Half Term Holiday Guide
STEM Activities London Half Term:
London Festival of Architecture, Family Events: Bring the kids to a variety of events across London over the schools holidays and weekends. Take part in some great workshops at St. Paul’s, RIBA, Museum of London and Dulwich Picture Gallery. Various dates, times, ages, prices.
Chats Palace, School of Noise: Bring the kids to Hackney to explore experimental music and the science of sound. Fabulous workshops that are extremely worthwhile. 28th May - 4th June, ages 7-12, £5, 10am-10:50 or 11am-11:50. Booking required.
RIBA, Half-term architecture workshops: For children ages 6-10. Design Quest, Blow Your House Down, ages 6-10, £35; Friday 4th June, 11am-4pm. Also, Family Fun Day: Architecture, Art and Design Saturday 4th June, all ages, free, booking required.
Royal Institution, Family Masterclasses : 3D Mathematical Fun for ages 7-11 and 12-14. £20 adults, £15 children (adult must attend).
Dickens Museum Taxidermy Workshop: Huge apologies if this offends anyone, but I have one child who is morbidly fascinated with this idea and one who is completely outraged over this. If you or your child might be the former, the workshop is very dear, £100, but a very good experience for a budding biologist.
Outdoor and Gardening Fun:
Education Centre, Hyde Park take the kids to The Lookout in Hyde Park for Nature Explorers Hedgehogs and Hedgerows workshop (£15) or the Discovery Day Hedgehogs and Heroes (free, all ages, drop-in).
Pirate Castle Summer Holidays Canoeing and Kayaking: Located in Camden, children over the age of 8 can take part in daylong boating and adventurous activities during the school holidays. £12 per child per day.
Chelsea Fringe Festival: Various activities taking place around London. Saturday 28th - Friday June 3rd.
Holland Park Ecology Centre: Head over to beautiful Holland Park and book the kids into a wide variety of workshops where they can investigate animal tracks, identify birds, learn about animal homes, make a wormery and more. Tuesday 31st- Friday 3rd.
Chelsea Physic Gardens Family Activity Days: bring the kids for Chocolate Tuesday, plant perfumes, Sunday Funday. Half day workshops £11 per person, £15 for full-day.
Museums and Art Workshops
Benjamin Franklin House, Family Day: Tuesday 31st May, 11am. Come to the museum and explore Franklin’s investigation of hot air balloons, lightening and Aurora Borealis through a fun, hands-on art activity. Ages 5-11, free, booking essential.
British Musuem Half Term: Beneath the Waves, Ancient Sunken Cities: : Head to Bloomsbury and take part in a variety of activities surrounding ancient cities discovered off the coast of Egypt. Monday 20th - Friday 3rd June. Free, drop-in, all ages.
Ragged School Museum: Mark international Children’s Day at the Ragged School Museum with art and craft activities that focus on the stories of Victorian childhoods like Oliver, Alice, Mowgli and more. Free, drop-in, all ages, 10am-5pm, Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd.
East London Comics and Arts Festival: Head out to the East End and take part in a variety of free and ELCAF ticketed events.
National Gallery: Family Day Saturday 4th June: head over to Trafalgar Square for a variety of activities including storytelling, art making, music and a yes, a RAVE with Big Fish Little Fish. All events free and drop-in. Throughout the holidays, there will be a variety of events and activities on over the school holidays, check here for more details.
National Theatre, Make a Play in a Day: Head over to Southbank and become a playmaker for a day. Thursday 2nd June, 9:45am - 4pm. £12 per adult, £8 per child, ages 6-12.
Pippa’s Poppets Half-Term Workshops: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday half-term musical theatre workshops. If you little one fancies Disney Princesses, come to the morning workshops. Showily your little one be more interested in The Jungle Book, book at the afternoon sessions. Your little one will sing, dance, play and act their way through the production which you will watch on the final day. Cost is £90 per child 9:30-noon or 2-4:30 each day.
Handle and Hendrix in London, Ghost Stories: Bring the kids to Hendrix Flat and Handel House where ghostly figures will guide families with stories, music and games. Tickets £10 for adults, £5 children. Friday 29th, 2pm.
Geffrye Museum: bring the kids to make their own tea towels, herbal teas, clay fruit and veg, garden boxes, mini herb gardens, beeswax candles, and herbal soaps. Tuesday - Friday, all activities are free and drop-in, but many have limited spaces.
Wallace Collection: head over and make your very own puppet theatre, paper paintings or take part in the Little Draw.
National Portrait Gallery: bring the kids to build 3D portraits, weave portraits, work with artist Marc Woodhead to make self portraits, go in the photographic studio and make your own portraits. Great fun, free, drop-in, check ages and times.
Music
Royal Albert Hall: have a great time over at Royal Albert Hall join in the Royal College of Music’s day-long workshop and concert Space Explorers and Space Ignite. Story Pocket Theatre will be putting on a magical, musical puppet show of Arabian Nights, there will be a violin concerts, Shakespeare arts and crafts event, and a family concert. Great value and variety of events this half-term.
Royal Festival Hall, Forest Fairies: bring children ages 2-5 for a lively, interactive workshop where they will be introduced to period instruments. Adults £7, children £1. Sunday 5th June.
Royal Festival Hall, Bottom’s Dream: Lose yourself in the woods with the LPO and Globe Education in this special, musical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Noon, Sunday 5th, ages 2-5, tickets from £10 - £16.
