The Big Draw’s Big Splash, King’s Place (King’s Cross Station), NI.  Noon – 5pm, free all ages

Well-loved, ubiquitous and fabulous children’s illustrator and author Quentin Blake will be hosting an illustrating workshop filled with amazing activities focusing on different aspects of book art and illustration.  Marion Deuchars, Sarah Bridgland, Kerrie Fansman, Nina Chakrabati are just a few of the children’s book illustrators and artists who will be hosting workshops on this fabulous day of learning and fun.  Further, there will be a floating studio on a canal boat taking artists around town to sketch.

All events are free and all ages are welcome.  Check out the workshops listed here , they can be booked in advance, or drop in and see if there is space.

If you miss that, log in and see Quentin Blake online: http://www.quentinblakevirtuallylive.co.uk/20110928/index.asp

Tuesday 27 September

Gate Cinema, Big Scream 10:30am

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.  Bring your child, under 1 year of age, to the Gate Cinema’s Big Scream Film club and check out this
sell-out movie.   You must join the Big Scream club to bring your child into the cinema (apologies, no baby, no entry).  Low lights are left on, bring the push chair right into the cinema, nappy changing facilities provided.

http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Gate_Picturehouse/Whats_On/Clubs_Groups/

Saturday 1  October

Trotters 20^th Birthday Party, Duke of York Square, 11am – 5pm

Come and celebrate Kings Road favourite independent children’s shop birthday!!  This is a birthday party done properly:  petting zoo, Victorian Carousel, music, biscuit decorating, traditional fete stalls, dancing, pampering from Liz Earle … loads of high-quality amusements and interacting.

Bring the family out to the Duke of York Green and have very child-centred fun family day out raising money for the Cairn Trust to help fund a school in Nepal

http://www.trotters.co.uk/blog/index.php/2011/09/08/celebrating-21-years/

Wigmore Hall

Giant, Lyrics and Lions in Partnership with the Wallace Collection, come take part in a day-long workshop using inspiration from the Wallace collection to create original musical compositions.  Explore the story of Hercules in the Wallace collections works featuring bulls, lions and giants with lecturer Bridget Crowley.  Children will be able to perform their work, if they like, on stage at The Wigmore Hall (I understand you are then free to claim that your child has performed at the Wigmore Hall on school forms!) From 10am at Wigmore Hall.

Ages 7+, adults must help children participate so younger siblings allowed only if they can participate, too.  £12 adults, £8 children. 10:30am – 3:30pm

http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/productions/giants-lyrics-and-lions-28250

Sunday 2 October

Wallace Collection

Little Draw Free Drop in Workshop.  Come join artist Julia Iwasz whose work explores the connection between photography and painting, as she lead little ones and older ones on a drawing journey exploring different media.  Free, all ages, 1:30 – 4:30pm

http://www.wallacecollection.org/collections/event/3716

Somerset House

Mini Make Believe: Into the Woods

This is SUCH a great event to take very small children to on the weekend.  The events are teeny tiny workshops that involve singing, dancing, movement, making, art, bubbles all based on a monthly theme.  These events are free, just collect a ticket up to an hour before in the Seaman’s Hall.  If you arrive early, have a coffee in the amazing courtyard and watch the kids run around.

Under 5’s, 11:30

http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/learning/family/mini-make-believe

Saturday 8 October

British Museum

The Teddy Bear’s Picnic, Great Court,  11am – 4pm, all ages, free

The Great Court of the British Museum will be filled with various stations where you and your kids can make, create and interact.  Bring your teddy bear, your kids and have fun drawing your bear with different works of art from the museum.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar/october_2011/the_big_draw.aspx

Pippa’s Poppets

Spaces are rapidly filling up, but there are still a few spaces for babies, toddlers and small children in the Knightsbridge and Chelsea Venues

http://www.pippaspoppets.co.uk

 Hope you enjoy!!

 V & A

The V & A is an amazing art education resource for the little ones.  Monday – Friday 10:30am – 5:00pm from now until the start of September, you can take your kids to the Imagination Station and create a really good piece to take home.  You and the kids take an adventure around the museum and get inspired to create an underwater themed craft.  In addition to the summer holiday workshops, the V & A offers Drop in Design every Sunday.  Children and their parents collect the materials in the Sackler Centre and go have a self-guided look around the museum and come back to create a keepsake.  Lastly, be sure to make the Marvellous Manuscripts Sunday 21st August Family Event for learning about Jain manuscripts.  Explore the theme with activities, storytelling and then make your own to take with you.

Free, drop-in, all ages (except Imagination Station is 4+ with younger siblings welcome), 10:30am – 5:00pm.

The Victoria and Albert Museum

Cromwell Road

London SW7 2RL

http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/f/families/

Horniman Museum

 Take your kids to the Horniman this summer and take part in Horniman Museum’s Family Art Fun (ages 3+ and younger siblings welcome) every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (various time throughout the day) for the remainder of the school holidays.  The children make a quality craft in the art studio of the museum. Further, the collection is interesting and very good for small children, so take along the big ones for the art and let the little ones have a good discovery of the rest of the collection. These sessions are free with spaces allocated on arrival.  Check with the desk when you arrive for information.

Horniman Museum and Gardens

100 London Road

Forest Hill

London SE23 3PQ

http://www.horniman.ac.uk/events/family.php

Saatchi Gallery

The Saatchi Gallery has just begun running family art workshops on Sunday mornings with Valeria Almadie.  These delightful workshops are for ages 4+ and generally run 11:00am & 2:00pm.  The workshop begins with a look around the gallery at three different works in the current show; the children are then taken down to the art studio and led in a discovery of design.  The classes are very small, with Valeria working very closely with each child.  This is a very child-friendly museum, please come out and support their latest efforts to cater to little ones.

Saatchi Gallery

Duke of York HQ

Kings Road

London SW3 4SQ

valeriaamadei@hotmail.it

http://familyworkshops.wordpress.com/about/

British Museum

On Tuesdays and Thursdays in August, the British Museum is offers activities for children to explore the Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe exhibit.  They may make a glittering treasure box, hear tales of saints and monsters, create a pilgrim badge… different activities where they learn a bit about the exhibit and have a really cool artefact to take home with them.  Read the Family Events listings before heading off and have a great time learning and enjoying the British Museum.

British Museum

Great Russell Street

WC1B 3DG

http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar/family_events.aspx

National Gallery

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the National Gallery is holding different interactive workshops for the under fives.  Some are just based on stories and movement, others involve making something.  These workshops are not pre-bookable; however, you may arrive up to half an hour before the workshop begins to be allocated a place.  You meet in the education foyer, which is off the entrance all the way around the building, opposite Trafalgar Square. 

The National Gallery

Trafalgar Square

London WC2N 5DN

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/families/

National Portrait Gallery

Nearly every morning for the next few weeks, the National Portrait Gallery will be running Tour and Draw sessions for ages 3+.  In addition to these sessions, they will be offering Family Art Workshops for ages 5+, with younger siblings welcome to tag along.  These workshops are so enjoyable for young and old alike, the staff is really enthusiastic and make the sessions fun for all.  Check the web site for specific dates, times and activities.

National Portrait Gallery

St. Martin’s Place

London WC2H 0HE

http://www.npg.org.uk

Holland Park Ecology Centre

Over the summer holidays, be sure to take your kids to the very charming Holland Park Ecology Centre.  They have a lovely staff that will lead your child on a wildlife discovery focusing on fauna of the local area.  The session will start in the Ecology Centre which is located very close to the cafe, near the athletic fields.  The kids will begin learning about the topic (minibeasts, reptiles, making a shelter, orienteering) and then go on to create something to take away with them (potted seeds, a tree fairy, a clay lizard) and then go outside to explore and play games.  It’s very low-key and very enjoyable.  As a bonus, children over the age of 8 may be dropped-off.  Sessions cost £4 for residents and £5 for non-residents.  You may also book the Ecology Centre for birthday parties during the school year.

Holland Park Ecology Centre

The Stable Yard

London W8 6LU

http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/environmentandtransport/ecology.aspx

 Hope you had a great Easter Holiday.  If you do not have school-age children you should know that London will be over-run the next two weeks with families on term break.  Most drop-in playgroups will be closed.  If you head out to the museums this week, get in the queue by 9:45 and be prepared for heaving crowds.

Below is a short list of events for children under five years of age, subscribe to London-baby.com to get the rest of the details.

Enjoy the next few weeks of school holidays,

Theatre:

Little Angel: Wednesday, 7th April – Sunday 11th April, 11:00 & 2:00 pm (2:00 & 5:00 pm Friday) Who’s Been Sitting in My Chair ages 3 – 7, baby friendly performance on Thursday 11:00 am. £8

 Unicorn Theatre: Wednesday, 7th April- Saturday 10th April, 11:00 & 2:00 pm, How Cold are my Toes, ages 2 – 7, £10.50, family ticket £30

 Puppet Theatre Barge: Tuesday 6th April – Sunday 18th April, daily 3:00 pm, The Hare and the Tortoise and Other Tales from Aesop. Ages 3+.  Tickets: Children £8.50, adults £10.00

Hands On:

V & A: Tuesday 6th April – Friday 9th April, 10:30 – 12:30 & 2:00 – 5:00 pm Drop-in Design Special: Quilts, Silks and Stories: design a textile panel to be added to the story quilt, no age restrictions, free

 British Museum: Monday 12th April – Friday 16th April 11:00 – 4:00 pm.  Come to the Great Court for a variety of activities. No age restrictions, free 

 Horniman Museum: Tuesday 6th April – Friday 10th April & Monday 12th April – Friday 16th April: Family Art Fun, 11:00 – 3:30 pm; Discovery fro All, 2:00 – 3:30 pm.  All ages, free

 Tate Britain: Tuesday 6th April – Friday 16th April, Art Trolley.  All ages, free

Stories and Songs:

National Gallery: Tuesday 13th April – Saturday 17th April, 11:30 – noon, Magic Carpet Ride, all ages

 London Transport Museum: Tuesday 6th April – Friday 9th April & Monday 12th April – Friday 16th April, 11:00 & 4:30 pm, Sing-along Suburbia. Under fives, free