- Dads in London
- Posts
- 💄 13 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (21–22 June)
💄 13 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (21–22 June)
Jeff – Dads in London
June 18, 2025
Get in front of 10,400 of the best people in London! Find out about sponsored ads here.
Hey DILFs,
I’m always suspicious when everyone starts raving about the same thing – whether it’s an event, an exhibition, or the goddamn clock in Munich that really isn’t worth rushing your Schupfnudel to witness. These things usually sound incredible on paper and then leave you wondering what all the fuss was about.
That’s why I was fully committed to not visiting the Flowers exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. People were acting like it was the most noteworthy thing since those sunflower seeds at the Tate Modern, so I silently vowed to avoid it.
But then my eldest – who loves flowers, and paintings of flowers, and basically any art involving petals – was told it was a “must visit” by a friend (they’re seven years old and I swear I’m not making this up). And because I’m not a monster, I booked the tickets.
It was fabulous. FABULOUS. Having arrived pre-loaded with snark, I proceeded to love every second. Each room is bursting with oversized blooms and saturated colour – and it’s not just paintings. There’s sculpture, photography, dried-petal installations, motion-based digital works and more. And yes, the line‑up is proper: Damien Hirst is there, plus Andy Warhol, Vivienne Westwood, William Morris and a massive cast of 150 other artists.
It closed in early May, to the intense disappointment of all the people who missed it or wanted to return BUT IT’S BACK! BY POPULAR DEMAND! UNTIL 31 AUGUST!
And, of course, we’ll be going again – because sometimes it seems, the hype gets it exactly right. If you want to go too, book here.
Anyway! Here are 13 more things you can do this weekend. Enjoy!
Jeff xx
Emma (theatrical adaptation)
Saturday at 12:30 and Sunday at 14:30 (plus other dates until 28 June)
Walpole Park, Mattock Lane, W5 5EQ (opposite the Questors Theatre site, in the area behind Pitzhanger Manor)
Adults ÂŁ10, children (up to 18) ÂŁ10
Age guidance: DiL recommends 8+
Do you remember that BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice? It was six bloody hours long – making it exceptionally useful for identifying who’d watched it but claimed to have read the book. “Such a long novel,” they’d say. (It isn’t.) Also: anyone who mentions Mr Darcy emerging from a lake. Caught.
Surprisingly, I’ve read both Pride & Prejudice AND Emma. (And Sense & Sensibility, but, as they’d say on BookTok, DNF at 40% because so dull.) Emma is about Emma Woodhouse, who’s very rich and very spoilt, but her heart’s in the right place. As a self-appointed matchmaker, she interferes in all her friends’ love lives – and not always with the best results. Then her own romantic situation starts to get interesting, and I won’t spoil the ending but let’s just say it’s not not grooming-adjacent.
I loved Emma because I loved the satire, so I’m a bit apprehensive about this theatrical adaptation that’s so different from the original. It puts Jane Austen herself in the show: she’s finished writing Emma, and her four young nieces act it out with her guidance. Each performer needs to take on a variety of roles, so they make use of a clothes box on stage to add bits and pieces of costume to signify when they’re playing a different person.
Will all the satirical stuff get lost amid the multiple outfit changes and focus on “putting on a play that Auntie Jane has written”? Maybe. But hey: if it gets anyone to voluntarily read a book without a map or a dragon, that’s fine by me.
Plus it’s in a park. Bring a rug or a chair, and even if it’s a bit naff, at least you didn’t pay Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre prices to find out.
Find out more: https://www.questors.org.uk/event.aspx?id=1339
Discovery Day
Saturday 21 June, 11:00–16:00 (read the website about showing up for specific time slots)
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, NW1 1AT
FREE
Age guidance: 6–11
I was never a science kid. I faked illness the day we were meant to dissect a frog, giggled through the lesson where our teacher described sex as “two computer discs merging their data”, and once spent an entire double lesson trying to melt a biro over a Bunsen burner.
Lately I’ve been wondering if maybe the problem wasn’t me. (Actually, that’s a lie. Self-reflection isn’t one of my core competencies, so I’ve never once contemplated being at fault.) Maybe the problem was other people – who never encouraged me to see the fun side of science. Yes. That was definitely it.
Which is why I’m fully on board with Discovery Day at the Francis Crick Institute. It’s the one day a year when London’s most intimidating research lab takes time off from curing cancer to run fruit-based imaging challenges and immune cell treasure hunts.
Kids can interview researchers on camera, race to get brain signals to muscles, and take on the CT scan fruit-matching challenge no one saw coming. There’s a Fruit Piano. There’s an “Immune Cell Avengers” game. There’s even a vaccine-themed dance workshop, which honestly feels like it should be its own CBBC show.
It’s free and it’s fun, there’s a live science magic show at the end, and surely this’ll be the thing that finally flips the switch for any science-sceptic kid.
Here’s the full programme (hard to find on the website):
Find out more: https://www.crick.ac.uk/whats-on/discovery-day
While you’re there…
👍️ ​​Story Garden is a three-minute walk from the Crick, and it’s open to the public every Tuesday to Saturday. It’s “an abundant habitat where food and flowers are grown… Classrooms and meeting spaces have sprung up. Polytunnels and raised beds have appeared. Nature is multiplying.” It hosts a Family Saturday every week: a mix of gardening, cooking and creative natural crafts for children and their parents/carers. Attendance is free but registration is essential.
👍️ ​​There’s also Story Explorers at the British Library for ages 2–9. I won’t bother explaining it to you now because it’s booked up every day for aeons – so you’ll have forgotten what I said by the time you visit. But if you’re planning to be in the area sometime in 2028, bear this place in mind. (I exaggerate: it’s only booked up until August.)
No photographer. No stress. Just brilliant photos.
I wasn’t planning to revolutionise your approach to family photos this week. And yet, here we are.
It’s called you self-portrait studio, and it’s one of those ideas that makes instant, perfect sense: a photo studio without the photographer. Just you, your friends, your kids, your dog, your props, your Easter bunny costumes, your engagement rings, your brand-new baby, or whatever else you fancy – alone in a room with a massive mirror.
Behind that mirror? A camera. You press a button on a remote to take a photo. That’s it.
No one barking “Chin down”, no awkward grins, no “Let’s try that again but with less deadness in your eyes.” You’re in front of a mirror the whole time, so you know exactly what you look like. And you’ve got up to 40 minutes to coax children and/or animals into looking cute.
See? Genius. But does it actually work?
I went with a friend and the four kids we collectively own. And it was FANTASTIC. Even better than we’d hoped. Here’s why:
It’s so much fun. They play music (you pick the vibe), and the kids immediately decided it was a dance party/photoshoot hybrid.
There are loads of props to mess around with. Plus an industrial fan for dramatic wind-blown hair moments.
It’s idiot-proof. Even the children were able to direct and shoot.
We assumed 40 minutes would feel rushed. But we left with 727 photos, so… no. Trust me: 40 minutes is more than enough.
The photo quality is ridiculous. As in: “Did we accidentally become influencers?” ridiculous.
You get to keep every single photo (which will be emailed to you about an hour after your session). You can choose between colour and black-and-white (and a black backdrop is also available).
The price is bargainous: ÂŁ75 for 40 minutes or ÂŁ35 for 15 minutes.
I’ve never been this excited about a new service. It’s genuinely brilliant – and it might just spell doom for the humble portrait photographer. Because seriously: once you’ve seen what even a toddler can do with a remote and a wind machine, there’s no going back.
Our Story with David Attenborough
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00–17:50 (and daily until January 2026)
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD
Adults £20–£25 (depending on date and time), 4–16s £10–£12.50, under-4s free
Age guidance: “All ages are welcome but the content has been designed for those aged 8+”
As of today, this is literally the only photo they have to publicise the exhibition. Ol’ Dave is nice and all, but yeah, bit dull
(Members of the Dads in London Club were told about this show as soon as booking opened a few weeks ago – and I know that at least a few of us were able to get tickets for our chosen timeslots this opening weekend. If all the slots have gone for this weekend, don’t worry: there are plenty of future dates available.)
Did you ever see The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)? It crammed all 37 plays into 97 of the most chaotic, fun-packed minutes of my life (seriously: just read the description), but it’s no longer showing. I don’t know who was responsible for that decision, but I hope they stub their toe every morning for the rest of time.
It came to mind this week thanks to Our Story with David Attenborough – an “immersive” and “360° cinematic experience” (obviously), where someone clearly thought, “37 plays in 97 minutes? Adorbs. We’re doing FOUR BILLION YEARS in UNDER AN HOUR. And yes: Attenborough will narrate. Your move, Shakespearean wannabes.”
To be fair, this “experiential” screening, with “floor-to-ceiling” “state-of-the-art” “projection technology” and “evocative soundscapes”, which “blends footage of the natural world with cutting-edge animation”, is more than just a tech flex or a turbo-charged GCSE revision session.
It actually does something jolly clever: instead of just showing you nature, it drops you into it. The walls and floor “burst into life” around you as you witness the origins of life on Earth, before being hurled (gently) through a few billion years of evolution at a pace that would give Darwin whiplash.
Along the way, you’ll get front-row seats to a family of gorillas playing in their forest home, and dive beneath the waves to join a humpback whale on its travels – all without a single mosquito bite or visa form.
But it’s not all mossy forests and slow-mo whales: Attenborough also broaches the topic of when humans started meddling – and how we’ve managed to improve, ruin, or complicate everything ever since.
While you’re there…
👍️ ​​You know when you’re walking around and you spot a flooring shop called Lino Ritchie, or you get an ad for a “burlesque parody” called The Empire Strips Back? And you think, “This is the kind of place that exists purely because someone made a pun and refused to let it go”? I call these businesses “Name-first operations” – and I’m pretty sure Astronights at the Science Museum falls under the same category.
Astronights are sleepovers for you and your children (aged 7–11), where you get to “explore the museum after dark and sleep among its wonders”. You’ll enjoy “out-of-this-world, space-inspired workshops, shows and activities”, then refuel the next morning with breakfast. There’s one on Friday night, but other dates are available. There’s also SENsory Astronights (a double pun!!!) for those who’d benefit from a more relaxed museum atmosphere. The next SENsory sleepover is on 2 August.
👍️ ​​There’s a new (and free) “space trail” at the Science Museum, which is inspired by a new space-based animated film called Elio. When they say “inspired by”, I think they mean “paid for by Disney and Pixar” – but who cares about the underlying financial motivations when there’s a free badge at the end.
Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting
Saturday, 10:30–21:00 and Sunday, 10:30–18:00 (and daily until 7 September)
National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, WC2H 0HE
Adults ÂŁ21, children (anyone 25 and under) free
Anyone else do a double take when they first saw the name of the artist? My immediate thought was “Hmmm: bold choice, NPG,” but thankfully it’s Jenny – not Jimmy – and her work is the exact opposite of a cover-up.
I first came across JENNY Saville in Lunch with the FT – a long-running interview series in which the guest picks the place and the FT foots the bill. Saville’s choice was the River Cafe in London – where a courgette salad is £38 and a piece of fish with vegetables is £68. It felt slightly at odds with her paintings, which are all bruised flesh, scrapes and surgical tape. Not exactly the vibe you get from a restaurant where each pea is arranged with tweezers.
Her exhibition takes over most of the ground floor at the National Portrait Gallery and brings together work from the last 30 years. You get early charcoal studies, huge nudes, the famous one where she’s sitting stark naked on a stool (Propped), and some newer stuff where the faces look like they’ve been partially wiped off. Nothing here is decorative: it’s smeared lipstick, biro marks, raw skin and rough surfaces.
She’s not doing it to shock you or be gratuitous: she just has a different sense of what counts as beautiful. As she once said, “... what women think is beautiful can be different. And there can be a beauty in individualism. If there is a wart or a scar, this can be beautiful, in a sense, when you paint it.”
Which all makes total sense – but there are parts of the exhibition that might raise questions you're not quite ready to answer in a gallery cafe. Best to preview a few images first, before committing.
Chance to Dance
Saturday 21 June, 15:30 and 17:30
£3–£20 depending on seats
Royal Opera House, Bow Street, WC2E 9DD
Age guidance: suitable for all
(Members of the Dads in London Club were told about this show as soon as booking opened a few weeks ago. There aren’t many tickets left, so hurry if you’d like to book!)
Urgh. Sometimes I hate being from Southern England. “Chance to Dance” sounds so posh and awkward in my lame-arse RP accent: “Chahns tuh Dahns.” It’s much better if you’re from up north (“Chans tuh Dans”), but will only sound completely cringe-free if you’re from California: “Chayance tuh Dayance.” So let’s just call it “CTD” and save everyone the embarrassment of having to say it out loud.
CTD is the Royal Ballet’s flagship young talent programme, and this performance is what I’d call “gateway ballet” – the one that could get your tutu-obsessed (or just stage-curious) child asking for dance lessons, or begging to see Giselle next, or both.
The dancers (who are all aged 11–17) will perform a mixed bill inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – which is just surreal and chaotic enough to appeal to children even if they don’t know the story. It’s only an hour long and costs 95% less than a regular Royal Opera House ballet, so it’s an ideal first step.
The great thing about CTD is that it isn’t just a showcase for over-scheduled ballet kids from Zone 2. It’s about finding talent everywhere – not exclusively in households that already own a foam roller.
Find out more: https://www.rbo.org.uk/tickets-and-events/chance-to-dance-next-generation-festival-details
6–13: More more more!
So much to do!!!
Groove Baby presents: Groove onto the Moon
Sunday 22 June, 11:00 and 14:00
artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, N12 0GA
ÂŁ12.75 per person
Age guidance: 3–7
Family Day with Stories & Supper
Saturday 21 June, 13:00–16:00
William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, E17 4PP
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all (but especially 5+)
Moomins and the Midsummer Madness (U)
Saturday 21 June, 11:00
Barbican Centre, Beech Street, EC2Y 8DS
Adults ÂŁ5, under-18s ÂŁ2.50
Age guidance: 4+
Festival of Stuff: Stratford Extravaganza 2025
Saturday 21 June, 13:00–17:00
Institute of Making Stratford, UCL Marshgate Building, 7 Sidings Street, E20 2AE
FREE
Age guidance: open to all
London Festival of Architecture: Build London in 3D! A Hands-On Model-Making Workshop for Kids
Sunday 22 June, 14:00–16:00
Embassy of the Czech Republic, 26 Kensington Palace Gardens, W8 4QY
ÂŁ10 per child
Age guidance: 7+
London Festival of Architecture: Picnic and Play
Saturday 21 June, 10:00–16:00
The National Temperance Hospital Garden, Euston Place, 110 Hampstead Road, NW1 2LS
FREE
Windrush Day
Saturday 21 June, 11:00–16:00
National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, SE10 9NF
FREE
Summer by the River: The Great Get Together
Saturday 21 June, 13:00–19:00
The Scoop at More, SE1 2AA
FREE