London Baby and Kids Summer Guide
Great, Wholesome Learning from Abel & Cole This Summer with Kids Cook Box
Abel & Cole has put crafted fabulous boxes for your kids to learn to cook with this summer, the Abel & Cole Kids Boxes. Each week a different kit will arrive at your home; the first week will have the theme of Lemonade Stand where children learn to make sugar free lemonade (agave nectar cleverly substituted) and banana, coconut macaroons. The second will teach kids how to make their own broad bean pasta! Each kit will provide all the ingredients, beautiful recipe cards, with cooking tips and fun activities. All the recipes are sugar-free and packed with organic fruit and veg. Order now before they run out and learn alongside your kids how to roll pasta, steal the seeds from a vanilla pod, expertly crack an egg, shape a loaf or leave them on their own to teach you… great wholesome learning from London’s very best, complete, organic, home delivery service.
Check out London Baby and Kids Abel & Cole Family Friendly Recipes
Music, Performances, and Workshops:
Opera Holland Park, Alice in Wonderland: take the kids to see an outdoor production of Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, an opera written for Opera Holland Park. Running 16th July - 1st August, various times (mostly sold out, check for returns)
Royal College of Music: bring the kids to a variety of music workshops and concerts; these are always rewarding and great fun. Tickets starts at £10 for day-long workshops and tickets. Various times and dates, one event all ages, some 5+, others 6-9 and 13-18.
National Theatre: Make a Play in a Day, Friday 14th and 21st August 9:45-4pm, ages 5+, adult accompanied. Become a playmaker for a day at the Clore Learning Centre. Tickets £12 per adult, £8 per child.
Wigmore Hall, Reimagining King Arthur: A community chamber opera, June 16th, 6:30pm. Tickets just £5 with open seating, performance about 1 hour long.
BFI Families: Catch films with the kids over the school holidays or let them take part in various workshops for children ages 11-14 years.
Royal Opera House, Peter Pan, Welsh National Opera: a new,mfamily opera adapted from JM Barrie’s well-loved tale. Friday 24th July and Saturday 26th July, tickets start at £35.
Monkey Music: The sun is out, it’s hot and Monkey Music is off to the seaside to cool down for the last 2weeks of term. If you haven’t tried a music class with your baby to toddler, we’d love to invite you to come along and join in the fun for a complimentary class at one of our super venues for free! Classes run in Chelsea, Gloucester Rd, South Kensington, Belgravia & Pimlico. Monkey Music is taking bookings for September and places are filling up fast.
Monkey Music’s classes are structured, action packed and beautifully presented with beautiful puppets, hand crafted props, specialist percussion, dance and movement, magical bubbles and lots more. Email Caroline to book your complimentary class before they fill up!!
Outdoor Exploration and Sport
Sports and Activities for Young People in Westminster: there are summer holiday schemes that cost just £1 per day for children ages 8-13. There are also holiday sports camps at Paddington Rec, St. Augustines Sports Centre (they may have trampolining over the summer) Academy Sport, Soberly Sports and Education Centre and Little Venice Sports Centre.
London Baby and Kids Paddling Pools and Outdoor Fun: as mentioned on the Robert Elms Show, this is London’s pinnacle guide to where to cool off with little ones.
Holland Park Ecology Centre: this is such a great resource for kids, the Holland Park Ecology Centre is located in the Adventure Playground in Holland Park. The workshops are excellent – they do some learning, some playing, some making and they are on a variety of interesting topics. Children 8 and older can be dropped off. The workshops run from 10am-noon, 2-4pm (5-10 year olds) and longer workshops for older kids 11-3pm (8-12 year olds). Prices are £4.20 (residents of RBKC) £5.40 for two hours, £7.90/£9.50 for 4 hours. Check the link for the workshops
Battersea Park Zoo: this is a great place to take the little ones. Its smaller, easier to explore and navigate, less expensive and great day out. Over the holidays they will be having different events and activities on.
Chelsea Physic Garden:There are loads of interesting workshops and activities where children learn about plants and nature from making paper, making natural dyes, creepy crawlies, ethnobotany and more. Activities from ages 4+, £6.60 for half day workshops, £8.60 for full day. Adults £9.90 and £11.90.
Family Bees Workshops: Wednesday 29th July: 10-noon, Culpeper Community Garden Islington; 2-4pm Roots and Shoots Garden Kennington. 30th July: Pop Brixton, 10-noon; 2-4pm Calthorpe Gardens Projext. Come and attend any of the four workshops aimed at teaching children and their parents how bees live in our city.
Isis Education Centre: send the kids off to nature school at the gorgeous Isis Education Centre in Hyde Park. In August, kids 8-11 can take part in the Nature Explorers Water World workshop (£15, drop-off). There are two drop-in Discovery Day - Meadow Madness workshops 5th and 6th August 11am-5pm, all ages, free.. Take a Walk in the Park - Peter Pan and learn about this famous statue and the story around it on 7th August, 11am, £5.
Arts, Crafts and Experiences:
Kensington Palace: Head over to Kensington Palace for a variety of activities including storytelling, gardening, and a story hunt. You need to purchase tickets to go in the palace, £16.50 per adult (£15.40 online) but children are free and so are the activities.
Royal Institute of Great Britian, summer School 2015: head over tto eh RI this summer and have the kids take park it workshops based on acoustics, magmatical modelling, engineering arches, wizards and more.
JW3: head over to Hampstead for loads of interesting activities and events for children including Boogie on the Beach, take part in water sports, puppet shows, arts and crafts, yoga and more.
Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition Workshops: These look fantastic and in years past have been very worthwhile. The workshops are £15 per adult and £3 per child, various times and dates.
Summertime Adventure - to the Land of Despicable Me 2: Head over to this 2 day workshop in Putney for dancing, singing, and movie event. Tickets are £35 per child, the workshop runs from 11am-3:30pm.
Westminster Abby: Head over to Westminster on Tuesdays and Thursdays with children age 5+ and take part in arts and crafts and other activities including Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, Victory Tea Days, Edward the Music and more. Booking strongly recommended.
National Portrait Gallery: Loads of excellent workshops and activities on over the summer holidays here – starting 27th July and going through to 7th August, there are loads of interesting art activities including making Toby jugs, using acetate and transfers, making pop-ups, layered portraits and more. Free, drop-in, activities for ages 3+ and also 5+.
Foundling Museum: Bring the kids to make Rococo mirrors on 28th July, make a clay token on 1st August or make Rococo plaster casts on 4th August.
Wallace Collection: Fabulous, proper art workshops for older kids and some activities for the littlies, too. 25th July A Soldier for Napoleon, all ages; 27th July Figures in Action, ages 9-13; August 2nd The Little Draw, all ages; 13th August Press it, ages 14-19; August 20th Summer Pastoral, ages 5+; 28th August Dress up and Draw, ages 9+.
The Horniman Museum: This is a great museum to spend the day with your kids – there are gorgeous grounds surrounding the museum and they have activities everyday over the school holidays. Check the website for dates and times, make sure to time your visit around one of the making activities. Most activities are free, all ages but some are bookable and charge a small fee.
Geffrye Museum: Here is another good museum to spend the day, Tuesdays-Fridays the Geffrye has several activities on where kids will make a nice craft to take home. Brick Lane and Spitafields Market are near-by.
National Gallery: On Sundays, children ages 7-12 can take part in Artist’s apprentice workshops; for early years there are Messy Mondays and Talking Tuesdays; and numerous all ages activities on various dates throughout the holidays.
Somerset House: head over to enjoy the Safra Fountains any hot day, and bring the kids to see Where the Wild Things Are on Saturday 8th July and take part int eh Family Drop-in Workshop that same day. There is another workshop on Saturday 22nd August. All free, different ages.
Dulwich Picture Gallery: Head over to Dulwich Picture Gallery for loads of interesting storytelling activities and art events. All activities are free with the £6 adult admission to the museum.
Whitechapel Gallery: Head over to Whitechapel for an all-ages, free Family Day July 25th, noon - 4pm
Saatchi Gallery: Join Zoe Scammel for printmaking Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd August, £3 per house. No need to book ,just drop in.
Camden Arte Centre: Head out to Camden on Sundays throughout summer, 2-4:30, all ages, free, drop-in.
Museum of London: There are loads of activities on at the Museum of London, they have an excellent education room that is great for big kids and younger siblings. The theme this year is Romans.
Benjamin Franklin House: bring the kids to the London home of this fascinating American Founding Father. Tuesday 28th July Family Day: Festival of British Archaeology, free, all ages but suitable for 7-14 year olds, donations welcome and booking recommended. Tuesdays 4th, 11th and 18th August come listen to the Franklin Tales, free, under 7s. Saturday 1st August 11am-4pm Children’s Summer Fete. Free, all ages. Tuesday 25th August is Big Ben Stamp Act Family Day, 11am, all ages.
Get Away
Villa Pia, Tuscany’s All Inclusive Family Getaway: a few places are remaining for first week of September, so bring the little ones to this family paradise in the Tuscan hills. Pool, playground, indoor play area; fitness, sport and exploring for the adults – a perfect place where families are completely catered for, all inclusive!! Check out a London Baby and Kids reader’s Q and A about Villa Pia
- Brockenhurst, Hampstead - a fabulous family break in the New Forest
- York with Kids: take the children to this fabulously charming town for young and old alike.
- Whitstable: Oysters, seaside, ice cream and beer - 1.5 hours from London
- Broadstairs: London’s closest sandy seaside town - 2 hours by train.
- Downe, Kent: 1 hour from London Victoria, Charles Darwin’s Down House, horseback riding, field walks and more.
