THE BEST THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS IN JULY
Live music, theatre, interactive experiences and workshops - your kids have got a jam-packed month ahead of them
School's out for summer, and now it's down to YOU, dear parents, to fill the gaping void in their lives. But don't worry, we've done the research so you don't have to! Work your way through this kick-ass list of the best kids' activities taking place this month.
Woolwich Words & Sounds in the Park
Gallions Reach Park, July 16
Woolwich has undergone something of a transformation in recent years, with the promise of Crossrail leading to the influx of cultural events like the incredible Dream Machine and the opening of Woolwich Works cultural hub and art space, the latter of which is hosting its first festival this year. Woolwich Words & Sounds runs from July 15-31 and on July 16 a standalone event - Woolwich Words & Sounds in the Park - aims to give a family-friendly taster of what the festival has to offer.
Running from 12-7pm, the schedule includes a hula-hoop and circus skills workshop run by Guinness World Record-holding hoopers, The Majorettes; children’s mindfulness workshops with theatre ensemble, Tangled Feet; performances from lively jazz group, Kalpadruma Collective, Dollars Trio and world renowned drummer and composer, Myele Manzana and plenty more to keep the whole family entertained against the beautiful backdrop of the River Thames.
FREE
Gallions Reach Park, Woolwich
Peppa Pig: My First Concert
London Colliseum
July 24 & 31
Introducing kids to the wonders of live music can be trickier than you’d think. Do you buy gig or festival tickets knowing you’ll need to be tucked up in bed long before the headliners walk onstage? Have you checked the *whole* back-catalogue for expletive-heavy B-sides?
Well, Peppa Pig has come up trumps, with the help of George, Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig and the Aurora Orchestra. They’ll be tearing through a greatest hits set featuring “everything from Mozart to muddy puddles” (we think that was an early Beethoven number) and promise to shine a light on every one of the orchestra’s instruments throughout the show, teaching budding young musicians everything they need to know to take their own leap into the world of live music.
Show times are 12pm, 2pm and 4pm and the performance lasts for 60 minutes.
£21 BUY TICKETS
London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES
Mandrakes and Magical Creatures at Warner Brothers Studio Tour
On now
Fans of Harry Potter will be welcomed into the Great Hall to the Frog Choir scene this summer, featuring Warwick Davis’ Professor Flitwick costume. But there’s plenty more hiding in the shadows, too - Cornish Pixies, Dumbledore’s Fawkes and even the animatronic Monster Book of Monsters will be dotted around the Studio Tour, and Visitors will learn how Thestrals and Mandrakes were brought to life using models and CGI in the Creatures Workshop. As if that wasn’t enough, the doors of Professor Sprout’s greenhouse will be opened for the very first time and visitors will be able to explore the exotic and magical plants before pulling out a potted Mandrake as part of an interactive display. Just be sure to avoid the Venomous Tentacula hanging from the ceiling…
From £49.95
Warner Bros. Studio Tour, Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, WD25 7LR
Summer Sessions at Greenwich Peninsula
On now
Once a relative wasteland of flats and pricey restaurants, the area around the O2 Arena has become a destination in its own right in recent years, and events like Summer Sessions are the perfect way to experience everything it has to offer.
Running from June to September, the cultural festival brings together art, food, sport and music into a jam-packed schedule of mostly free events and experiences. There'll be mini golf designed by Yinka Ilori, outdoor table tennis tables painted by Camille Walala a colourful exhibition by JeeYoung Lee and the fantastic looking Fandangoe Skip - a sustainable therapy kiosk aiming to smash taboos around mental health, grief and loss.
For sport lovers, the Wimbledon finals and the entirety of the Tour de France will be shown on big screens, so grab a bite to eat and settle down in the sunshine.
Speaking of food, if you want to enjoy a lunch in peace, the Design District Canteen will take care of the little ones in their 'Kids Table', where a team of childcarers will entertain nippers with arts and crafts while you relax and grab a bite to eat.
FREE
Greenwich Peninsula
Festival of Happiness
Dulwich Picture Gallery
July 30
Artist Stuart Semple knows a thing about happiness. He spends his days making art, creating bizarre products like the World’s Blackest Black, Brightest White and Coluriest Powder paints and winding up misers like Arnish Kapoor with brilliantly petty beefs. How could you NOT beam from ear to ear with a life like that? Now, he’s ready to pass his happiness on to you, via his festival at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Encouraging hope, recovery and joy through colourful and imaginative events, workshops and family trails, the fest will also premiere Semple’s new work, Something Else, and will feature his famous Happy Clouds, which will be on show in the UK for the first time in a decade.
Kids can learn how to make pin badges, join creative writing workshops listen to a the City of London Sinfonia Comfortable Classical Concert.
The festival is FREE and there’ll also be refreshments, ice creams, cocktails and pizzas on sale. See? That’s happiness, right there.
FREE