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🛹 35 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (9–10 May)

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Jeff – Dads in London
May 06, 2026

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Hey DILFs!

I moved home yesterday, which means you’re in luck: I didn’t have time to write a convoluted introduction full of jokes that only I find funny. 

There’s still TONS of stuff to do of course: it would be weird if London stopped on my behalf. So everything from here on is reassuringly long-winded. 

Enjoy! 

Jeff xx

WiFi Wars
Sunday 10 May, 15:00
artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, N12 0GA
ÂŁ13.75 per person
Age guidance: 6+

Here’s a line that’s depressingly guaranteed to work with your kids: “If you get your t-shirt and shorts and socks and shoes on now, and if you do a wee without me asking twice… we can go to a show where you’ll be allowed to mess around with a smartphone for an entire hour and possibly win prizes.”

To be fair to WiFi Wars, they’re not charging you £13.75 for the privilege of accelerating your children’s descent into a screen-based dystopia. The whole session is properly interactive – with actual human people communicating in the same room – and the outcome depends entirely on how competent or deeply uncoordinated the audience turns out to be. It’s good, old-fashioned fun, just with considerably more processing power than Buckaroo.

The setup is simple: the audience is split into teams and plays through a series of games, all controlled through your phone and played out on the big screen. Every now and then someone’s phone takes over the proceedings, with mixed results depending on how they handle the pressure.

It’s hosted by Steve McNeil (team captain on the TV show Dara O’Briain’s Go 8 Bit), who keeps things moving while exposing just how competitive people can get. Just make sure your device is fully charged – nothing ruins a smartphone-centred audience-participation show faster than a dead battery.

While you’re there… 

👍️ N20 Kids Club is a soft-play space less than a mile away. I’ve never been, but the reviews suggest you take the “3 months to 11 years” suggested age range and smash it to smithereens. Six years old seems like the upper limit. 

👍️ Little Tea House is a gem of a place, with spectacular teas and beautiful cakes and pastries (which are all made in-house by the owner). Board games are apparently available; I didn’t see them when I visited, but that might be because my own kids looked too feral to be trusted with a load of Jenga blocks.

Toto Kerblammo!
Until 22 May, various dates and start times
Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ
£14.50–£18.50 per person, depending on the date
Age guidance: 10+

Did you know that most children’s theatre shows come with a “Visual Story” – a spoiler-filled guide for kids who like to know exactly what’s coming? It explains the building, the seating, what the stage looks like, and anything potentially intense – often with photos and a scene-by-scene outline.

I read the one for Toto Kerblammo! because the online description was a bit light, and I’m very glad I did: the show covers some much darker topics than the title implies. 

It’s about Effy, who ends up staying with her aunt and uncle after things at home take a turn. She smuggles her dog into their flat because animals aren’t allowed, and the show follows her trying to keep that secret going while everything around her is a bit unstable: new place, new people, and a general sense that something serious already happened before we started watching. It doesn’t take long before it’s clear that this isn’t just a “girl hides dog and oops she must suddenly start shouting to muffle the barking sounds!” story. It then builds to an ending that’s a lot more abrupt – and a lot more sad – than you might be expecting. 

You wear headphones throughout, and different voices come through at different points – such as Effy’s thoughts, the adults around her, and even Toto himself – making it a very different (and, yes, more “immersive” – sorrysorrysorry for that word) experience from your average stage show. I haven’t been, but reviewers say it works brilliantly.

And while I know I’ve made this sound as depressing as the most tear-jerking moments of Bambi, E.T. and My Girl all rolled into one, the reviews say there’s plenty of mischief and a “quirky sense of fun” running through it. They also say that, while the ending is distressing, it’s threaded with some genuinely comforting and hopeful bits.

But I would recommend having a quick look at the Visual Guide beforehand, just so you know what’s coming.

While you’re there… 

👍️ Go up Tower Bridge, lie down on the transparent floor and take a photo using the mirrored ceiling above you. When we went, it was UNBELIEVABLE how many visitors wouldn’t even set foot on the glass floor – and they squealed in shock when we did it. Wusses. There’s much more to do as part of the Tower Bridge experience, but the glass floor is the highlight – even if you just watch others “bravely risking their lives” when stepping on it. 

👍️ Southwark Cathedral is free to enter and beautifully understated (as far as cathedrals can ever be understated). Fyi the cathedral often hosts evening events – such as candlelit concerts and expert talks – which you can find out about on their website/newsletter.

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

3: Dance through a proper rave that just happens to include your children

Clubhouse: Kids’ Rave
Saturday 9 May, 12:00–16:00
Big Penny Social, 1 Priestley Way, E17 6AL
Adults ÂŁ15, children ÂŁ10, pre-walking infants free
Age guidance: suitable for all

If you prefer your events guides to be short, sharp and to the point, I suspect you’re new to Dads in London and you won’t be hanging around here much longer.

Before you unsubscribe, though, let me share this upcoming event from Big Penny Social – because the write-up on the website couldn’t be any more brusque: 

“CLUBHOUSE: a family-friendly rave + dance party for the heads.

A proper party built for families.

Esteemed DJs playing proper, underground sets on a high-quality sound system.

Face paint, bubbles, glow sticks, vinyl workshop and DJ tutorials, creative activities and space for children to experience the music their parents genuinely love.

Chillout safe space, baby-changing area and buggy park.

Fully licensed bar.

This is a family event – adults must attend with children. Adults are fully responsible for their kids at all times. Max 3 children per adult.

Music is played at safe but present levels (you’ll still feel it). Expect a busy dancefloor environment.

Ear defenders optional but not provided.” 

Pleasantries are also optional, I guess. 

It doesn’t seem like the friendliest environment on earth for a rave, but then I guess a rave isn’t supposed to be about bonhomie, cups of tea and making sure everyone feels emotionally supported. And, I guess, if your kids are going to grow up to be ravers, it’s better they realise that sooner rather than later. 

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Clermont-Ferrand 2026: Short Films for the Family
Saturday and Sunday, 11:00
The Garden Cinema, 39-41 Parker Street, WC2B 5PQ
Pay what you can
Age guidance: rated PG

You know something is highbrow when its website is in French... and you know you’re not a highbrow person when you assume the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival will have been named after someone called Monsieur Clermont-Ferrand – who was probably an existentialist, surrealist-impressionist philosopher-artist who drank Champagne with Monet and dated Simone de Beauvoir. Or something.

Embarrassingly for me, Clermont-Ferrand isn’t some towering French intellectual from the 19th century or 20th century, or indeed any other century. Clermont-Ferrand is simply the place where the International Short Film Festival takes place – like the Cannes Film Festival or the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling Festival.

There are hundreds of short film festivals in France alone, and the CFISFF (ironically, I’m the only one in history to have shortened its name) is recognised as the top short film festival in the world – so that gives you an idea of how big a deal it is. About 600 films are shown each year at the festival, and there are awards in various categories.

This screening at The Garden Cinema is a chance to see seven of the festival’s favourite animated short films for children – and… let’s just say the descriptions are definitely sticking with the “short” theme. We have Petit Bonhomme de poche (The Pocket Man): “A little man lives in an old suitcase. One day he finds a new friend – an old blind man.” And Löwe: “The lion must get fit. The gazelle does not think he is capable of doing so.” Among others.

The films come from a range of countries, including Germany, France, Estonia and Poland. But most have minimal or no dialogue, so you don’t need to worry about navigating subtitles with a child who’s only just started phonics lessons.

And if one of them isn’t quite your thing, don’t worry – they’re all very short, so you’re never more than a few minutes away from the next one.

5: Join a centuries-old tradition of puppets, parades and jolly good fun 

Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival
Sunday 10 May, 11:00–17:30
St Paul’s Church Garden, Bedford Street, WC2E 9ED
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all

Do you ever visit Covent Garden and wish it were still a place to buy fruit and veg? Sometimes I think it’d be nice to have a farmers’ market-esque place where you buy fresh, local produce and take it home in brown paper bags feeling like a character in some sort of Richard Curtis film. 

But then I think about the chainsaw juggler, and the sword-swallowing contortionist, and the ventriloquists, and the naughty puppets, and I realise we now have something much more special and unique there. 

The Covvie G performers only exist because the market closed down. When it shut in the early 1970s, the Covent Garden Community Association fought to save the old market buildings from being destroyed. They won the battle, but the area was boarded up and looked pretty desolate for ages – so the local arts organisation, Alternative Arts, decided to help regenerate the area. They started a street theatre in 1975 under the portico of St Paul’s Church, thanks to the generosity of Rev John Arrowsmith for giving permission for this to happen. It was mostly puppeteers at first – the more full-on street acts came later, and gradually spread beyond the church.

Since then, there’s been a festival every year to commemorate and celebrate street performers – and particularly Mr Punch, who’s arguably the greatest street performer of all time. The festival is always on the second Sunday in May because that’s when Samuel Pepys wrote the first recorded sighting of Punch in England, “within the rayles of Covent Garden”. 

So, as this Sunday is the second Sunday of May, it’s the 51st Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival. The day starts with a walking procession around the neighbourhood, led by a marching brass band. Then Punch and Judy “Professors” and puppeteers from across the country and around the world will perform throughout the day. There’ll also be a birthday toast to Mr Punch, a special church service, clowns, stilt walkers, pearly king and queens, live music, stalls, and plenty more. 

If you look at the Punch & Judy Facebook page, you’ll see just how exciting this year’s event will be. They’re constantly sharing photos, letting us know about new performers being added to the schedule, and sharing just how fun the event will be. They’ve also announced there’ll be a prize for the puppet with the biggest personality in the parade, which is useful to know if you have a particularly charismatic Kermit at home. 

The entire thing is completely free to attend and – as the organisers put it – “is a true celebration of our cultural heritage. Long may it continue.” 

While you’re there… 

👍️ Off-the-wall idea here, but have you ever taken your kid for a walk-in back massage? I’ve taken my eight-year-old a couple of times while we were in the area anyway, and he loved being pampered and treated like a grown-up. It’s ÂŁ20 for ten minutes (which is more than I paid a few months ago, but that’s inflation for you), and the two chaps who run the place are kind and gentle. 

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.

Henry Moore: Monumental Nature
Daily until 31 January, 10:00–19:00
Kew Gardens, Kew, TW9 3AE
FREE with entry ticket to the gardens (adults £25, children 4–15 £2, under-4s free for weekend tickets when booked in advance)

Rabbits Out of the Hat
Sunday 10 May, 11:00 and 14:00
Jacksons Lane Arts Centre, 269a Archway Road, N6 5AA
ÂŁ14 per person
Age guidance: 5+

Family Film Club: Woolly Animations + Pre-Screening Activity + Arts & Crafts
Saturday 9 May, 10:00–15:30
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Adults ÂŁ5, under-18s ÂŁ2.50 (for the screening; all other activities are free and drop-in)
Age guidance: 5+

Skate 50 (see my write-up here)
Various dates until 21 June, various timeslots
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
Pay what you can: £0–£10 (free for skateboarders)
Age guidance: suitable for all

Zurbarán (see my write-up here)
Daily until 23 August, 10:00–18:00 (Fridays until 21:00)
The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN
£20–£22 (off-peak/peak), under-18s free

NIGO: From Japan with Love
Daily until 4 October, 10:00–17:00 Monday–Thursday and 10:00–18:00 Friday–Sunday
Design Museum, 224–238 Kensington High Street, W8 6AG
Adults £19, 6–17s £10, under-6s free

Tortoise and the Hare
Various dates until 31 May, various start times
Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB
ÂŁ10 per person
Age guidance: 3–7

Paulo Nimer Pjota: Encantados
Wednesday–Sunday until 23 August, 12:00–18:00 (Wednesdays until 21:00)
South London Gallery, 65–67 Peckham Road, SE5 8UH
FREE – no booking required

David Bowie: You're Not Alone (see my write-up here)
Until 10 September (most days), 10:30–16:30 or 17:30 depending on the day
Lightroom, 12 Lewis Cubitt Square, N1C 4DY
Adults £29.50, 3–18s £19.50, under-3s free (family discounts available at certain times of day)
Age guidance: suitable for all

Early Netherlandish drawings (see my write-up here)
Daily until 20 September, 10:00–17:00 (until 20:30 on Fridays)
British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG
FREE

Paint! Pattern! Print! The Textiles of Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell (see my write-up here)
Tuesday–Saturday until 13 September, 11:00–18:00
Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XF
Adults £11.50, 12–17s £9.50, under-12s free

Textile Art Redefined (see my write-up here)
Daily until 10 May, 10:00–18:00
Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, SW3 4RY
FREE

The Wallace Collection at War
Daily until 25 October, 10:00–17:00
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN
FREE

Konrad Mägi
Tuesday–Sunday until 12 July, 10:00–17:00
Dulwich Picture Gallery, College Road, SE21 7AD
Adults ÂŁ18, under-18s free

Ty Locke: Hand Me Downs (see my write-up here)
Wednesday–Saturday until 16 May, 12:00–18:00
Copperfield Gallery, 6 Copperfield Street, SE1 0EP
FREE

The Music Is Black: A British Story at V&A East Museum (see my write-up here)
Daily until 3 January 2027, from 10:00
V&A East Museum, 107 Carpenters Road, E20 2AR
Adults £22, 12–17s £10, under-12s free

The Coming of Age
Tuesday–Sunday until 29 November
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, NW1 2BE
FREE

The Last Princess of Punjab
Daily until 8 November, 10:00–18:00
Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, W8 4PX
Free with admission (adults £24.70, 5–17s £12.40, under-5s free)

Mundo Pixar Experience (see my write-up here)
Until 28 June, 09:00/10:00–20:00 (earlier start time on weekends)
Fulton Road, Wembley, HA9 0TF
Adults £34–£36, 2–15s £22–£24, under-2s free
Age guidance: suitable for all

Fairy Tales (see my write-up here)
Until 23 August, various timeslots throughout each day (usually 09:30–16:30)
The British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB
Adults £13.50, 5–16s £13.50, 1–5s £6.75, under-1s free
Age guidance: 3–10

Seurat and the Sea
Daily until 17 May, 10:00–18:00
Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 0RN
Adults ÂŁ18, under-19s free

Cleopatra: The Experience (see my write-up here)
Daily until 12 July, timeslots from 10:00
Immerse LDN, Excel Waterfront, ExCel, E16 1XL
Adults £27, 4–15s £22, under-4s free
Age guidance: suitable for all

Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art (see my write-up here)
Daily until 1 November, 10:00–18:00
Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all

David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting (see my write-up here)
Tuesday–Sunday until 23 August, 10:00–18:00
Serpentine North, West Carriage Drive, W2 2AR
FREE, but booking required

Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends (see my write-up here)
Daily until 15 November, 10:00–17:45
Young V&A, Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA
ÂŁ11 per person (under-4s free)

Ramses and the Pharaohs' Gold: The Exhibition (see my write-up here)
Daily until 31 May (various timeslots)
Adults £32.05, 5–15s £28.05, under-5s free
Battersea Power Station, 2 Circus Road East, SW11 8DQ
Age guidance: 5+

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

Tracey Emin: A Second Life (see my write-up here)
Daily until 31 August, 10:00–18:00
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
Adults £14, 12–18s £5, under-12s free

Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style (see my write-up here)
Daily until 18 October, 10:00–17:00
The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, SW1A 1AA
Adults £22, 5–17s £11, under-5s free