Weekend Guide: London Baby and Kids June 16th and 17th
London Weekend Family Events for the Entire Family
Camberwell Arts Festival, Saturday 16th- Sunday 24th. Check through the festival schedule as there is a lot on offer, but mosaic making workshops, South London Art Gallery workshops, music, jewellery making demonstrations, making African dolls at Clockwork Courtyard … and much more. Free entry, all ages, some workshops may charge a materials fee.
Marylebone Summer Fair: Sunday. Take the kids over to Paddington Green for a fantastic summer fair. Grown ups can enjoy a fantastic atmosphere, great food and drink, kids can enjoy a petting zoo, fun fair rides, activities and a really good playground. Free entry, all ages
Cecil Sharp House, Family Barn Dance: Sunday 3-5pm. Bring the gang along for live music and callers who will teach you how to folk dance. £7 adults, £5 kids, under 2s free.
West End Live: Saturday and Sunday, head over early and take in some vignettes from London’s West End musicals. The event is free, just take the little ones for a wander through Trafalgar Square and take in some of the acts.
People’s Vote March: Sunday 23rd June, noon. Head to Pall Mall and March to engage our representatives to give the electorate a vote on the final Brexit deal. Show up and make sure we are not forgotten.
Wild Child Festival, Dulwich 17th-19th August. Get a limited release of early bird tickets now, for just £21.50 … before they run out. Wild Child Festival is a new London family festival that focuses on the arts, creative play and wellbeing for families with children under 12. This festival will have some of the best providers including Baby Broadway and Mama Codes, of quality children’s workshops, entertainment, yoga and more. Check out their page - be sure to like and follow to stay updated with offers and tickets.
Making, doing, thinking, movement and performance this weekend
Kings Place, The Wind in the Willows with Simon Callow with the Philharmonia Orchestra: Sunday 2pm and again at 4pm. Head over for this classic retelling of Kenneth Grahame’s classic tale. Fantastic value at £6.50 for kids and £8.50 for adults.
V and A, Drop-in Design: Sunday 10:30-5pm. If you get stuck with the kids on your own on Father’s Day, take the kids to the V and A where they will design their very own musical instrument for their father. When you get home and present Dad with his gift in the form of a concert, quietly disappear and leave him to relish the work of his progeny.
Wigmore Hall, RNIB Family Day: Saturday 11am-4pm, a day of music discovery for children who are blind and partially sighted children and their families. Free, booking required.
British Museum Digital Workshop, Wonder Woman: Sunday 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Celebrate the centenary of some women wresting the ability to participate in the franchise from the recalcitrant patriarchy by looking at the roles woman played in ancient Greece. Ages 7+, free, drop-in.
Museum of Docklands, Pirate Takeover: Saturday and Sunday from noon. Head out to Canary Wharf for a weekend of pirate stories, sea chanties, craft workshops, magic shows, slime making workshops, costume making classes and under 5s activities. Free, drop-in, all ages.
Underbelly Festival Southbank: ongoing until the end of July. Check out a variety of performances including comedy, magic, disco and discussions for kids and families. Tickets from £8.50.
London Baby and Toddler Events and Activities
Wigmore Hall Chamber Tots, Under the Sea: Thursday, 2-m. Bringk children under 5 years old to Wigmore Hall for a music workshop and performance. Ties just £6 for adults, and £4 per child.
Buckingham Palace, The Queen’s Gallery, Short Recital: Wednesday 20th June, noon. Why not take the kids to Buck House for South Asian music recital performed by Gusher Shoal and Khalsi from Kala Sangam. Part of Splendours of the Subcontinent. Free with exhibition ticket (£12 adult).
House of Illustration, Creative Fun: Wednesdays – 20th June, 10:30-noon. Bring children ages 2-5 years old to Kings Cross to House of Illustrations for a workshop led by illustrator Neysela de Silva-Reed where kids will play games, listen to a story and make some art to take home. £5.83
Royal Albert Hall, Storytelling and Music Sessions: bring children ages 0-4 to Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 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
National Gallery, Welcome Wednesdays: Wednesdays 10:30-11:15. Bring children 16 months to 5 years to the National Gallery for Dance Adventures with Olivia Armstrong. Age 16 months – 5 years, tickets £5 per child.
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: Jurassic World: Lean on Pete. Bring babies under 12 months to this amazingly plush cinema, relax with some coffee and catch a flick. Big Scream, Ritzy Brixton: Mondays, 11am. Hereditary and Studio 54. Clapham Picturehouse, Big Scream, Thursdays 10:30; this week: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Family Cinema
Regent Street Cinema, Kino Club Films : Saturdays. This week’s screening: Sherlock Gnomes, just £1.75. Prince Charles Cinema: Greatest Showman Sing Along, Sunday 12:45, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Sunday 1pm. Mary and the Witch’s Flower Saturday 3:40pm and Sunday 1:20 and 6:05pm; tickets £8.50 kids just £4 and just off Leicester Square. Gate Picturehouse, Kids Club: This week’s programme: Mary Poppins (1964!) Saturday, 10:30 am. 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 The Rescuers, Saturday 9:30am. Clapham Picturehouse A Mary Poppins, Saturday 11.45am; adult/child £2 Hackney Picturehouse Mary Poppins, Saturday at 10.30am; adult/child £2. Phoenix Cinema Kids Club Mary Poppins, Saturday 12pm; Adult/Child £3. Also showing at the Phoenix on Wednesday 13th at 2:45, a relaxed screening of A Space Odyssey.
