London May Day Family Events and Activities
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Take Stars Gym and Creche up on their fantastic offer to try out their gym and crèche. Pay what you like, try it for free, try it for £5, take a look around and see if you could use Stars gym to keep up your current fitness levels or improve. Monday – Friday: 9:30 – 11:30 Ofsted registered crèche, very clean, very kind, very good, for 0-5 Review
S&A Studios has an introductory offer on their in-home or on-location family photography sessions from £120 including four prints. Book now for prints ready in time for Father’s Day gifts …
Please, please sign the petition to support Pimlico’s #1 neighbour, Hassan at Khallouk and Taylor. The person who moved in over his long-established coffee shop that does not keep late hours does not like living over a coffee shop and would like to close it down. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-khallouk-taylor/
May Day Bank Holiday Suggestions:
May Day Festival at The Frieghtliners Farm: meet the animals, decorate garlands, dress the well, dance around the maypole and help support the Frieghtliners Farm. Noon – 4pm.
Open Family Workshop with Mbawula: come and learn the music from the South African Freedom Struggle with an orchestral ensemble led by Paul Bartholomew and Joyce Mohologae fusing South African melodies with jazz and brass. Come and enjoy a wonderful free family event in the Clore Ballroom.
Brixton Windmill May Day Recycling Parade and Festival: head over to the Tate Library on Windrush Square in Brixton at 1pm for a parade of recycled costumes, instruments and props. Afterwards, take part in children’s activities while you enjoy music and food. 2-6pm
May Day at the Museum of London Docklands: make the journey out and enjoy an entire day of family-friendly events, music, crafts, activities, dancing and workshops. Free, and perfect way to escape the cold rain while giving your kids a great day out.
Just for Babies:
NCT Kensington and Chelsea Bumps and Babies Group: Gymboree, Baden Powell House. Every Tuesday 12:30 – 1:45pm, if your new to motherhood, this is a fantastic way to meet other people in the exact same boat. Its open to anyone, please drop by this welcoming and warm group. If you have a little one, they will love playing on the very clean, very fun Gymboree equipment. [email protected].
Gate Picture House Notting Hill: Big Scream. Tuesdays 10:30. Come and enjoy a vintage theatre’s screening of Monsuer Lazhar with your infant. Great chance to see current cinema without having to shell out for a sitter. Nappy changing set up, dim lights so you can see what they are up to … fabulous morning out.
Baby and Toddler Events:
Classical Babies: Wednesdays, 11:00am, Belisize Park, Interchange Studios. £10 per family for a delightful classical concert that is completely baby and toddler friendly, the perfect mid-week bit of brain candy read more about the fabulous bit of motherhood: My review
Classics with my Baby: As seen in the Independent, Time Out, and Gramophone Magazine, this critically acclaimed concert series specifically designed for parents and children (0-5 years) to enjoy together. Tickets: Adults £10, children FREE ( special offers for online tickets from website) Eat cake and mingle from 10:00am and concert begins at 10:30am. This is such a treat, easy to get to and worth every penny. My review
Isligton Tuusday 8th May, Chelsea Wednesday 9th May, Hampstead Garden Suburb Thursday 10th May, Borough Friday 11th May
Baby and Toddler Classes
Culture Kids Music Class: Chelsea, Marylebone and Hampstead
Check out their new web site!! Come along for the most amazing, dynamic, invigorating, multi-sensory, multi-instrumented music class. There is not the usual scrum for the shakers, every single kid gets a chime, ladybird game, sunglasses, gorgeous set of fairy wings, caterpillar costume … there are literally scores of props that come out with each song. Further, these props all change the following week when the class explores a new theme. Read my review.
If you “like” Culture Kids on Facebook and write “fabwebsite” on their wall, you will get a discount on your classes. Check the schedule for times and prices and age groups.
Events for the Bigs, Smalls and the Whole Family:
Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival: St. Paul’s Church Sunday 13th May from 12:30 – 5pm. Come and celebrate Punch’s 350th birthday with a Punch and Judy Festival that includes folk music, maypole dancing, workshops, brass bands, clowns, food and fun. Free, drop in and have fun.
Whitechapel Gallery, The Factory of Confessions Family Workshop: Saturday 12th May noon-4pm. have heard numerous positive reports from friends taking their kids to the Whitechapel events and I hope to make one soon. In Saturday’s workshop, families deliver confessions to each other using typed, spoken, edible and mapped formats. There will also be an activity trail with mask making, role playing and sing making … free, booking suggested.
Cecil Sharpe House, English Folk Dance and Song Society May in a Day: Sunday 12th May 2pm-6pm. Bring the kids along to celebrate an afternoon of traditional English folk music and dancing. Tickets £6 adults, £4 children.
Rock n Roll Family Dicso, Belsize Park, Saturdays, 4:00-5:00pm. Come to Interchange Studios and dance away with your kids!! Teach them what we sang and danced before they came along… the glory days!! £5 per adult, kids free.
BMW London Symphony Orchestra Open Air Classic: Saturday 12th May, 6:30pm. if you are still out and about Saturday evening, stop by Trafalgar Square for a free concert complete with big screens so children can get interesting views of the orchestra. Free, drop in.
For Big Kids
Southbank, London Philharmonics Orchestra, The Cunning Little Vixen: come and listen to Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen with narrative adapted by Hannah Conway. From 10:30 – 2:00pm there will be “have a go” sessions with instruments. Tickets from £10, concert at noon in The Royal Festival Hall.
Wigmore Hall Dickens Discovery Family Day: explore the streets of Victorian London and Dickensian characters through music. A fabulous uber-cultural family event, your child will have the opportunity to perform, with the group on stage that day.
Judo Classes at Stars Gym Wednesdays 4pm (4-8 years) and 5pm (8+) with prospective Olympians Jonathan Purssey and Alex Farbon. Further, starting 3rd April, the engaging Carlos Andrade will be teaching Kickboxing on Tuesdays, 4:30 (4-9 years). Carlos’s class is drop-in, £9 per session, so come along when you like and have fun!!
