TOP 40 THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS THIS JULY
Summer Holidays - London's BEST Family Events this July 2024
Parents: we hear your muffled cries as you stare into the Summer Holidays void, armed with just a bubble blower and a freezer full of Twisters.
And we have come to your rescue with the ultimate guide to the best 40 things to do with kids this July, from free theatre, a new Monster funfair, museum sleepovers, pirates, the immersive Paddington Bear experience, free art or tennis events, and free open air family movies
Our top 40 picks include a gaggle of FREE events and there’s something to entertain (and wear out) every flavour of child.
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FREE Wind in the Willows performance and workshop
Children’s theatre company, A Wonderful Adventure brings this classic story to life, using props, puppets and actors.
Ratty is attempting to give a one-man show, with Toad unwilling to remain in the audience - chaos ensues.
Families are also invited to join Rat and Toad in a free workshop inspired by the much-loved Kenneth Grahame stories, to make their own puppet characters, as part of London Bridge City’s Family Week of Entertainment.
Hay's Galleria, 1 Battle Bridge Ln, London SE1 2HD. FREE. 25 July
Science Museum Astronights Sleepover
Budding scientists (aged 7-11) can spend the night at The Science Museum, exploring the museum out-of-hours, sleeping among space rockets, a Moon rock or in the world’s largest medical galleries. Young campers will experience the ultimate sleepover, with an evening full of activities, including science shows and interactive workshops.
This year’s Astronights programme is supported by official sponsor TEMPUR®, who will gift all campers a travel pillow to help budding scientists get some rest during this exciting night.The following morning, campers can refuel at breakfast, before exploring Wonderlab, their interactive gallery, with hands-on exhibits and immersive experiences, and catch a 3D documentary on their giant IMAX screen.
Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD. Dates vary, £70pp standard, £100 VIP. Next dates 12 July and 20 August
Golden Age of Piracy
Spend the day with pirates at Old Royal Naval College for sea shanties, sword and cutlass fights, firepower demos, period live music and real, swashbuckling stories of 18th-century mutiny.
Children can immerse themselves in the period between 1650 and 1720, when more than 5,000 pirates sailed the seas, with authentic food from the Taste of History period kitchen, costumes and period actors.
Old Royal Naval College, London SE10 9NN. 27-28 July. £13.50 pp
FREE UNIQLO Tate Play Oscar Murillo: The Flooded Garden
This summer, artist Oscar Murillo will transform the Turbine Hall into an enormous painting garden, inviting everybody to take part in creating a collaborative work of epic proportions, in deep hues of blue, bright yellows and pinks. The flooded garden is inspired by Claude Monet’s paintings of his flower garden in Giverny, France, and builds upon Oscar’s own series of Surge works.
Tate Modern, Turbine Hall, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. 20 July - 26 August. FREE
FREE Kids’ Tennis Taster Sessions
Kids can enjoy FREE tennis taster sessions at BST Hyde Park on the Parade Ground Grass Area to help kids get to grips with the basics of the game.
The coaches at each session will cater to all abilities and all equipment is provided.
Parade Ground, Hyde Park, London W2 2UH. 2, 9, 11 July. FREE, but places must be booked in advance.