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🤖 35 (!!!) things to do in London this weekend with the kids (21–22 February)

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Jeff – Dads in London
February 18, 2026

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Hey DILFs,

Gosh: another corker of a weekend for you. I’ve run out of energy to type anything useful, so I’ll just say this: Happy Lunar New Year (again)! And please go see By Trial and Error (listed below) if you can: it’s fantastic.

Happy weekending,

Jeff xx

PS Because there’s so much on this week, you might see a “[Message clipped]” notification at the bottom of your email. Simply tap “View entire message” to see the rest of it.

Chinese New Year in Chinatown
Sunday 22 February, parade 10:00–12:00, Chinatown 12:00–17:30 (there are also celebrations in Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square)
FREE

You know those people who really milk their birthday? Like, they’re turning 53 so they’ll have a dinner with close friends, a lunch with close family, a party with extended friends and family, a holiday with family, a holiday with friends, a work lunch, work drinks, and maybe some sort of sponsored birthday 5k run? And once all the events are out of the way, it’s been nearly a year of celebrations and they’re still banging on about it?

If you’re familar with humans such as these, Lunar New Year will feel blessedly brief, even though – as I mentioned two weeks ago, when this year’s festivities were just starting – it seems to engage in a fair amount of scope creep itself.

The official Lunar New Year was yesterday (Tuesday 17 February) – which means we’re now in the “after party” phase of revelry. And on Sunday that translates to the New Year Festival in Chinatown. There’ll be live performances, traditional music, pop-up stalls selling authentic street food and sweet treats, arts and crafts stalls, family games, dragon dance demonstrations, special menus at restaurants, and some extremely expensive equine-related gifts from Diptyque, Rituals, Tiffany & Co. and Cambridge Satchel – plus many other brands hoping to cash in on the Year of the Horse.

There’s also the famous parade, which starts at around 10:00 at the east side of Trafalgar Square and ends in Chinatown at around midday. The route will be busy, but last year there was a marginally more peaceful Family Zone towards the end of the parade route (at the top of Shaftesbury Avenue, where Chinatown meets Soho). I haven’t seen any official announcements about a Family Zone this year, but keep an eye on the Chinatown Instagram for up-to-date info.

Once Sunday’s festivities are over, there’ll no doubt be many more to come. We’re only about twenty-seven events down, after all.

While you’re there…

👍️ Check out all the food offers (and those extremely expensive gift options) on the Chinatown website.

Neon Sun: Roller Circus
Until Saturday 21 February, 11:00 and 14:00
Jacksons Lane Arts Centre, 269a Archway Road, N6 5AA
ÂŁ16 per person
Age guidance: suitable for all

The 90s had many questionable ideas, but roller skating to a pounding soundtrack was certainly not one of them. It was gloriously cool: there was nothing more sophisticated than a wardrobe full of neon, with feet clipped into four wheels and a concerning amount of Velcro.

Brilliantly, you can now introduce your children to this golden chapter of human existence – only faster, brighter and performed by people who can actually do the backflips.

Roller Circus brings roller skating, circus and street culture together in a live show that transforms the stage into a glowing roller rink. It’s where international performers take to their wheels, combining skating, acrobatics and tightly choreographed group routines at serious speed. And – potential major excitement alert – it’s all set to a “90s-inspired” soundtrack.

There are spins, lifts, jumps and formations that look completely impossible on the ground – let alone on wheels. It’s unwise to try any of it at home afterwards, but when left to the experts and watched at a safe distance, it’s properly thrilling.

While you’re there…

👍️ I’ve never been to Highgate Wood Playground (a three-minute walk from Jacksons Lane), so I thought I’d look at some Google reviews for you. And aside from the incredibly unhelpful “There is a gate that is high in this wood with a ground where kids can play*,” the general consensus is “This place knows playgrounds.”

More helpful reviewers mention the usefulness of having two separate playgrounds for different-aged kids; the two sandpits; the zip line; the variety of equipment; the cafe and public toilets; and the beautiful surroundings.

*This guy’s reviews for other establishments include: “Classy,” “I go there to eat,” and “Very large.”

👍️ The Wrestlers pub is also mere minutes away, and it’s been there since 1547. The original fireplace is still present and correct; ditto the wooden furniture and stained glass windows. There’s also a log fire, a variety of ales and locally brewed spirits, and traditional British food that everyone raves about. (And it’s not even expensive by London standards.)

By Trial and Error
Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 and 14:00
Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ
From ÂŁ10 depending on date
Age guidance: 4–1​​0

If you’re prone to walking into the pane of glass that turns out not to be an automatic sliding door at the Unicorn Theatre, consider yourself the warm-up act for the slapstick and chaos that’s to come. (And if you’ve never been before, this is your warning: you’ll think it’s a sliding door. It isn’t.)

As for the slapstick and chaos, it arrives courtesy of two extremely skilled acrobats in a show built around what happens when a perfectly rehearsed routine starts to unravel.

They come on ready to launch into their routine, but it quickly becomes clear something isn’t quite lining up. A lift is paused. A start is abandoned. One of them makes a minor adjustment that somehow complicates things further. Before long, they’re caught in a spiral of increasingly elaborate attempts to put things back on track.

What follows is a chain reaction of over-enthusiastic “corrections” and ever more inventive recoveries – all in the silent-film tradition of carefully timed mishaps, near misses that land just in time, and pratfalls that look accidental but very clearly aren’t.

We went on Saturday afternoon, and for a long stretch of the performance, it’s essentially mime: no music, no dialogue, and barely any sound. We assumed it was an artistic decision in keeping with the whole "silent cinema" vibe – but later it became clear there's another reason for the silence, and it's really jolly funny. The whole thing is jolly funny, in fact: I’ve never heard both children and adults laughing that hard at the same thing.

👉 Brief interruption in a horrible colour: if this newsletter has earned its keep, you can buy me a coffee. (Completely optional, of course.)

Family Film Club: Robot Dreams
Saturday 21 February, 11:00
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Adults ÂŁ5, under-18s ÂŁ2.50
Age guidance: 8+

Are you a member of the Mile Cry Club – someone who always cries while watching films on planes? Don’t be embarrassed: it’s a biiiig club, and I proudly have gold card status myself.

Plenty of studies have produced plenty of theories for why we’re such sobbers in the sky – heightened emotions because it’s travel day; reduced oxygen levels; the fact you’ve accepted two complimentary G&Ts before the safety demo has finished; the binge-watching mentality that makes us mainline three films back-to-back; etc. – but no one has really figured out the reason.

All I know is that, if I’m going to emotionally available for my children on a flight these days, I need to choose my films wisely. Robot Dreams is the sort of film I should never watch while in a metal tube 10,000 metres above sea level, because I’ve already watched it at home, on a perfectly normal Sunday afternoon, and it played havoc with my emotions.

In this dialogue-free story, a lonely dog called Dog in 1980s Manhattan orders himself a mail-order robot (“Robot”) and assembles him in the living room; then the two of them spend the summer doing everything together around the city. There are scenes of them walking around, eating junk food and rollerskating in Central Park to the song September by Earth, Wind & Fire, and we’re all so happy that they’re part of each other’s lives.

On one of the duo’s many trips out together, they head to the beach – where things go a bit wrong and Robot ends up stuck in the sand. And then Dog can’t get him home before the place shuts down for the season, so they’re separated for months. I was 100% unprepared for how much it would hurt to watch a cartoon dog try to function without his best friend and a cartoon robot lying there dreaming about their reunion. Heart-wrenching understates it.

The last stretch goes somewhere I won’t spoil, and is unexpected but in a way that feels right while also soul-destroying. (In case you’re worried, kids don’t seem to suffer as much as parents.) The whole thing is absolutely wonderful: very funny in places, joyful at times, and sneakily devastating. Its a perfect film for an evening on the sofa with the family, and a terrible choice for seat 22A next to a stranger.

While you’re there…

👍️ You’re a 15-minute walk from Horizon 22 – London’s highest free viewing platform. It’s all indoors so you don’t need to worry about wind or rain, and the views are brilliant if it’s not too foggy (and funny if it is). Book a free ticket in advance to be guaranteed entrance.

Space by Luxmuralis
Until Saturday 21 February, timeslots every 15 minutes between 17:30 and 21:30
St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ
ÂŁ12 per person
Age guidance: suitable for all

Alanis Morissette would probably raise a knowing eyebrow at London’s latest immersive experience: a church hosting a light-and-sound spectacular about the Big Bang. At St Martin-in-the-Fields, the building is being transformed into Space – an immersive journey through the cosmos, with projections of galaxies, rocket launches and a creation story of a slightly different variety.

There’s an obvious tension in staging a scientific origin story inside a church. But St Martin’s has long positioned itself as a place for cultural and public conversation as well as worship – so this is arguably just another big idea passing through.

It starts outside in the courtyard, where the church is lit up before you even get through the doors. Then you head down into the Crypt and move through large-scale projections set to bespoke music, as galaxies and rockets are projected straight onto the stonework. After that, you head up into the main church for a 15-minute seated sequence beneath a canopy of projected constellations.

It runs for around 30–60 minutes in total, depending on how long you stay once you’re inside. It’s suitable for all ages, and well timed for a dark February week when London itself could use a bit more light.

Chineke! Junior Orchestra
Sunday 22 February, 14:00
Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No. 1 Street, SE18 6HD
FREE – booking required
Age guidance: suitable for all

If you’d like to inspire your child to do something slightly more useful with their time than breeding Minecraft pandas, this might help.

At Woolwich Works, the Chineke! Junior Orchestra – a youth ensemble of Black and ethnically diverse musicians aged 11–22 – will be sharing the results of an intensive rehearsal weekend.

Founded in 2015 to create opportunities for players historically underrepresented in classical music, Chineke! has become a serious pipeline into the UK’s top conservatoires, with alumni heading off to places like the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music. What I think this means is… prepare to be impressed.

The programme includes Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s African Suite – and research informs me these are orchestral pieces with rhythm, heft and actual tunes. Tell your kids it’s basically a blockbuster soundtrack, but written before anyone owned a lightsabre.

Other listings

This section now brings together both new events I don’t have room to expand on and selected older ones from past newsletters that are still running. If you see a “(see my write-up here)”, that’s your cue to click through and rediscover whatever Past Me felt strongly enough to write about.

Total Immersion: Icelandic Chill - Chamber and Choral Icelandic Treasures
Sunday 22 February, 14:30
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
£15–£24 per person
Age guidance: 5+

Family Workshop: Clay Character
Until Saturday 21 February, 11:00–13:00 and 14:00–16:00
Young V&A, Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA
ÂŁ15 per person
Age guidance: 5–11

Note: this has almost sold out. DILF Club members knew about this event weeks ago – when tickets were still widely available. Want to become a member? Sign up here for £3 a month.

Teddyland: Hybrid Teddy-Making Workshop
Saturday 14:00, Sunday 11:00 and 14:00
Children ÂŁ21, each additional child ÂŁ10, adults free
Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No. 1 Street, SE18 6HD
Age guidance: 5+

Jack and the Beanstalk (sort of) (see my write-up of the same show but at a different venue here)
Saturday 21 February, 11:00 and 14:00
Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, 43 White Horse Road, London E1 0ND
ÂŁ9 per person
Age guidance: 3–10

Giant Chalkboard
Saturday 21 February, 10:30–16:00
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
FREE – no ticket required
Age guidance: suitable for all

Lunar New Year Celebration at the National Maritime Museum
Saturday 21 February, 10:00–16:00
National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, SE10 9NF
FREE

Quentin Blake's Mrs Armitage on Wheels
Until Saturday 21 February, various start times
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
From ÂŁ22 per person
Age guidance: 3–8

Note: this has almost sold out. DILF Club members knew about this event weeks ago – when tickets were still widely available. Want to become a member? Sign up here for £3 a month.

Katie Kirby: The World of Lottie Brooks
Saturday 21 February, 11:00
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
From ÂŁ14 per person
Age guidance: 9+

Note: this has almost sold out. DILF Club members knew about this event weeks ago – when tickets were still widely available. Want to become a member? Sign up here for £3 a month.

Chiharu Shiota: Threads of Life
Until 3 May, 10:00–18:00 (until 20:00 on Saturdays; closed Mondays)
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
Adults £19, 12–16s £8, under-12s free

Ruby’s Worry
Until 22 February, various start times
Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB
ÂŁ14 per person
Age guidance: 3–7

Note: all shows have almost sold out. DILF Club members knew about this show weeks ago – when most tickets were still available. Want to become a member? Sign up here for £3 a month.

Who Let The Gods Out
Until 22 March, various start times
Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB
ÂŁ10 per person
Age guidance: 8–13

The Jolly Postman (exhibition)
Tuesday–Sunday until January 2027, 10:00–17:00
The Postal Museum, 15–20 Phoenix Place, WC1X 0DA
Free with museum entry (adults £18.50, 2–15s £11, under-2s free)

Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends (full review coming soon!)
Daily until 15 November, 10:00–17:45
Young V&A, Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA
ÂŁ11 per person (under-4s free)

Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures
Daily until 1 November, 10:30–17:30
Horniman Museum & Gardens, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
Adults ÂŁ9.80, children ÂŁ7, under-3s free
Age guidance: 2+

Octonauts: Adventure at the Horniman
Daily until 1 November, 10:00–17:30
Horniman Museum & Gardens, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
FREE

Samurai
Daily until 4 May, 10:00​–17:00 (Fridays until 20:30)
British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG
Adults ÂŁ25, under-16s free

Gianni Versace Retrospective
Daily until 1 March, various timeslots throughout the day
Arches London Bridge, 8 Bermondsey Street, SE1 2ER
Adults £29.75, 5–15s £18.75, under-5s free

Mundo Pixar Experience (full review coming soon!)
Daily until 28 June, various timeslots throughout the day
Fulton Road, Wembley Park, HA9 0TF
Adults £34, 3–15s £22, under-3s free
Age guidance: suitable for all (but prams will need to be stored in a designated area)

Marie-Antoinette: An Eye for Beauty (see my write-up here)
Daily until 31 March, 10:00–17:00
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN
FREE

Love Letters: Love Letters: 500 years of devotion, longing, sacrifice and passion (see my write-up here)
Tuesday–Sunday until 12 April
The National Archives, Kew, TW9 4DU
FREE – no booking required

Water Pantanal Fire
Daily until 31 May, 10:00–18:00
Science Museum, Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD
Free – admission ticket required

Hawaiʻi: A Kingdom Crossing Oceans
Daily until 25 May, 10:00–17:00 (Fridays until 20:30)
British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG
Adults ÂŁ16, under-16s free

Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting
Daily until 4 May, 10:30–18:00 (until 21:00 on some days)
National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, WC2H 0HE
Adults £23, 12–25 £5, under-12s free

Planetarium Go! (see my write-up here)
Until 1 March, various timeslots throughout the day
ÂŁ15 per person per show (under-4s free, family packages also available)
Battersea Power Station, Circus Road West, SW11 8DD
Age guidance: different shows are suitable for different ages

Little Red Riding Hood (interactive play space)
Until 22 February (drop in during any time during your visit)
Discover Children’s Story Centre, 383–387 High Street, E15 4QZ
Free with entry ticket (adults and children ÂŁ10, 1-year-olds ÂŁ5, under-1s free)
Age guidance: 0–8

REPLAY: A Limitless Recycled Playground (see my write-up here)
Daily until 12 April, various slots throughout the day
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
ÂŁ7.50 per person
Age guidance: different sessions for 6 months–3 years and 4–11 years (younger children can join older siblings in the older session if necessary)

Squirrel
Until 22 February, various times
Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ
Adult + child ÂŁ25, extra child ÂŁ12.50
Age guidance: 6 months–4 years

Chicos Mambo: Tutu (see my write-up here)
Until 21 February, various start times
Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, WC2A 2HT
From ÂŁ18 per person
Age guidance: suitable for anyone 5+

Beano Mischief at the Tower of London (see my write-up here)
Tower of London, EC3N 4AB
Until 22 February, 09:00–16:30
Free entry with admission ticket (adults £35.80, 5–15s £17.90, under-5s free)