London Baby and Kids Weekend Guide
Events for the Entire Family
British Museum, Fun Family Photos: Saturday, 11-4pm, Great Court. Come use digital cameras and green screen technology to create amazing family portraits using some of the museum’s most famous objects. Free, all ages, drop-in.
Royal Academy, Russian Monster Puppet Ballet: Royal Academy, Sunday 11am-3pm. Bring the baby and the kids to the RA, check out the latest exhibit, Revolution: Russian Art 1917-1932 (booking essential) and then join in this drop-in, free workshop for all ages where you will help create large-scale propaganda puppets … who knows, might be a good skill to have in the coming years. The workshop is free, the exhibition is £16.
British Library, Festival of Maps: Saturday 25th, noon-4pm. Head up to Kings Cross and look, touch, explore make and sign maps through interactive trails, musical performances, art workshops and taster sessions in BSL. Free, drop-in, all ages, fully accessible for families with deaf parents, carers and children.
Upcoming: Billy’s Band Family Concert: Sunday 2nd April, 11:30am. Join Dan Newell of the LSO and acclaimed author of Billy’s Band books as he takes families on a musical adventure. Pre-concert activities and the books will inspire children to pick up a musical instrument and have a go. Tickets £15 adults and £5 children.
I have a child-free event to share with you all, Brasserie Zedel in W1 is hosting Clemens Non Papa Consort production of, “Les Plaisirs de Versailles” (a short, fun 17th century opera by Charpentier) along with a few other pieces. You can attend either as standard performance (£20) or with 3 a course meal complete with wine and coffee for £37.75. This is opera performed in an informal setting. This performance is for Wednesday 8th march, 7pm. Read more and book here.
Events for Older Children, and perhaps their younger siblings
National Theatre, Make a Play in a Day: Saturday 25th, 9:45-4pm. Become a playmaker for a day and treat your kids to a unique, behind-the-scenes experience where you write a script, design a costume and then weave it together. Tickets £12 per adult and £8 per child.
Rich Mix, Crossroads: Sunday 11am-12:30 (SoundHopper) and then 1:30-3pm (ArtHopper) SoundHoppers and ArtHoppers bring sound-art-making and visual-art-making together for a free workshop for children aged 5-11 years old. Take part in exploring sound with micro-myths and then integrate your music with art. Free, booking required.
Museum of Comedy, West End Magic: Saturday, 4pm. The magic workshops are sold out for this Saturday (you can book for next month) but there are still a few seats remaining for Bloosmbury’s best family magic show, check out my review of West End Magic and head over if you are free.
Charles Dickens Museum, Highlighting the Collection: Sunday 1-5pm. Bring the kids to wander through Dickens’s only remaining London home while taking part in drop-in object handling sessions throughout the museum. Free with admission, drop-in, all ages.
Vauxhall Vaults Festival, Dr. Zeiffal, Dr. Seigal and the Hippo that can Never be Caught!: Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 (also 11th/12th and 25th/26th February). Winner of the Buxton Fringe Award for best family show, this is an energetic, engaging, intelligent, imaginative and very funny show … tickets £12 each, family tickets £40. For ages 5+.
Le Institut Francais, Music for Kids: Saturday 2:30. Join in a bilingual and easy French workshop where children will have mini concert and then a hands-on session. Just £5, ages 5+.
Royal Institute, How to Measure the Universe: Join Dr. Andrew Pontoon for a discussion of how cosmologists are able to measure the 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 metres of our universe. For ages 7+, but particularly suited for ages 11+, tickets £14 each.
West Library, Wizzie Wizzie Computer Coding Club: Saturday 11am-noon. Bring the kids to learn the basics of programming (and maybe work out how to use the Raspberry Pi they got for Christmas)
Unicorn Theatre, The Iron Man: This classic children’s book is brought to the state with paper cut silhouettes, puppetry and stop-motion animation. An excellent retelling of the story, particularly good for little boys. For ages 8+, tickets from £8 for kids, £12 for adults.
Babies and Toddlers
National Gallery Story Adventures with Fiona Alderton: Wednesdays 10:30-11:15. Bring children 16 months to 5 years to the National Gallery for wonderful storytelling session. Tickets £5 per child.
Royal Albert Hall, Storytelling and Music Sessions: Wednesdays 10am and 11:30. Join Paul Rubinstein, Olivia Armstrong and Becky Dixon for storytelling session that include instruments, singing and movement.
Book Now for Villa Pia, Italy’s finest baby-friendly, all-inclusive (four course meals … wine, beer, spirits, too), fabulously valued family holiday destination (in pounds, truly exceptional value at the moment) – fabulous savings for off-peak stays, perfect for families with children not yet in school. Read my review of Villa Pia and book for the Easter holidays as a there are just a few places remaining.
Pimlico Toy Library: Pimlico Toy Library is a fantastic resource for any parent or carer, the toys are fastidiously cleaned and the art workshops are brilliantly planned with high quality materials.
Electric Cinema, Electric Scream: Mondays, 11:00. This week’s feature: Manchester by the Sea. Bring babies under 12months to this amazingly plush cinema, relax with some coffee and catch a flick.
Ritzy, Brixton, Big Scream: Fridays, 11am. This week see Lion and Manchester by the Sea. Tickets £8.50
Family Cinema
Regent Street Cinema, Kino Club Films : You can now bring your children to London’s beautifully restored, sumptuous cinema for screenings of better than average children’s films on Saturdays. This week’s screening: Pete’s Dragon. 11:30am, just £1.75.
Prince Charles Cinema, Studio Ghibli Forever: Sunday, noon. Howl’s Moving Castle, dubbed with Emily Mortimer, Christian Bale and Lauren Bacall … kids just £3, adults £8.
BFI Families: Bring the kids on Sunday, 12:45 for The Love Bug!!! Tickets £4 for kids, £11.75 for adults, or 1 adult and 1 child for £10.
Framed Film Club: Head to the Barbican for the Framed Film Club, this week’s feature: Kirikou and the Men and Women. Saturday 11am.
Gate Picturehouse, Kids Club: This week’s programme: Blinky Bill the Movie, 10:30. Tickets just £1 with £4 membership, popcorn and juice £2. (best £3 you will ever spend on a rainy Saturday)
Electric Cinema, Kid’s Club: This week’s feature, Cars. 9:30am. Check out the Electric Cinema with its plush, red velvet beds, sofas and armchairs. Looks like a great way for Dad to occupy the kids on a Saturday morning.
