London Baby and Kids Easter Holidays in London Guide
A quick mention of some really easy train day-trips out of London that are interesting and fun for young and old alike. Whitstable in Kent, sandy Broadstairs, Charles Darwin’s Down House Brockenhurst New Forest, Groombridge Place Tunbridge Wells, Knole Park Sevenoaks, Making of Harry Potter. Also if you have not been to Oxygen, Go Ape or the Wonderlab at the Science museum, you may be interested in my reviews before you head out.
Monkey Music Chelsea and Westminster Summer Term: Book soon to avoid disappointment and make sure your child has a place in the favourite pre-school music class where over 650 local mums have fun and make friends. Book for your complementary class and find out if you may like to continue with Monkey Music. Read a bit more here or book now: call 020 8767 9827, email direct at [email protected]
Royal Institution, Easter Workshops: Take the older kids to the Royal Institution for a variety workshops on topics including genetic motion, DNA, learning coding, chemistry and making pinhole cameras.
The Design Museum, Tech Will Save Us: Friday 14th - Sunday 16th April, 1-4pm. Test and tinker with light, sound and the every popular Electro Dough kids. Invent and code a wearable app using Mover Kits - fantastic STEM activities. Free, drop-in, ages 4+.
Somerset House, Family Wild Life Drawing: Exotic Mammals: Wednesday 5ht April, 11-1pm and 2-4pm. Children age 8+, £30 for one adult and one child. Meet skunks, sugar gliders, pygmy hedgehogs and a ground squirrel with an expert animal handler, learn about animals and their habitats and then go through lie drawing exercises with drawing tutor Jennie Webber.
Chelsea Physic Garden, Family Activity Days: Head over to Chelsea for a wide variety of fantastic workshops including learning to how to cultivate plants; animal handling, make potions, sketch and make art. Tuesday 4th, 5th, 6th, 11th, 12th and 13th. Workshops various ages and priced around £10 per person.
Royal Institute of British Architects: Lots of hands-on and engaging events and workshops for families over the holidays. Saturday 8th, 10-5pm, Family Fun Day free, all ages, booking essential. Monday 3rd April, 11am-4pm, Design Quest draw, print, animate and build a city of your dreams, for ages 5-7 (£40 per child, drop-off). Design Quest for ages 8-10 Monday 3rd April. Design Day, take architectural design a step further ages 11-15.
Royal Academy Family Holiday Workshops: On Monday 4th and 11th, 10:14-1pm, book into American Road Trip and take part in this workshop based on the America After the Fall. For ages 5+, tickets £15 adults and £5 children. There is also a drawing workshop on Thursday 6th and 13th from 10:15-1:30 for children ages 11+, tickets £15 and £10.
Two Temple Place: Two Temple Place is exhibiting Sussex Modernism: Retreat and Rebellion and hosting a variety of workshops for children. Bring the kids to see the exhibit and then take a turn on the Two Temple Place Workshops. Workshops cost £3.66, check dates and times.
Read about Anikka Burton’s Not Another Bunch of Flowers, a web site specialising in warm, thoughtful and practical gifts for women suffering from breast cancer. This article was written by my friend and colleague Jacqui at Mummy’s Little Monkey and looks like an amazing resource for anyone familiar with caring for loved ones with cancer.
Hyde Park Education Centre Holiday Events and Activities: Book soon for these lovely events many free, some costing £5 and £15. Family Scavenger Hunt, 4th April; Hedgehog Heroes 5th and 6th April; Celebrating Victoria Cross 8th April; Nature Explorers 11th April; Discovery Days 12th and 13th April.
National Portrait Gallery, Family Art Workshops: Head over the the NPG April 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th for a variety of workshops and activities including a family photography workshop, making a collaged mask, join in dancing and movement workshops. All events free, for ages 5+ (younger siblings welcome) and spaces are allocated one hour before the event begins.
Pippa’s Poppets Holiday Musical Theatre Workshop for 3-6 year olds. Watch your children be transported through the joy of performing arts! Book now for April 3-5, South Kensington venue for Moana 9:30-noon (£100, drop-off) and Pimlico 2-4:30 (£90, drop-off) for Trolls. Book early and avoid disappointment.
Doorstep Library is a charity that strives to link volunteers who are interesting in bringing books and reading into the homes of Pimlico children who might benefit from additional reading support. Doorstep literacy is seeking local volunteers to help read and raise awareness of the charity.
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.
Silly (and serious) Sounds - A Concert for Kids: Saturday 1st April, 11:30, WAC Arts Centre in Belsize Park. Join the Ensemble Eroica and Karin Hendrickson for some Rossini, Mozart and fun. £5 children, £7.50 adults.
The Foundling Museum, Family Event: Play Photography. Tuesday 4th April 10:30-noon, 1-2:30 and 3-4:30. Free with admission and for ages 5+. Work collaboratively with photographer Marysa Dowling to build a play area out of recycled household materials. Pose for a photograph to take home.
Learn, Act, Inspire: Gender Equality: 4 April, 7-9pm, Lecture Theatre 1, 26 Sussex Pl., London Business School. Learn: If gender equality promises benefits not just to women, but to everyone, why isn’t the world embracing it? Catherine Mayer, co-founder of the Women’s Equality Party and acclaimed author, will unpack this question and read excerpts from her new book, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman: How Gender Equality Can Save the World.
Click here to RSVP and get your FREE ticket:
Le Institute Francais Family Events: Head to South Kensington for a variety of events at Le Institute Francais including film, Digital Club and writing and book clubs for bilingual children.
Chelsea Swim Spa - head over to the most baby-friendly pool in London … The Chelsea Swim Spa. Find out more about this luxuriously warm, innovative pool for mothers and small children. Read my review here.
Southbank Centre, Tongue Fu for Kids: Sunday 9th April, 3pm. Bring your kids to a lively show where poetry, songs, stories, game and improv meet. Tickets £10.
National Theatre, Family Events: Book into theatre workshops including Set Design, Technical Theatre and Costume Design. Workshops are for ages 6-12, £5 adults, £3 children.
National Gallery, Easter Holiday Events: The National Gallery will be hosting hands-on art workshops for families with children of all ages. Tuesday 4th - Thursday 6th and Tuesday 11th- 13th, 11am-1pm and 2-4pm. Free, drop-in.
Holland Park Ecology Centre: Head to Holland Park Monday 3rd April - Thursday 13th April (Monday-Friday) for fabulous workshops and activities including make your own gnome grotto, fish streamer, peacock craft, learn about animal eggs or play camouflage games. Lovely, engaging workshops and fantastic value. Children over 8 years old may attend unaccompanied.
Ragged School Museum, Easter Holidays: The Pastimes of Victoria Park. Learn about the huge role that Victoria Park has played in London. Wednesday and Thursday, 10am-5pm, all ages, drop-in.
Wallace Collection, Perfect Portraits : Head to the Wallace Collection 5, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 April, from 10:30-12:30pm and 2-4pm for a free and drop-in workshops with illustrator Millie Nice to explore portraits of the Collection. All ages.
BFI Holiday Workshops: Tuesday 11th, Wednesday 12th and Thursday. Ages 8-12, £30 per child, drop-off. Book your kids into a day-long workshop learning about filmmaking, animation and watch a film. Great fun and very engaging workshops. Other holiday activities at BFI include Messy Time for the Very Young; The Boss Baby screening and Q and A; screenings of Ballerina and Dougal and the Blue Cat.
The British Museum Holiday Activities: Come to the museum for family activities inspired by the exhibit The American Dream: A Pop of Colour. Monday 4th-7th, 11am-4pm, Great Court. Free, drop-in, all ages.
Grant Museum, Family Events: Saturday 8th 1:30-4:30, Creature Creations. Create works of art inspired weird and wonderful animals, free, all ages, drop-in. Explore Zoology: bring the kids and handle the inspiring specimens in the Grant Museum, Saturday 22nd 1-4pm, all ages, free, drop-in.
