Sun ain’t shining, weather ain’t sweet… but there’s still lots to keep you smiling as we’ve rounded up so many fun things to do with kids in London this weekend:
Colourscape Music Festival, Big Fish Little Fish Baby Disco, Open House Junior, Oily Cart and Sensacional for babies and toddlers, Horseman’s Sunday, ArchWay with Words new literary festival…
Have a good one!
Thu-Sat: Oily Cart: TUBE (for Babies & Toddlers) (pictured) at Stratford Circus, Theatre Square, E15 (Stratford overground/tube)
The brilliant Oily Cart create another dazzling show for the youngest viewers, creating an interactive wonderland out of a tube, bringing noises, breezes and a kaleidoscope of images onto the stage. For ages 6 months to 2 years. Hurry, very few tickets left! 10.30am & 1.30pm (Thu-Fri), 11.30am & 2.30pm (Sat), £6-£8 (Sep 17-21)
Thu-Sun: Colourscape Music Festival on Clapham Common, SW4 (Clapham Common tube)
Back for its flagship festival, the Colourscape structure that allows people to experience colours in a profound, expansive way by simply entering and exploring, will leave Clapham Common this weekend. But there’s still time to wander inside, and hear the live music concerts or attend workshops throughout the weekend. 12-1pm (Thu-Fri), 1-6pm (Sat-Sun); adult £4 (weekday) or £8.50 (weekend); child £2 (weekday) or £4.50 (weekend) (until Sep 22)
Thu-Sun: Gerry Cottle’s Wow Circus at Hackney Downs, Downs Park Rd, E5 (Hackney Central overground)
A Great British mix of cabaret, circus, comedy chaos and daredevil stunt work that brings traditional circus hurtling into Hackney. More than 50 amazing acts will be fire spinning, leaping, hooping, swinging and rollerblading for your money’s worth. 5pm & 7.45pm (Thu-Fri), 2pm & 5pm (Sat-Sun); from £12/under 3s FREE (Sep 19-22)
Thu-Sun: Ceramics in the City at Geffrye Museum, Kingsland Rd, E2 (Hoxton overground)
A three-day selling fair at this lovely museum sees ceramics of all descriptions on the market from 50 potters. Also activities for kids including making your own ceramic magnets, to designing tea party headdresses, storytelling and live music. 10am-5pm (Fri-Sun), special launch evening 6-8pm (Thu), FREE (Sep 19-22)
Sat: Big Fish Little Fish: 2-4 Hour Party People at Effra Social, 89 Effra Rd, Brixton SW2 (Brixton tube)
The hot new baby disco for future dancefloor conquerors and old-time ravers makes its official launch this weekend. Music from DJ Food (Ninja Tune) of Camp Bestival, and Will Nicol (Big Fun), club visuals and lighting, bubbles, baby chill-out zone, craft room, nautical fancy dress theme and more. Tickets are now SOLD OUT but you can try your luck on the door for returns, or book ahead for next month’s gig. 2-4.30pm, adult £8/child £4.50/non-walkers FREE (Sep 21)
Sat-Sun: Open House Junior, venues around London
Every year, more than 700 of the capital’s best buildings open their doors to the public. This year, Open House Junior offers even more for families with workshops inviting little ones to build your own sculpture, design a city skyline, play with centre-cane materials, try out Archi Kid puzzles, join in a giant shadow puppet show and more. See full activity and venue listings on the web site. From around 10am-5pm, FREE (Sep 21-22)
Sat-Sun: Sensacional (for Toddlers) at Unicorn Theatre, Tooley St, SE1 (London Bridge tube)
The hugely popular immersive show for babies and toddlers returns with its blend of moving shapes and projected images, colour, light and sound for a totally tactile experience. 10.30am, 11am, 11.30am & 12pm; £10 (early booking advised to avoid disappointment) (Sep 21-Nov 14)
Sat-Sun: ArchWay with Words, in and around N19 (Archway tube)
An exciting new literary festival taking over north London for a week, promises stories, crafts and wonders for all ages. Children’s activities are free and this weekend include Ifeoma Onyefulu’s Nigerian storytelling, Kate Corkery’s folktales and CBBC’s Paul Lyalls all appearing on Saturday. The festival’s delightful elements include a flash mob sing-along to Wuthering Heights and a mass Alice in Wonderland fancy dress party! Dates and times vary, tickets average £5, many events and all kids’ activities are FREE (Sep 21-28)
Sun: Disco Kids Secret Garden Launch Party at the Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, SE8 (New Cross/Deptford overground)
Wassup gnomie? Disco Kids are bringing the outdoors inside with a garden theme to mark their first official boogie wonderland of the season. Dress up as your favourite creepy crawly or garden character, and dance the afternoon away in their specially transformed theatre. 2pm, £5.50/family £20/babies 18 months and under FREE (Sep 22)
Sun: Horseman’s Sunday, St John’s Hyde Park, Hyde Park Crescent, W2 (Hyde Park Corner tube)
Trot along to this decades old tradition, where the vicar appears on a horse on the penultimate Sunday in September. Reverend Stephen Mason leads a cavalcade of horses and riders to the churce to celebrate horse riding in central London. There’s a main church service followed by the blessing of the horses, and activities for families include a tombola, horse drawn carriages and buggies on display, games and live music. From 10am, horse procession at noon; FREE (Sep 22)
We also like
The brilliant Despicable Me 2 is on at Phoenix Cinema Kids Club in East Finchley from 11am (Sat); don’t miss the annual Hewett Street Block Party, from 12-9pm, raising money for kids charity Hackney Pirates (Sat); hairy racers take over the City of London in the Great Gorilla Run (Sat); The Hare & the Tortoise is at Puppet Theatre Barge, now in Richmond for September (Sat-Sun); West Side Story bows out at Sadler’s Wells, EC1 (until Sun); London Design Festival also wraps up this Sunday
Photo: Oily Cart Tube via Oily Cart on Facebook
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