Fancy afternoon tea at the Science Museum? That’s just one of the treats in the best London weekend guide for kids of all ages. There’s also DJ sets for children and grownups, a massive party at Tate Modern, a hip hop dance showcase, maypole dancing, a Cockney baby knees-up, open air theatre, a puppet festival, an unmissable exhibition, an eco-friendly day out, and another moving memorial at Tower of London. Phew. Don’t sit around, get out and explore the best that London has to offer.
Good luck to all those who’ve started GCSE exams and Happy International Mother’s Day on Sunday to everyone celebrating!
Best London Weekend Guide for Kids of All Ages
Thu-Sun: Chicken Licken at Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19 1SB (South Wimbledon tube)
LAST CHANCE: Watch out, the sky’s about to collapse and Chicken Licken is warning everyone. But what will Foxy Loxy do? A playful take on the children’s story with puppets, integrated BSL, creative captions and integrated audio description. For ages 3+. 10.15am (Thu-Fri), 1.15pm (Thu), 11am & 2pm (Sat-Sun); from £10 + £2.50 booking fee/babies 1 and under £1 (until May 11)
Thu-Sun: The Tower Remembers at Tower of London, EC3N 4AB (Tower Hill tube)
Launching to coincide with the 80th anniversary of VE Day this Thursday, this installation of nearly 30,000 poppies marks the sacrifices of WW2 soldiers. The original 2014 display ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ returns to the Tower, creating a ‘wound’ at the heart of the landmark that was bombed in the Blitz. Expect queues. 9am-5.30pm daily (last time slot 3.30pm); included in regular ticket – adult from £35.80/child from £17.90/under 4s FREE (May 6-Nov 11)
Thu-Sun: Science Museum Afternoon Tea at Science Museum, Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD (South Kensington tube)
Settle in with your bunch for this brand new afternoon tea at Science Museum. It’s curated by Benugo chefs with plate designs by the iconic Zaha Hadid Architects. Try out petri dish jelly, Earl-grey infused scones, or the museum’s signature pink lemonade which involves a chemical experiment to create your own fizzy drink! All ages. 12pm & 3pm (Thu-Sun excl school holidays); adult £32/child £22 (pre-bookings only) (ongoing)
Thu-Sun: Noah Davis at Barbican Centre Art Gallery, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS (Barbican/Moorgate tube)
LAST CHANCE: The late Noah Davis was a master at capturing everyday Black experience. See dreamlike, realistic and joyful portraits of people in pools, resting and at play at this acclaimed exhibition. All ages but PG for some content (graphic themes and some nudity). 10am-5pm (Sat-Mon) & 10am-7pm (Thu-Fri); adult £18/ages 14-25 £6/under 14s FREE (until May 11)
Fri: Baby Knees Up VE Day Special at Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No. 1 Street, SE18 6HD (Woolwich tube, Woolwich Arsenal rail/DLR)
Cor Blimey, Guv’nor. Come and have a knees-up with Tom Carradine and his piano ‘Kimberley’. This special family event marks 80 years since Victory in Europe! It’s a proper East End knees up, with Cockney tunes and nostalgic singalongs like We’ll Meet Again, rKnees Up Mother Brown and The White Cliffs of Dover. From the team behind Baby Broadway and Baby Gospel. Suitable for ages 0-100. 11am (doors 10.30am); adult £12/concs and under 18s £11/babies under 6 months FREE (May 9)
Fri-Mon: Tate Modern Birthday Weekender at Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG (Southwark/Blackfriars tube)
The Tate Modern is celebrating 25 years with a huge Birthday Weekender featuring a mix of talks, performances, workshops, live music and tours of its world famous collection. Bring your whole crew along for this free and fun cultural extravaganza. Highlights include UNIQLO Tate Play family studio, interactive fun in Turbine Hall, and evening DJ sets. 10am-11.30pm (Fri-Sat) & 10am-6pm (Sun-Mon); FREE, drop-in (May 9-12)
Sat: Big Fish Little Fish Family Rave at Dulwich Festival, Dulwich Hamlets Football Ground, Champion Hill, Edgar Kail Way, SE22 8BD (East Dulwich rail)
Don’t miss your chance to get down with the award-winning family ravers at Dulwich Festival. Old skool legend DJ Lol Hammond (DrumClub) will play and all vinyl set of club bangers. Dance with your little ones, have fun at Wheadon’s Wacky craft tables and refresh at the licensed bar. All BFLF parties come with bubbles, balloons and foam and the famous parachute dance finale. Best for ages 0-8 but all ages welcome. 2pm-4pm; adult £12/child £9/pre-walkers FREE (May 10)
Sat-Sun: A Night with Boy Blue: Generation Blue at Barbican Theatre, Barbican Centre, Silk Street EC2Y 8DS (Barbican tube)
The incredible Boy Blue are back with another heart-pumping showcase. This evening features 200 performers from across the entire company, flooding the stage with hip hop dance moves. It’s part of a 3-day series of free and paid events promoting the new generation of dance talent. 7.45pm (Sat) & 6pm (Sun); from adult £18/child £9 (May 10-11)
Sat-Sun: Open Air Theatre Season at Regent’s Park, Queen Mary’s Garden within Regent’s Park, NW1 4NU (Baker St tube)
The outdoor theatre season opens this weekend with Tony Award winning musical comedy Shucked (May 10-Jun 14), all about a corn-bred American community in crisis. Also coming up: Rogers & Hammerstein’s Dream Ballets: A Triple Bill (Jun 19-22); book adaptation Noughts & Crosses (Jun 28-Jul 26); Brigadoon (Aug 2-Sep 20); and The Enormous Crocodile (Aug 15-Sep 7). Various ages, times and prices for shows. Shucked is suitable for ages 8+. 7.45pm (Mon-Sat) & 2.15pm (Thu & Sat, from May 17); adult £15-£45/child under 18 £12.50-£17.50 (May 10-Jun 14, Open Air season until Sep 20)
Sun: Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival, St Paul’s Church Garden, Bedford Street, Covent Garden WC2E 9ED(Covent Garden tube)
An annual favourite, this year marks the 50th Punch & Judy festival in Covent Garden. Dating back to May 1662 when writer Samuel Pepys first recorded sighting Mr Punch, it’s an all-day affair with Grand Procession and brass band, church service (Mr Punch in the pulpit!), puppet shows, music, stalls and maypole dancing. All ages welcome. 11am-5.30pm; FREE (May 11)
Sun: Family Barn Dance: Maypole Special at at Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent’s Park Rd, NW1 (Camden Town/Chalk Farm tube)
Swing your partner at this Maypole Special celebration of the popular family event. There’s live music from Jenny Newman (fiddle) and Andy Glass (guitar) with expert caller Sheena Masson giving you dance instructions. Look out for guest acts, step dancer Nickie Dailly and Andean dancers Baila Peru. All ages, 0-100. 1.30pm-4.30pm; adult £10/child £8/under 2s £2.50 (May 11)
Sun: The Green Meet at Fulham Palace, Bishop’s Avenue, SW6 6EA (Putney Bridge tube)
Return to Fulham Palace for another day of sustainable and eco-friendly activities for all the family. The event includes outdoor games, mini-beast hunts, bee walks, family yoga, chicken chat, gong bath, tombola and dozens of stalls. 11am-3pm; adult £5 adv, £6 door/child £3 adv, £4 door (some extra charges for activities). (May 11)
We also like
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible opens at Shakespeare’s Globe this Thursday (May 8-Jul 12); be dazzled by Antony Gormley: Witness at White Cube Mason’s Yard (Thu-Sat, until Jun 8); The Paper Dolls, a co-production with Polka Theatre, opens at Little Angel Theatre on Saturday (May 10-Jul 20); head to King’s Cross for the vinyl-sharing Independent Label Market (Sat); or party with your kids at another Hotsy Totsy Family Rave at Big Penny Social (Sun)
Booking Ahead
- Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre, WC2 (Priority Booking Opens May 13, official previews from Nov 1)
- AstroNights Sleepovers at Science Museum (May 16, Jun 20 & Jul 11)
- Rembrandt Van Wine Sip & Paint: Neon Taylor Swift Night (for grownups) at Islington Studios, N19 (May 17)
- Gianni Versace Retrospective at Arches London Bridge (presale May 20, public on-sale May 21, exhibition Jul 16)
- Moomin 80: The Door is Always Open at Southbank Centre SE1 (May 23-Jun 1)
- This Is My Family at Southwark Playhouse, SE11 (May 23-Jul 12)
- V&A Families Festival at V&A Museum, SW7 (May 31)
- Serpentine Pavilion 2025 by Marina Tabassum at Serpentine Gallery, SW7 (Jun 6-Oct 26)
- Helios at Osterley Park and House, TW7 (Jun 6-10 & Jul 11-14)
- Bring Your Own Baby Daytime Comedy at Royal Albert Hall, SW7 (Jun 9)
- The Boy With Wings at Polka Theatre, SW19 (Jun 21-Aug 16)
- Jacksons Lane 50th Birthday Party at Jacksons Lane, N6 (Jun 28)
- Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs at Lightroom King’s Cross, N1C (Jul 9-Nov 2)
- Children’s Puppet Festival at Little Angel Theatre, N1 (Jul 28-Aug 31)
**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!**
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