 26-27)
Sat-Sun: Lost In Translation Circus: Above at WAF Big Top, King George’s Park, Lower Field, Mapleton Road, SW18 4GA (Wandsworth Town rail)
For Wandsworth Arts Fringe (WAF), Lost in Translation Circus present another dazzling display of acrobatics, aerial stunts, juggling and slapstick. Inspired by Italo Calvino’s novel ‘The Baron in the Trees’ ABOVE is the tale of a rebellious spirit who takes up life in the treetops of a forest. Recommended for ages 6+. 7pm-8pm (Sat), 2pm-3pm & 7pm-8pm (Sun); £12/concs. £8 (Jun 26-27)
Sat-Sun: Aurora Orchestra Far Far Away at Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9AG (Kings Cross St Pancras tube/rail)
Come along to Kings Place for another musical adventure for young kids. You’ll encounter sparkly jellyfish and a very cheeky parrot. Kate Wakeling, poet and Aurora Writer-in-Residence, creates stories inspired by and set to orchestral arrangements (this week it’s Bartók). Interactive fun for ages 0–5 and families. 10am, 11am 12.30pm & 1.30pm; £9.50-£11.50 + £3 booking fee (Jun 26 & 27)
Sun: Summer in the Garden: The Rascally Diner! at The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, SE8 4AG (Deptford/New Cross overground)
Chef Rufus Skumskins O’Parsley is known for creating some of the world’s most disgusting dishes, as featured in award-winning children’s book The Rascally Cake, written by Jeanne Willis and Korky Paul. Rufus went viral after baking a huge, human-eating cake from ingredients including snot, blubber and a cowpat. Now he’s on a mission to make everyone taste bad and protect them from the creature he cooked up. Riotous performance from LAStheatre for ages 6+. 11am & 1.30pm; pay what you decide (Jun 27)
Sun: The Cally Festival Presents: Cultivating Cally, Caledonian Rd and online
Cultivating Cally is an initiative to turn Freeling Street into a permanent green space. This Sunday, the Cally Festival is celebrating the launch of Freeling Street Pocket Park. Along with a walking route, there are online activities via Zoom including mindfulness, zumba and flamenco workshops, soca aerobics, family fit and art workshops. Cally Rd locals can join in live or from home with a free party box (email callyfestival@gmail.com to get yours). 12pm-5pm; FREE (Jun 27)
Sun: We Love Sundays at Borough Market, 8 Southwark Street, SE1 1TL (London Bridge tube/rail)
London’s world-famous market is extending its produce trading hours into Sundays for the first time in modern history. Pop down to the market this Sunday and you’ll find fresh food and store cupboard items from more than 40 producers. Of course you can stick around for lunch at one of the popular stalls and restaurants. 10am-2pm; FREE entry (Jun 27)
BOOKING AHEAD
Kids Week (West End theatre discounts for ages 17 and under) (Aug 1-31) – tickets on sale Jun 30, 10am!
arts depot’s Togetherfest on Tour at Arts Depot, North Finchley (Jul 3-4)
Anansi the Spider (Unicorn Theatre production) at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre (Jul 7-24)
Paddington: The Story of a Bear at British Library (Jul 9-Oct 31)
Young Artist’s Summer Show at Royal Academy, W1 (Jul 13-Aug 8)
Dodge at Somerset House (Jul 15-Aug 22)
Summer Season at Shipwright, Deptford (Jul 22-Aug 7)
Uniqlo Tate Play at Tate Modern Festival (Jul 24-Aug 29)
Big Fish Little Fish Family Rave: First Event Back! at The Goodness, Wood Green (Jul 25)
Fun DMC x Jazzie B (Soul II Soul) at Colours, Hoxton Square (Jul 25)
British Youth Music Theatre Summer Camps for ages 11-17 (Jul 26-31)
Maanika and the Wolf (Polka Theatre) at Centre Court Shopping Centre, Wimbledon (Jul 29-Aug 29)
The Gruffalo Live on Stage at Ally Pally (Jul 30-Aug 29)
Little Angel Theatre: Puppet Picnic at Islington Square (through Aug, tickets on sale soon)
Unicorn Theatre: Congregation, around London Bridge (Aug 11-15)
Chaos Karts in Shoreditch (opens Aug 14)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar at Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith (Aug 17-28)
Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, multiple locations (Aug 27-Sep 11)
Matilda the Musical at Cambridge Theatre (booking from May 10, reopens Sep 16)
Windrush Day: 21 Books, Movies and TV Shows for Kids and Grownups
