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Here is a selected list of quality events and activities going on in London over half-term
Southbank, Imagine Children’s Festival: Where do we start? Just show up and the Southbank and you will have a great time. Royal Festival Hall has been turned into a fabulous community centre for children – there are sofas, fuse ball tables, ping pong and loads of hands-on, social activities for kids to engage with each other. There are plays, workshops, readings, music … all kids of events, too many to list. Take a look and get inspired.
BFI Half-term workshops: Little Dudes Messy Time Animation: Monday 17th, for children up to 7 years old, come and make a stop-motion animation film. 11am-1:30 £5 per child, £4 for siblings. Slap Stick Silly Silents: Wednesday 19th 10:30-4:30 for children 8-11 and another group 12-15. Children will create a silent film!! £22 per child.
Saatchi Gallery Magna Master Class: Join artist Samuele Falzone for a master class exploring the work of Makiko Kudo, a body language artist. Create your own Magna creation. Ages 7+, £5 per person. You can book with education@saatchigallery.com, 020 78113080
Londonbaby promo code is running with Abel and Cole you can use this code for new customers to get a 4th box free and a great cookbook. Abel and Cole has some goodies coming your way for existing customers, and I will fill you in on that shortly. In the meantime, here is an easy and somewhat virtuous recipe for Simple Stir-Fries for Busy Families (you can make these ahead of time and heat up quickly on work nights)
The Globe Theatre, Story Days: Come on Saturday 15th for The Tempest and Saturday 22nd for The Merchant of Venice. 11am and 2pm, £15 for one adult and one child, £8 for each additional ticket.
The Garden Museum Half-Term Activities: Come and make your own fashion accessories in the gorgeous London Garden Museum. Monday – Friday, 2-4pm, free, drop in, ages 4-11 (younger siblings welcome)
Two Temple Place: As part of their current exhibit, there are a series of half-term activities for kids over the half-term. Come take part in a drawing project noon-4pm Monday, Wednesday meet Mary Anning and on Friday make your own snow goggles from 1-3. Located right by the Temple tube station, free, all ages, check exact times for events.
A Playdate that Counts – Your Baby Can Help Vision Research
What does your baby see? You and your baby can help us understand the science of vision!
UCL’s Child Vision Lab, together with the charity Fight For Sight, are developing interactive games that measure your baby’s ability to see. They are looking for healthy volunteers aged 3-12 months, to come play the games between now and June 2014. All the games are fun, safe, and only take a few minutes to complete.
To register for a visit or find out more about the Child Vision Lab:
Email: ioo-cvl@ucl.ac.uk
Phone: 020 7608 6819
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/ioo/cvl/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChildVisionLab
Isis Education Centre, Hyde Park: This is such an amazing space and well worth the effort to make it out and learn what is going on (also one of the greatest venues for a kids party in London – not affordable, but benefiting the Royal Parks). Come on Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th for a free drop-in session from 11am, learning about feeding birds in winter. Tuesday 18th there is a Nature Explorer Day for children 8-12; children will work alongside biologists to learn about trees in the park and make some beautiful winter art. £30 per child.
For anyone contemplating what an academy/free school might mean for your child or for anyone else’s child, please come to South London Education Question Time Thursday, 27th February. Fiona Phillips will be chairing the event, with a variety of participants. There is a shortage of school places in many London neighbourhoods. Academy/free schools are the only ones opening – it is really important to learn from parents and other insiders what is really going on in these schools.
Geffrye Musuem Family Half-term Events: This is a delightful museum dedicated to the home, giving children insight into how life has changed over the last few hundred years. The museum boasts a fabulous education room where all during half-term will be a series of art and exploring activities.
National Maritime Museum Half-term Events: Celebrate Chinese New Year and explore the relationship with Britain, sailing and China. Come and watch an interactive storytelling session on tea trade and the Opium Wars; make your own sailing vessel, look at ancient maps of China and loads more interesting activists.
National Gallery Half-term: Bring the kids to the National Gallery for various activities for all ages. For the under 5’s, come along for a talk and play with older kids taking part in art workshops. There are walk and talks for the entire family during the week. Free, drop-in, tickets available one hour before the event starts
National Portrait Gallery Half-term Activities: Loads of storytelling and art-making sessions for kids age 3+. Children 5+ can make their own t-shirt selfies, clay portraits and puppets.
Sir John Soane’s Museum Half-term: Three fabulous workshops that are filling up quickly. For ages 6-11, day-long drop-off workshops.
British Museum, Half-Term: Come and explore Ganesha and other elephants in the British Museum. Follow paths, make are to take home, learn, look and listen. The activities over October half-term were fabulous, hoping this round is just as interesting. Monday 17th – Friday 21st, 11am to 4pm, all ages, free
V and A Half-term Activities: the V and A will be running Digital Kids events, the Imagination Station will be open and you can watch Wreck it Ralph. Free, all ages, drop-in
Holland Park Ecology Centre: Come to Holland Park Monday 17th – Friday 21st for 10am-noon or 2pm-4pm sessions in the Ecology Centre and in the park. Kids follow a theme exploring and learning about nature in the park, playing games and making a craft. Children over 8 may be left, children 5+ welcome. £4.10 for RBKC residents £5.20 for non-residents.
The London Transport Museum: This museum is a perfect day out for kids. Its not free, but one adult ticket costs £15 and is good for the entire year while children go free. Over the half-term holidays there will be make and take, storytelling and other fun activities for the little ones. The best part of the day will be running up and down Omni busses and going on the Harry Potter-like trains.
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