Weekend Scoop for London Families (Apr 12-15)

Weather’s a bit dodgy at the minute, so we’ve got mostly indoor fun for London families with Dickens screenings and workshops and vibrant kids’ theatre around town. If it’s warm out, there’s a treasure hunt in Covent Garden to keep the little ones busy. Have fun!

Fri-Sat: Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure 3D Treasure Hunt in Covent Garden Piazza, WC2 (Covent Garden tube)
Bringing the magic of Pixar’s best-loved characters to Covent Garden, XBox hosts a weekend treasure hunt for all ages. Search for 5 gold coins hidden in the giant 3D installation – featuring stars from Toy Story, the Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up and Cars – for a chance to win a Kinect for XBox 360 bundle and Pixar game. Plus you can step into the ‘painting’ to take photos of yourself with the characters and get your face painted in true Pixar fashion. 10am-6pm, FREE (Apr 13-14)

Fri-Sun: Egg & Spoon Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley St, SE1 (London Bridge tube)
Go on a journey through the seasons in this charming show for ages 0 to 5, with a chance to play peekaboo in puddles and dance in a butterfly party. By acclaimed Lyngo Theatre company. 10.30am, 12.30pm & 2.30pm, adult £15/child £10 (Apr 13-15)

Sat: The London Jungle Book at Royal Festival Hall, Clore Ballroom, Southbank Centre, SE1 (Waterloo tube)
An extraordinary musical travelogue that transforms the city into a jungle with buses as dogs and Big Ben doubling as a cockerel. This spellbinding work of theatre is a collaboration between Indian Gond tribal artist Bhajju Shyam and students from E15 Acting School, musicians and Elephant Cast Theatre Company. From 12.30pm, FREE (Apr 14)

Sat: Family Cabaret at Greenwich Dance, Royal Hill, SE10 (Greenwich tube)
Bring the whole clan for an afternoon of spectacle, film, live band, bite-sized dance, table service and acrobatics in Borough Hall. 3.15pm, adult £10/child £7.50 (Apr 14)

Sat-Sun: Kid Carpet and the Noisy Animals at Jacksons Lane 269a Archway Rd, N6 (Highgate tube)
Electro-pop pioneer Kid Carpet, who’s toured with Arcade Fire among others, brings his energy to live musical theatre with an explosive show filled with punk spirit, lo-fi technological shenanigans and animation. Prepare to rock! For ages 3-8. 12pm & 3pm, £8.95 (Apr 14-15)

Sun: Dodgy Dickens Family Day at V&A Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Rd, E2 (Bethnal Green tube)
Enter a Dickensian wonderland with readings by author JD Sharpe (Oliver Twisted), workshops with Hip Hop Shakespeare Company, learn to create a cartoon strip with comics artist Karen Rubins, sample Dickensian delicacies, plus storytelling and crafts for younger siblings. All ages. 10am-4.30pm, drop-in, FREE (Apr 15)

Sun: Claytime at E4 Udderbelly, Southbank Centre, SE1 (Waterloo tube)
Audience participation is invited at this play with clay, where children’s imaginations can make amazing creatures and forms, led by Indefinitearticles. Ages 3+. 2.30pm & 4.15pm; £10-£15 (Apr 15-Jun 6)

LOCAL PICK
Sat: David Lean’s Oliver Twist at Screen on the Green, Upper St, N1 (Angel tube)
Lean’s classic adaptation of Dickens’ tale brings Victorian London to life in stunning form. This City Read presentation is a family affair with activities including storyboarding your own version, make an Artful Dodger hat and prizes for best Dickensian fancy dress. 10.15am-12.15pm, £3/kids club members £1/library card holders FREE. Find more Oliver Twist screenings all around town at the City Read blog (Apr 14)

We also like
Hold on to your Hats at Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, SW1 (Apr 12-14), Animal Shadow Puppet Theatre at Museum of London, EC1 (Apr 13-14), the Snail & the Whale at Lyric Hammersmith (Apr 14), In the Night Garden Live at O2, SE10 (ongoing), Mirror Mirror (PG) at cinemas nationwide…

Don’t miss our guide to Easter with Kids and our April Family Events Calendar