Looking for ways to keep the kids entertained these holidays? London is buzzing with family and kid friendly things to do this summer, and here's a few of the best...
Lead Image: Westfield
1 Summer Show Time, Battersea Power Station
Catch a flick with the breeze in your hair and the Thames at your side at Battersea Power Station. The station's Cinema in the Arches launch its open air programming of blockbuster, family and indie films this July, running through to August 21. This year, the outdoor cinema is held in the sex-acres Power Station Park, so you get a great view of the power station as well. Also, there's plenty of food and drink on hand for delicious things to munch on during the film.
Dates: July 21- August 21
Time: 7pm for an 8pm start
Tickets: £15
Address: Power Station Park, Battersea Power Station SW8 5BN
Website: batterseapowerstation.co.uk
2 Phantom Peak, Surrey Quays
This fully-realised Western town is conveniently located in south London. It comes with a flowing waterfall, and bars and eateries serving up vegetarian and plant-based food only, immersive shops, a bowling alley and a boating lake. Guests are invited to go on the network of trails to discover the fully immersive world that is brought to life by actors and elaborate sets. Block out an evening, afternoon or morning for this.
Dates: From August 3
Times: Wednesday to Friday 5pm-10pm; Weekends 11am-4pm & 5pm-10pm
Tickets: From £34
Address: Canada Street, Surrey Quays Road SE16 7PJ
Website: phantompeak.com
3 Pizza Masterclasses with Pilgrim Pizzas at Selfridges
One for the budding chefs, or for those with hungry tums, these masterclasses, led by a professional chef, take kids through the process of making a delicious Neapolitan pizza - the final step is eating it of course. Price includes two soft drinks, arts and craft activities and games, and an ice cream sandwich too.
Dates: Mondays and Tuesdays from July 25 to August 30
Times: 10.30am-12pm
Tickets: £25, available at designmynight.com
Address: Level 4, Selfridges, 100 Oxford Street, WA1 1AB
Website: pizzapilgrims.co.uk
4 Crystal Camp at Crystal Maze LIVE Experience, West End
Conceived to help young people regain confidence lost during the tumult of the pandemic, Crystal Camp is an opportunity for nine to 16-year-olds to build their confidence in a fun, creative way. Kids learn about performance through acting workshops, costume design, and comedy skill sessions, and can show off their new skills at end of course show for friends and family.
Dates: August 1-5 (ages 9-12); 8-12 (ages 13-16)
Tickets: £250 including 4 tickets for The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience on the Friday of your child’s week
Address: 22 - 32 Shaftesbury Avenue W1D 7EU
Website: the-crystal-maze.com
5 Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Royal Docks
Just in time for a end of holiday treat, the exhibition opens on August 25 at ExCel London, on the Elizabeth line. Visitors can roam through the exhibition - which takes up a whooping 20,000 square-feet - and encounter prehistoric animals, including a life-sized Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus and T-Rex, which are also wandering around.
Date: Opens Thursday, August 25
Opening Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 10am-6pm; Thursday-Saturday 10am-8pm
Tickets: from £15
Address: Excel London, Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1XL
Website: jurassicworldexhibition.com
6 National Theatre's River Stage, South Bank
Running for five weekends from Friday, July 15 to Sunday, August 15, the free outdoor arts brings chaos, fun and the arts to south bank as festival partners, The Glory HOME, Hackney Empire Young Producers, Hofesh Shechter Company, take over the festival for a weekend each with music, youth culture, dance, film, theatre and family entertainment.
Dates: Friday, July 15 to Sunday, August 15
Tickets: Free
Address: National Theatre, Upper Ground, South Bank SE1 9PX
Website: nationaltheatre.org.uk
7 Summer at Shakespeare's Globe Bankside
With sword fighting demonstrations, Elizabethan dress ups and interactive theatre shows, there's plenty to entertain the kids with at The Globe. A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It and Rome and Juliet all get a fun, modern treatment for a young audience. Dates, times and ticket prices vary.
Address: 21 New Globe Walk SE1 9DT
Website: shakespearesglobe.com
8 Kid's Week at London Theatre, West End
Summer holidays are the time to grab cheap tickets for a West End show, with London Theatre's annual ticket sale. Children under 17 go free with an adult and discounts for additional children are available too. So book now for Frozen, & Juliet, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, and The Tiger Who Came to Tea, among others.
Dates: August 1-31
Website: officiallondontheatre.com
9 Summer Park, Canada Water
As summer heats up, the south east London neighbourhood invites Londoners to enjoy a free programme of events and activities for adults, children and families. Running through summer, enjoy terrarium building workshops and art classes, as well as wellbeing activities.
Dates: Until August 26
Times: Monday to Friday 11am-8pm; Saturday 10am-8pm; Sunday 10am-5pm
Address: Chill Zone By Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, Redriff Road, SE16 7LL
Website: canadawater.co.uk
10 Summer in the Square, Mayfair
Returning Summer in the Square will celebrate Mayfair's vibrant cultural scene with a programme of free events for friends and families. Taking place on Grosvenor Square's manicured lawn, for the children, you've got creative workshops as well as a host of family entertainment and food stalls - including gelato from The Connaught Patisserie Gelatos and icecream from Daisy's. from there's dance classes, wellness activities and yoga for an office break, as well as food stalls and bars for an after work drink and a bite to eat. Jazz, opera, Shakespeare performances and kids workshops are set to entertain.
Dates: July 21-31
Time: 12pm-8pm
Address: Grosvenor Square, W1K 6LD
Website: mayfairldn.com
11 KidZania's Summer of Fun Festival, Shepard's Bush
This summer, KidZania London, Summer of Fun Festival is all about arts and culture, and of course, fun. Programming includes a summer trail, face-painting, soaking up the city's streetmosphere, and Jack and the Beanstalk inspired activities. There's also opportunities for kids to explore their interests - whether its performing, baking, designing clothes or honing their joke telling skills. Suitable for children 4-14.
Date: July 1-August 31
Time: Tuesday- Friday 10am-3.30pm; Saturday-Sunday 10am-7pm
Tickets: From £16
Address: Westfield London Shopping Centre Ariel Way W12 7GA
Website: kidzania.co.uk
12 Camden Market Hawley Wharf Summer Series
Weekends are for families this summer at Hawley Wharf, with activity-filled days for the whole family programmed through to the end of August. Coming up, there's a weekend on sustainability (July 2-3), ocean-themed roaming performers including bubbleologists, a blow up whale and an immersive puppet show. There's also a weekend on sport, music and comedy, circus among the creative schedule.
Dates: Weekends July 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 21-22, 30-31; Aug 6-7, 13-14, 20-21
Times: Individual start times vary between 11am-5pm
Cost: Free, but events are ticketed
Address: Camden Market, Camden Lock Place NW1 8AF
Website: camdenmarket.com
13 Kensington and Chelsea Festival
Hitting the streets for the second time, Kensington and Chelsea Festival returns to light up the neighbourhood with theatre, circus, opera, dance, music, outdoor arts, family shows, participatory activities, talks, walks and public art pieces. Highlight include Shakespeare's Globe's production of Julius Caesar and the world premiere of Hannah Sandison and Opera Holland Park present Green Spaces: A Celebration in Song
Date: July 1-August 31
Tickets: Events individually ticketed
Address: Various locations around Kensington and Chelsea
Website: kcfestival.co.uk
14 Birdies, Angel
Crazy golf centre Birdies is opening a new location at Angel. The new nine-hole course will feature three completely new holes - Wing it, Green and Bunker 2.0 - as well as tried and tested fan favourites Hazard, Kinetic, Steps, Infinity and Roulette. There will also be food and drink options - including a bar stocked with cocktails. The venue opens July 15, but if you book your session before then using the code BIRDIESHASWINGS, you['ll receive a complementary drink.
Date: Opens July 15
Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday 12pm-11pm; Friday & Saturday 12pm-12am
Tickets: £12/£10 adults/children
Address: Level 1, Angel Central, 31-32 Parkfield Street, N1 0PZ
Website: playbirdies.com
15 Wembley Park
Wembley has undergone a transformation in recent times, and now has a host of activities, events and things to do throughout the year. For summer, younger children can enjoy Sunday arts and craft sessions at BOXPARK or Saturday sporting sessions at The Yellow. Older kids and teens can fight off the zombie apocalypse at meetspaceVR or have a round on neon crazy golf course at Pop Golf. Wembley Park's Union Park currently has an outdoor gym, a kids paddling pool, a multi-use games court and a bee hotel with more things to come.
Website: wembleypark.com
16 Greenwich Peninsula’s Summer Film Festival
The Design District is being transformed into an outdoor cinema this summer, with street food from the Canteen and its six independent vendors. The festival will screen some of the biggest motions pictures of the year, as well as classic family flicks such as The BFG and Cruella, so gather the kids for a relaxed night out. Each ticket comes with a free goodie bag too. Want more outdoor cinema? Find an open air screening near you here.
Date: Running through to August 27
Time: 2pm or 6pm sessions
Tickets: £6
Address: Design District, Peninsula Square, Greenwich, SE10 0QE
Website: greenwichpeninsula.co.uk
17 Royal Observatory Greenwich
These school holidays visit the observatory after-hours and view the moon through the massive 18-tonne Great Equatorial Telescope or get stuck into one of the space-related workshops and shows, held daily for a range of ages, such as Starstruck, which looks at the lives of start, explore the solar system with Ted the Bear or take a tour of the night sky looking at stars and constellations with a Royal Observatory Astronomer.
Time: Open 10am-5pm daily
Tickets: Entry £16/£8; events individually ticketed
Address: Greenwich Park, Blackheath Avenue SE10 8XJ
Website: rmg.co.uk
18 Peppa Pig: My First Concert, West End
Join Peppa Pig for an interactive concert complete with a live orchestra. The show will introduce little ones to different instruments and their sounds as everyone joins in for a sing-along of all the favourite tunes featured in the TV programme.
Date: July 24 & 31
Time: 12pm, 2pm, 4pm
Tickets: From £11.50
Address: St Martin's Lane WC2N 4ES
Website: londoncoliseum.org
19 Play Monopoly Lifesized, Tottenham Court Road
Who doesn't love a game of Monopoly? There are four jumbo-sized iterations of the game to try these holidays that all add something new to the much-loved board game. Make your way around the board in teams of 4-6 as you take on dance-offs, stealth-based challenges and solve riddles and puzzles as well, as you battle it out to rule over London. Suitable for ages 9 and older. Closed Mondays.
Address: 213-215 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7PS
Website: monopolylifesized.com
20 Woolwich Words & Sounds
The first ever Woolwich Words & Sounds festival plans to bring the riverside alive with live music, stand-up comedy and spoken word. A programme that caters for all ages, for families and kids, highlights include Woolwich Words & Sounds in the Park, The Adventures of Mangolina and All Aboard.
Date: July 15-31
Tickets: From £10
Address: Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No 1 Street, Royal Arsenal SE18 6HD
Website: woolwich.works
21 Horniman Museum, Forest Hill
With exhibitions, the aquarium and the butterfly house, Horniman Museum has plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained these school holidays. In addition, you've also got a Big Fish Little Fish Flower Power Rave (July 24; 2pm-6pm; £15/£12.50) and a host of We Are Lewisham events such as The Original Jerk Cook Out celebrating Jamaican independence (Aug 21; 12pm-7pm; £12/U16 free). Advanced bookings for museum entry and events recommended.
Date: Daily
Time: 10am-5.30pm
Tickets: £6.50; group tickets available
Address: 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23 3PQ
Website: horniman.ac.uk
22 Ocean Explorers at Westfield London & Westfield Stratford
Ocean Explorers is an interactive, play experience packed with fun, educational activities.The free summer event will see the centres’ event spaces transform into a vibrant ocean seabed that educates visitors on the issues affecting the world’s oceans and its specie as well as being fun. Activities include trampoline based Dive with the Dolphins, a giant turtle made from plastic recycled from the mall and a fun photo opportunity with jolly jellyfish. Suitable for ages 3 and older.
Date: Westfield London July 29-August 7; Westfield Stratford August 20-29
Tickets: Free
Address: The Atrium, Ariel Way, W12 7GB; The Arena, Montfichet Road E20 1EJ
Website: uk.westfield.com
23 Stranger Things: The Experience, Brent Cross
Step into 1986 and the supernatural world of Stranger Things. In another immersive experience for London, get caught up in 80s nostalgia, other-worldly mystery and enduring friendship as you embark on perilous adventure through the darker side of Hawkins and the Upside Down.
Date: From August 18
Time: Wed–Fri 5pm–9pm; Sat & Sun 11am–9pm
Tickets: From £41
Address: Troubadour Brent Cross Studios, Tilling Road, Brent Cross NW2 1LW
Website: strangerthings-experience.com
Read More:
Super Fun Places to Kidult in London
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here