What’s On for London Families
This Weekend:
Open House Junior: Saturday and Sunday, 11-3pm (double check site for specific events and times), make and do, learn and create all celebrating London’s architecture. Location include City Hall, the London Living Room and at the Leadenhall Market.
A Trip Down the Thames, HMS President: Sunday, 3:30-5pm. Join Vanessa Woolfe and Nigel of Bermondsey for sea shanties, storytelling, object handling and more. Tickets £7.50
Le Institute Francais, Open House for Kids: Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 & 4:30. Children will take part in an activity where they will design the most amazing library. Top entertainers and craftspeople will be leading activities. There will also be tours of the Insitute along with a book sale for the kids (bring your own bags, please).
Horsman’s Sunday, St. John’s Church, Hyde Park. This unique service, now in its 47th year, is for the blessing of horses. An impressive cavalcade of horses lines up on Hyde Park Crescent to come by St. John’s church for a holy blessing. In addition to the horses, there will be stalls, music, children’s activities, raffles and tobmbolas.
For those with very little ones, check out my new client, Nursery Rhyme TV. They have created a Youtube channel of high-quality graphics and singing to accompany traditional nursery rhymes. It is a fabulous way to refresh your nursery rhyme repertoire as well as help the kids learn the songs (just to put my primary teacher hat on - any increase to verbal skills is an increase in reading-readiness) Take a look and let me know what you think http://bit.ly/1pwBi3p
Royal Academy of Art Family Workshops, “Room Without a Roof”: Sunday 11am-3pm. Bring the kids and create buildings that fly with balloons. Magical afternoon of making and doing on Picadilly, free, all ages.
National Portrait Gallery: Saturday. Family Art Workshop, “Colour Me Red” 11:30-1pm repeated 12:30-4pm: join artist Marc Woodhead and explore colour and technique. For ages 5+, free, 20 places, tickets allocated on arrival. Storytelling, 10:30-11:15 repeated 1:30-2:15 – learn about a famous portrait and take part in a short craft activity after.
Selfridges, Friday 19th noon – 5pm: head over to the children’s wear department and make a Tootsa MacGinty felt hand puppet to take home. Miss Ballooniverse will be on hand along with face painters.
Mimbre Circus Central: Saturday 1-5:30, Hackney. Head over to Hackney for circus performances and workshops, an amazingly fun day for all.
Pumphouse Gallery, Battersea Park: Sunday 11:30-3pm, free, all ages. “Pick a Card” Join artist Amy Pennington and explore the story of the Thames through making and playing cards.
The Musical Adventurists: “Best children’s party entertainment ever” – I had The Musical Adventurists to my own home for a party earlier in the summer; I cannot recommend them more highly – everyone was thrilled. My son’s class has taken the characters with them over the summer, they are still playing Captian Boon! Cross the dark lagoon. The Musical Adventurists provided hours of quality fun and magic, the kids can’t wait for them to come back… London’s Children Entertainers The Musical Adventurists. Check out some footage here – so. much. fun.
Family Cinema:
Curzon Cinema, Victoria: This week’s Kids Club programme: Frozen Sing-Along. Saturday and Sunday, 10:00. £3.50 per person.
Gate Picturehouse, Kids Club: This week’s programme: Tarzan 2D. Tickets £1 with £4 membership, popcorn and juice £2. (best £3 you will ever spend on a rainy Saturday)
Barbican Family Film Club: This week’s feature: Spectacular Shorts. Tickets are £2, bring the kids and escape the cold while you chill and watch a movie. Great price. 11am, all ages.
Electric Cinema, Kid’s Club: This week’s feature, Planes 2, 9:30am. Check out the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill with its plush, red velvet beds, sofas and armchairs. Looks like a great way for Dad to occupy the kids on a Saturday morning. Tickets £8 per person. All ages
For Babies and Toddlers:
Chelsea’s award-winning mum and baby activity, Monkey Music, is pleased to announce it is launching a special, new venue Chelsea’s Mermaid Retreat (Chelsea’s gorgeous mum, dad and baby retreat for post-partum overnight stays right on up to toddlers) located right on The King’s Road. These classes will be solely for infants 3-12 months. Spaces are filling up quickly for October, avoid disappointment and book your place soon. Call us on 020 8767 9827 or email [email protected]
Aquababies Swimming Classes: New classes Tuesdays 11:30 – 1pm, few spaces remaining. Aquababies, a specialist swim school for infants and toddlers up to 3 years old, has a few openings remaining in their Marble Arch venue at exceptional value - £75 for 5 week course. Bring a friend and mention London-baby and you will receive a 20% discount. Bring two friends and get a 40% discount (don’t forget to mention London-baby!!). Ring Sam on 01273 833101 and he will happily give you more information about the course, the instructor and the pool.
Ritzy, Brixton, Toddler Time:Thursdays 11am, £3 per child, adults free. This week’s programme: Rastamouse, Missing Tings
Electric Cinema, Electric Scream: This week’s feature: Boyhood– bring babies under 12 months to this amazingly plush cinema, relax with some coffee and catch a flick.
Ritzy, Brixton, Big Scream: Fridays, 11am. £7.50. This week’s feature: 20,000 days on Earth
