London Baby and Kids Weekend Guide
Family Events This Weekend:
Fun Palace Weekend at New Diorama Theatre: Saturday 11am-4pm. Head to Regent’s Place for a day of arts and crafts, short story writing, open mic for music, community storytelling and more … free, all ages, drop-in. 
Royal Albert Hall, Silent Films for Kids with Neil Brand. Saturday 10:30 and 1:30pm. Enjoy an hour of furious comedy for all the family from the earliest trick films to the greatest of Hollywood clowns accompanied by Neil Brand on the piano. Adults £12.50 and kids £8.50
Cecil Sharp House, Family Barn Dance: Sunday 3-5pm. Bring the entire family to take part in lively dances with live music and expert callers. Adults £7, children £5, under 2s £2.
Fulham Palace Apple Day Celebration: Sunday 11am-3pm. Head over to the Walled Garden for live music, children’s activities, storytelling, bee keeping and wood turning demonstrations. Enter the Apple Cake Baking Competition, check online for details. Free, all ages.
Hyde Park, Intertebrate Giant Snail Tour (in the half marathon festival area): Sunday 11am-3pm. Join Vanessa Wolf , Rebecca Walker and Oliver Wallace for an enchanting storytelling, bug trails, crafting and invertebrate missions in the park. Free, all ages.
Westbourne Grove Church, NCT Kensington and Chelsea Nearly New Sale: Saturday 14th October 10-noon for NCT members, 10:15-noon for the general public. £2 donation on the door, first 100 people receive a complimentary goodie bag, cash sales only.
Madneville Hotel, London Blogging Workshop: Thursday 12 October, 10:30-1pm. Come to an intimate, hands-on, blogging workshop where you will learn how to grow 1,000 loyal followers into 10,000 and create a solid business. Tickets £40 to cover room, coffee, tea, pastries and a few other bits and bobs. Sorry, no children.
Learning, Making and Doing Events:
Royal Institute of British Architects, Design Day: Saturday 11am-4pm. For children aged 11-15 take part in a workshop exploring form, colour and texture through mould making and plaster casting. Booking required, tickets £40.
Dragon Hall CoderDojo: Bring your laptop to Dragon Hall in Soho for a coding workshop for beginners to more advanced coders (particularly helpful for parents wanting to learn how to assist their kids). Saturday from 1:30-5:30, free, booking required.
Institute of Imagination OKIDO Drawing Party: Sunday first session at 10:30 and one at 1:30. Come and take part in various drawing activities including VR, electric, magnetic, pendulum, robot and 3D character drawing with Fimo. Tickets £10 per child, adults and babies free.
British Museum, Teen Coding, Green Screen Greeks and Make and Manga Comic: Saturday and Sunday, head to the British Museum for two well-received activities. Free, drop-in, check activities for minimum ages.
Just for Babies:
Are you and your baby looking to meet local mums, in a clean, pleasant space and take part in an enjoyable activity? Are you near Maida Vale, Marylebone, Notting Hill, High Street Kensington or Hampstead? Could I suggest you try out one of London’s premier baby and mum activity - Monkey Music. For a limited time, Monkey Music Maida Vale, Marylebone, Notting Hill and Hampstead have special offer for new London Baby and Kids readers. If you and 2 other families join Monkey Music and mention London Baby and Kids, the £17 joining fee will be waived. Ring 0208 438 0189 or email [email protected]
Le Institut Francais, Babies Corner: Bring the littlest ones to South Kensington for storytelling for babies to 3 year olds in easy French. Wednesday 4th October, 11am, £3 adults, £7 kids.
Royal Albert Hall, Storytelling and Music Sessions: bring children ages 0-4 to Royal Albert Hall on Wednesdays for a magical experience with storytellers Paul Rubinstein, Becky Dixton and Samantha Sutherland where singing, storytelling and musical instruments are woven into one story session. £4, 11:30am
British Museum, Little Feet : Wednesday 4th October, 10:30-noon. This session takes place in the newly opened BP exhibition Scythians: Warriors of Ancient Siberia. Free, booking essential, for children under 5.
National Gallery, Welcome Wednesdays: Wednesdays 10:30-11:15. Bring children 16 months to 5 years to the National Gallery for Art Adventures with Hannah Cushion. Ages 16 months – 5 years, tickets £5 per child.
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.
Pimlico Toy Library: Bring the kids to the Toy Library for play sessions and toy lending. Fantastic resource for anyone in the area.
Electric Cinema, Electric Scream: Mondays 11am. This week’s feature: Blade Runner 2049. Bring babies under 12 months to this amazingly plush cinema, relax with some coffee and catch a flick.
Rich Mix, Parents and Babies: Monday noon, £6. This week’s screening: Balde Runner 2049. Tickets £6.
Big Scream, Ritzy Brixton: Fridays, 11am. This week Blade Runner 2049 is showing.
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: Monster Island, 11:30am, just £1.75.
Barbican Framed Film Club: Saturday 11am. This week’s programme: Box of Delights Shorts Programme 2, part of the British Animation Awards. Tickets just £3.50
Le Institut Francais, Ivan Tsarecitch and the Changing Princess As part of the BFI London Film Festival, Michel Ocelot brings four fairy tales to life using his signature silhouette style. See it on Saturday at 1pm for just £11 adults and £1 children.
Gate Picturehouse, Kids Club: This week’s programme: Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,10am. Tickets just £1 with £4 membership, popcorn and juice £2. (best £3 you will ever spend on a rainy Saturday)
Ritzy Picturehouse, Kids Club: Sunday 10:30. This Week’s screening: Aladdin.
Electric Cinema, Kid’s Club: This week’s feature, James and the Giant Peach. Saturday 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.
