We’re approaching the spooky season and I’ll have some fang-tastic ideas for Halloween in my October Half Term guide, out next week. Before you know it, we’ll be in the sprint towards Christmas! Choc horror (or hooray, if you’re also a choc fiend). In the meantime, check out 12 cool family activities in London this weekend. Black History Month picks, Paddington trail, picture books brought to life, STEM festival, experiential art, and a family hip hop party. Yes folks, it’s the London Kids Weekend Scoop!
12 Cool Family Activities in London this Weekend
Thu-Sat: Mamela Nyamza: Hatched Ensemble at Barbican Theatre, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS (Barbican tube)
Dance Umbrella festival launches with Hatched Ensemble, a powerful work by South African choreographerMamela Nyamza. Wearing stunning costumes, 10 dancers, an opera singer and an African traditional multi-instrumentalist challenge the boundaries of gender and Western classical dance. NB: dancers are bare-chested in the performance. Ages 13+. 8.15pm; £15-£30/concs & under 16s 50% discount, subject to availability (Oct 9-12)
Thu-Sun: Anna Hibiscus’ Song at Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley St, SE1 2HZ (London Bridge tube)
Meet Anna Hibiscus, a girl from Ibadan, Nigeria, who’s overflowing with so much happiness, it has to come out… in song! This joyful story by beloved picture book author Atinuke is brimming with music, dance, puppets and traditional African storytelling. Ages 3-7. 10.30am & 1.30pm (Wed-Thu), 11am (Fri), 11am & 2pm (Sat-Sun); from child £10.50-£18.50/adult £16.50-26.50 (Oct 9-13)
Thu-Sun: Paddington Visits at Connaught Village, 28 Connaught St (Paddington tube/rail) and Westfield London (White City tube, Shepherd’s Bush tube/overground)
Drop by Paddington’s Connaught Village or Westfield London shopping centre for a first look at the brand new Paddington Visits statue trail. This weekend, StudioCanal unveils 23 statues popping up around the UK, from John O’ Groats to Land’s End. Enjoy a marmalade sandwich and a selfie with the literary icon. This trail is to promote the upcoming movie Paddington in Peru (out Nov 8). All ages. Daily; FREE (from Oct 9)
Thu-Sun: 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair 2024 at Somerset House, the Strand, WC2R 1LA (Charing Cross tube)
Discover the works of 160+ artists at this annual showcase of art from 23 countries. You can explore painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, installation and performance art, shown by 60 global exhibitors including newcomers to the fair, Art Pantheon Gallery (Lagos, Nigeria), Cynthia Corbett Gallery (London), ADA contemporary art gallery (Accra, Ghana), and Le LAB (Cairo, Egypt). All ages. 11am-7pm (Thu VIP preview, invitation only), 11am-7pm (Fri-Sat), 11am-6pm (Sun); adult £29/concs £15/child under 12 FREE (Oct 10-13)
Fri: FRAMELESS Multi-Sensory Tots Classes at FRAMELESS, 6 Marble Arch, W1H 7AP (Marble Arch tube)
Bring your teeny ones along to FRAMELESS immersive galleries for their new weekly Multi-Sensory Tots Classes launching this October. In partnership with Rochelle Hume’s hair and skincare brand, My Little Coco, and co-hosted by The Babysitting Club, this is a welcome addition for families. Let your tots sing along, hear stories, play with props and bubbles and more. Before and after the session parents and little ones can explore the experiential galleries showcasing 42 artists from Van Gogh to Dali. Hurry, classes are selling out! 10.15am, 11am & 11.45am (Fris); £25 (includes full access to galleries + My Little Coco goody bag for classes in October (Oct 11 & every Friday)
Sat: Little Red Riding Could at Grand Junction, Rowington Close, W2 5TF (Warwick Ave/Royal Oak tube)
You might know her as a girl from that fairytale but she doesn’t want to be pigeonholed any longer. After all she’s not that little, she no longer wears a hood and she’s questioning everything… as are Mother, the Woodcutter and that wily old Wolf. Enjoy a fun and empowering twist on the classic story with live music. All ages welcome, best for ages 4+. 11am & 2pm; Pay What You Can (recommended from £2-£22)/babies under 12 months FREE (Oct 12)
Sat: Author Event: The Story of Britain’s Black Nurses at Florence Nightingale Museum, 2 Lambeth Palace Road, SE1 7EW (Lambeth North tube/rail)
See a special Mary Seacole introduction to Kandace Chimbiri, author of the new beautifully illustrated picture book The Story of Britain’s Black Nurses. Kandace will then share her tales of incredible nurses from all over the globe, followed by a Q&A and book signing. All ages welcome, best for 5+. 1.30pm; adult £12/child £6 – pay once, visit all year! (Oct 12)
Sat-Sun: New Scientist Live, ExCeL London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1XL (Custom House DLR, Canning Town tube)
Get your grey matter working at this STEM-focused festival featuring talks, hands-on experiments, VR experiences and more. Hear from some of the world’s greatest thinkers and experience anything from a VR rollercoaster to RAF Red Arrows. All ages. 10am-5pm; adult £48/weekend £78, child £19/weekend £31, family £123/weekend £208/watch online from £36, child under 6 FREE (Oct 12-13)
Sat-Sun: Luna Loves Library Day at Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19 1SB (South Wimbledon tube)
Luna and her papa get lost and found again between the library shelves. Celebrate the power of storytelling in this adventurous tale, based on the book by former Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and illustrator Fiona Lumbers. Ages 5-8. 11am & 2.30pm; from £10 (until Oct 13)
Sun: Supa Dupa Fly Kid Party at Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ (Brixton tube)
Every second Sunday of the month, Fly Kids converge at this family friendly party from the creators of Supa Dupa Fly. BBC1xtra’s Emily Rawson and friends spin a mix of R&B, hip hop, pop and soul for all ages. There are dance teachers and battles, games, confetti, hip hop face painting and more. Food and drink on offer. Tables available for groups of 10+ (book ahead: email flykid@supadupaflylove.com). Open to families with kids and babies of all ages. 11am-3pm; adult from £13/child from £8/family from £29/babies under 1 FREE (Oct 13)
Sun: Mrs Giggly’s Magic School at Arts Depot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley N12 0GA (Finchley Central tube)
Prepare for a bonkers afternoon in the company of Mrs Giggly. Having lost her spark, Mrs Giggly is thrust back into a magical teaching adventure by a new student. From a trapeze-swinging, opera-singing unicorn to a pole=dancing polecat, this show is crackers from start to finish. Ages 4-8. 3pm; adult £25/child £16/concs £15 (Oct 13)
Sun: A Tiger’s Tale at Jacksons Lane, 269a Archway Road, N6 5AA (Highgate tube)
Follow Titch, Ma and Pa on a rip-roaring adventure from a South African circus train to a steamboat and onward to West Yorkshire. Inspired by the true life story of Fenella, the Holmfirth Tiger, this show balances circus, puppetry, live music and song. All ages welcome. 11.30am & 2pm; £14 (Oct 13)
We also like
Snap up something at The Other Art Fair at Old Truman Brewery (Thu-Sun); go bonkers for conkers at the Peckham Conkers Championships with contests for juniors and seniors (Sat); celebrate Africa Fashion Week with catwalk events, workshops, stalls and more at Kensington & Chelsea Events and Conference Centre (Sat-Sun); fly away to Blackheath for their popular Kite Day (Sun); ABBA for Kids is back by popular demand at Cadogan Hall (Sun); and Now You See Us, Tate Britain’s showcase of female artists closes this weekend (until Sun)
Booking Ahead
- For Crying Out Loud Baby-Friendly Concert at Wigmore Hall, W1 (Oct 16 & Nov 22)
- Hew Locke: What Have We Here? at British Museum, WC1 (Oct 17-Feb 9)
- Bloomsbury Festival, in and around Bloomsbury (Oct 18-27)
- Storyquest Sleepover for ages 6-11 at Discover Children’s Story Centre (Oct 19)
- Boo at the Zoo at London Zoo (Oct 19-Nov 3)
- Windrush Adventures at Arts Depot, North Finchley (Oct 20)
- Hotsy Topsy Family Rave at Big Penny Social E17 (Oct 20)
- The Story of Flip Fraser at Shaw Theatre, NW1 (Oct 25)
- Medieval Women: In Their Own Words at British Library, NW1 (Oct 25-Mar 2)
- VOGUE: Inventing the Runway at Lightroom, King’s Cross (Oct 25-Mar 30)
- FUNHarmonics Family Concert: Stan & Mabel at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre (Oct 26)
- Telling Tales with Chris Riddell and Ana Sampson at Shakespeare’s Globe, SE1 (Oct 27)
- Family Studio: Cut Out Worlds at Royal Academy (Oct 27)
- Panto Dame Storytelling with Mama G at Horniman Museum (Oct 28-30)
- House of Dreams Workshop with Artist Sally Kindberg at Swedenborg Hall, Bloomsbury (Oct 30)
- Ally Pally Fireworks Festival at Alexandra Palace (Nov 1-2)
- You Choose at Arts Depot, North Finchley (Nov 3)
- Picasso: Printmaker at British Museum, WC1 (Nov 7-Mar 30)
- Aurora Orchestra: The Wolf, The Duck and the Mouse at Kings Place, N1 (Nov 23)
- Versailles: Science and Splendour at Science Museum (Dec 12-Apr 21)
The October Half Term guide will be out next week!
**NB: Please note that all event timings and prices are subject to change/cancellation at short notice, so always check ahead with the venue (or the latest government guidelines) before making a trip!**
Garden Projects That are Fun for the Whole Family
