😸 42 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (1–2 August)

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Hey DILFs!

Quick FYI: from today, many of the Royal Parks will be hosting a drop-in activity (or two) throughout the summer, and you can check out the dates here.

Each drop-in session will take place between 11:00 and 15:00 and involve solving clues on a wildlife detective trail; taking a closer look at nature specimens in a dedicated mini-museum; getting creative with wild crafts; and having fun with interactive nature games.

The website says the activities are for “families, nature-lovers and budding environmentalists”, but I have a feeling that if you’re attending as a grown-up nature-lover or budding environmentalist and you don’t have any children with you, you’ll get some strange looks.

There’s a link to register for each of the drop-in sessions, so I guess you should do that – but I’m sure it’ll also be fine if you, as the name suggests, just drop in.

So that’s one idea for the weekend; here are plenty more! Enjoy!

Jeff xx

1: Watch a crime-fighting dog-man save the city

Dog Man: The Musical
Until 16 August, 11:00 and/or 14:30 and/or 18:00
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
£24.50–£57
Age guidance: 5+

There’s a newish book called Doppelganger, written by the Canadian journalist Naomi Klein, about how she’s often mistaken for the American author Naomi Wolf. They’re both bestselling feminist authors with lots of opinions on politics and culture, so they're often treated as interchangeable – which wasn’t a big deal for either author until recently, when Wolf started to have more “problematic” views (according to some). Hence Klein’s book.

I was reminded of all this because Dog Man is always confused in my brain with CatDog. And there's also PuppyCat and Sharkdog to add to the mix of Franken-animals who all blur into one. I doubt any of them are happy about this constant issue of mistaken identity, and I bet they'd appreciate their own book about it; it could be called Doggelganger.

And that, gents, was the weirdest segue of all time. Moving on…

Dog Man began life as a bestselling graphic novel series by Captain Underpants creator Dav Pilkey, about a crime-fighting policeman with the head of a dog. The books were adapted into an animated film in 2025, but this musical tells a completely different story – one supposedly written by George and Harold (the schoolboys from Captain Underpants), in which Dog Man must stop Petey the Cat and Flippy the cyborg fish from wreaking havoc on the city.

It’s already had several sell-out seasons off-Broadway in the US, and Pilkey himself (who didn’t have anything to do with the creation of the show) said it “surpassed my highest expectations”, describing it as “the perfect mash-up of memorable music, humour and love” that left him and the audience “in complete awe”.

The reviews were fantastic too – with the New York Times praising the directing and choreography, the little puppets, the songs, and the way in which the lyrics are packed with jokes for the grown-ups too.

Find out more: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/dog-man-the-musical/

2: Build, paint, climb and dress up at Story Street

Story Street x the LEGO Group
Until 31 August, 11:00–16:00
Discover Children’s Story Centre, 383–387 High Street, E15 4QZ
Free with admission (adults and children aged 1+ £11, children aged 0–1 free)
Age guidance: suitable for all

If you haven’t yet been to Discover Children’s Story Centre, the journey there really isn’t as much of a faff as you’re imagining. It’s just a short walk from Stratford station, which is served by the Central, Jubilee, Elizabeth, DLR, Mildmay and National Rail lines. There's also a bus station that seems to have a bus for just about everywhere.

Basically, unless you’ve got a beef with the staff for some reason, you’re out of excuses – especially since the place is all fresh and sparkling after a revamp.

The Centre is known for its two floors of Story Worlds and the Story Garden – exploratory play spaces “where children and their imaginations can roam”. Inside there are caves, pirate ships, a puppet theatre, rockets and spaceships, treehouses, costumes, places to draw and more – all designed to help children invent their own stories. And outside you’ll find climbing frames, playhouses, sculptures, giant musical instruments and a slide down a monster’s tongue – all intended to be clambered on while inspiring kids to create their next imaginary adventure.

These permanent worlds are only half the attraction. Throughout the year, Discover adds a revolving programme of immersive exhibitions based on popular children’s books, plus live storytelling sessions, author visits, craft workshops and other holiday activities. So even if you’ve been a gazillion times before, there’s something new to tempt you back.

The big exciting thing going on right now is Story Street. Or “Story Street x the LEGO Group”, to give it its full synergy-enhanced name.

Story Street is essentially a temporary outdoor play street that's full of opportunities to build, make, climb and imagine. In addition to all the LEGO bricks everywhere, there’s painting, crafts, dress-up, yoga, music and other hands-on activities, with a daily timetable of extra events to bring even more fun into the space. It was co-designed with Discover's Children's Forum – a group of local 7- to 11-year-olds who worked with the Centre's creative team and the LEGO Group to help shape the activities and the space itself. You can find out more about the group here.

Beyond Story Street, Discover's other temporary attractions include Luna Loves London, an immersive exhibition based on Joseph Coelho's picture books, and Julián Is a Mermaid, a lively storytelling session inspired by Jessica Love's award-winning book. And that's before you even get to all the other workshops, events and activities happening throughout the holidays.

Find out more: https://discover.org.uk/event/story-street-x-the-lego-group

3: See Roald Dahl’s hungriest villain brought to life

The Enormous Crocodile
Until 22 August, various start times (see website)
Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, Lyric Square, King Street, W6 0QL
£15–£25 per person
Age guidance: 3+

The other week, one of my sons asked me to name my favourite ever musical. Easiest question I’ve ever had to answer: hands down it’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

(For reasons I assume are nonsensical, it’s no longer showing in London. But if you fancy trekking to Bromley in November, it’ll be there for four days.)

At first he looked a bit upset that I hadn’t mentioned a show we’d seen together. (Andrew Lloyd Webber: if you're reading this, you made my kid sad.) But then he had another thought. “Would The Enormous Crocodile be your second favourite? Because we all REALLY loved that so much.”

I’d completely forgotten about that wonderful show! We saw it when it was at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2024, and he was right: we adored it.

Based on Roald Dahl's picture book (with Quentin Blake's brilliant illustrations), it's about an enormous crocodile whose dream is to eat a juicy little child. He keeps disguising himself as increasingly unlikely objects in the hope of luring one close enough to snap up, but the other jungle animals are determined to stop him.

It's incredibly fun – full of visual gags, daft puppets and brilliant theatrical tricks. And it's just so inventive: I spent half the show thinking, "Gosh, that's genius." Normally it’s not ideal to have thoughts that take you out of the moment – it's a bit like watching a ballet and thinking, "That pirouette must have taken ages to learn," or listening to an opera and wondering how long the soprano will need to rest her vocal cords afterwards. But this time, the cleverness just made me like it even more.

The child puppets are inspired (you'll see what I mean when you go), the jungle constantly seems to rearrange itself around the actors, and there's an opening scene at a crocodile dentist that makes you realise someone has put a huge amount of thought into how to turn a picture book into a musical.

The songs deserve an extra-special mention. They're packed with rhymes that are so smart it's almost annoying, and they're catchy as hell: it's been two years since we went, and we still listen to the title song as our post-dinner clean-up song.

So perhaps the strangest thing about all this is that I'd completely forgotten it was one of my favourite musicals. Thankfully, I live with people who are much better at remembering what I like than I am. It’s no longer on at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, but the Lyric is equally lovely – and a better place to be if it’s too hot/cold/rainy/sunny that day.

Find out more: https://lyric.co.uk/shows/the-enormous-crocodile/

While you’re there…

👍️ You’re extremely close to two excellent pubs. There’s The Dove, which has beautiful views over the river, wooden beams and other cosy pub-like interiors, and the smallest bar room in the world. It also has some requisite history: apparently, Charles II and Nell Gwynne once dined here.

And there’s also The Blue Anchor – which also has river views. It’s a bit more modern-looking but still gives oodles of “cosy pub” vibes. The food is fantastic at both these places.

👍️ It's hard to imagine now, but Furnivall Gardens used to be packed with Victorian houses until they were destroyed during the Blitz. Today it's one of the nicest spots on the Thames to sit for a while and watch the swans, rowers, paddleboarders and narrowboats drift by.

4: Hear the jazz stars of the future for free

Tomorrow's Warriors: Extraordinary Summer Showcase
Sunday 2 August, 16:30
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
Free – no ticket required
Age guidance: suitable for all

When you were young, did you have any particularly impressive talents? Could you sing? Draw? Recite pi to 500 decimal places? Were you such a good ten-pin bowler that you were talent-scouted? (I know someone who was. He eventually ended up working in property investment, so I don't really know what that tells us.)

I never had any discernible talent myself, which means nobody ever had to nurture it. If I'd had the choice, though, I'd have gone for jazz: the hats are better than in any other profession. And also, "jazz musician" sounds wonderfully mysterious and cool.

This summer showcase at Southbank Centre celebrates what happens when someone's musical talent is spotted and supported. Tomorrow's Warriors is one of the UK's best-known organisations for helping young jazz musicians flourish, and is dedicated to making sure talented young people, whatever their background, have the support and opportunities they need to succeed. It's played a part in the careers of artists including Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia, Moses Boyd and others I may or may not have heard of, but whose music I will definitely enjoy because jazz is mysterious and cool and has great hats.

It's a free event and takes place in the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer, so it's a low-key, dip-in-and-out kind of affair – the perfect way to see tomorrow's jazz stars before they're headlining festivals (or working in property investment).

Find out more: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/tomorrows-warriors-extraordinary-summer-showcase

While you’re there…

👍️ Confuse the heck out of your ears by going to see Dog Man: The Musical (see the review above) for the morning show, then heading to the jazz showcase in the afternoon.

👍️ Jeppe Hein’s Appearing Rooms will entertain your kids for as long as you need. We went (AGAIN) the other week and they could stayed there all day. I wrote about it here.

5: Dance with your children without sharing their playlist

Silent Disco for Kids & Families
Saturday 1 August, 15:00
Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No. 1 Street, SE18 6HD
Adults £24, under-18s £21 (or family ticket of 4: £80)
Age guidance: suitable for all

If you work in corporate, you may be familiar with the concept of a "shit sandwich" – also known as the "compliment sandwich", "feedback sandwich" and "praise sandwich". The highly debunked idea, which was first introduced by the multi-level marketing company Mary Kay, suggests that when you need to give negative feedback to an employee or colleague, you sandwich it between layers of praise:

According to fans of the shit sandwich, the person receiving the criticism will be less defensive, more likely to listen, and less inclined to flip your desk over.

Again, though: highly debunked. Nevertheless, I think Silent Disco for Kids & Families could do with its own shit sandwich – albeit for your benefit rather than theirs, and with doorstop bread plus just a very thin slice of shit. Here goes:

Yay! A silent disco is an excellent family invention. You can all dance together while listening to completely different music, which removes the usual arguments over whose turn it is to choose a song. Everyone controls their own volume, the giant headphones offer temporary protection from nagging, and the children are free to enjoy their music without any parental attempts to broaden their cultural horizons.

Boo! Some silent discos are free. Others are as-good-as-free. This one costs TWENTY-FOUR POUNDS for an adult and TWENTY-ONE POUNDS for a child. That's both extortionate and surprising: Woolwich Works events are normally very fairly priced.

Yay! There are three live DJs, each in charge of a different channel: Disney & Marvel, Kids' Classics, and Songs for Parents. Everyone's headphones light up to show which channel they're listening to, which means it also becomes a fun way to keep the DJs on their toes as they battle it out for the most listeners.

So there you have it: two very thick slices of "this sounds brilliant", separated by one very thin layer of "TWENTY-FOUR QUID?!" If the price doesn't put you off, I think you'll have an absolute blast.

Find out more: https://www.woolwich.works/events/silent-disco-for-families

While you’re there…

👍️The Royal Arsenal has been around since the late 1600s, as the place where armaments and ammunition were manufactured for the British Armed Forces. These days, however, it’s all green open spaces, creative places, and restaurants, cafes and bars.

Other listings

This section 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.

The Comedy About Spies
Until 26 September, 14:30 and/or 19:30
Adelphi Theatre, Strand, WC2R 0NS
£20–£145 (tickets for a family of 4 from £80)
Age guidance: 10+

Treasure Island
Until 16 August, Thursday–Sunday at 11:00 and 14:00; Saturdays at 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00
Arches Lane Theatre, Battersea Power Station, Arches Lane, SW11 8AB
£10.50–£24.50 per person
Age guidance: 6+ (younger children welcome)

Portrait of a City: A Century of American Photography
Until 4 October, Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–17:00
Dulwich Picture Gallery, College Road, SE21 7AD
Adults £14.50, under-18s free

BBC Proms: Mahler’s First by Heart
Sunday 2 August, 11:00
Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP
£19–£71 per person
Age guidance: 5+

The Power of Honey: Food, Finance and the Golden Age of Fraud
Until 28 August, 10:00–17:00
Bank of England Museum, Bartholomew Lane, EC2R 8AH
Free (no ticket required)

Georges Méliès A Trip to the Moon & other short films
Saturday and Sunday (plus Saturday 8 August), 11:00–17:00 (screening on a loop all day)
The Well Walk Theatre, 49 Willow Road, NW3 1TS
£10.60 per person
Age guidance: 5+

Cats (see my write-up here)
Until 19 September, 14:00 and/or 19:45
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, The Regent's Park, Inner Circle, NW1 4NU
£15–£97.50 per person
Age guidance: 5+

Summer in the Park 2026 (see my write-up here)
Until 30 August, various times depending on the activity
Brent Cross Town Pavilion, 145 Claremont Road, NW2 1FE
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all

The Gruffalo (see my write-up here)
Until 6 September, various start times (see website)
Lyric Theatre, 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7ES
£10–£29.50 per person
Age guidance: 3+

The Timewalk Exhibition – An Immersive Journey Through Civilisations (see my write-up here)
Until 30 September, various timeslots throughout each day
Immerse LDN, Excel Waterfront, ExCel, E16 1XL
Adults £31.50, 4–15s £25, under-4s free (no ticket needed)
Age guidance: suitable for all

Richard Dadd: Beyond Bedlam
Tuesday–Sunday until 25 October, 10:00–18:00 (until 21:00 on Fridays)
Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
Adults £15, under-16s free

Royal Docks Summer Splash
Daily until 16 August
Royal Victoria Dock (next to City Hall), Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE
FREE (no ticket required)

Miffy Afternoon Tea
Wednesday–Sunday until 31 August, 11:30, 13:30, 15:30 and 17:30
Cutter & Squidge, 20 Brewer Street, W1F 0SJ
Adults £45, children £25

Frida: The Making of an Icon (see my write-up here)
Until 3 January, 2027, 10:00–18:00 (until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays)
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
Adults £25, 12–18s £4.37, under-12s free

M.C. Escher: The Exhibition (see my write-up here)
Daily until 6 September, entry slots throughout the day
Embankment Galleries, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA
Adults £24.50, 4–12s £15.50, under-4s free (family tickets are also available)
Age guidance: suitable for all

Alice in Wonderland (see my write-up here)
Daily until 2 August, 12:00 and 15:00
Riverside Studios, 101 Queen Caroline Street, W6 9BN
£25–£49 per person
Age guidance: 5+

Frida: The Making of an Icon (see my write-up here)
Until 3 January, 2027, 10:00–18:00 (until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays)
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
Adults £25, 12–18s £4.37, under-12s free

There’s a Tiger in the Garden
Until 9 August, various start times (see website)
Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB
£15 per person
Age guidance: 3–7

Disney’s The Lion King Exhibition (see my write-up here)
Daily until 31 August, 10:00–18:00
London Zoo, Outer Circle, Regent's Park, NW1 4RY
Free with zoo admission (adults £34.50, 3–15s £24.10, under-3s free)

The Magic Garden
Daily until Saturday 10 October, 10:00–16:00
V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL
FREE
Age guidance: 5+

In Other Worlds: Liam Young (see my write-up here)
Tuesday–Sunday until Sunday 6 September, 10:00–17:45 (until 19:45 on Fridays and Saturdays)
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Adults £19, 5–15s £6, under-5s free

House of Dreamers (see my write-up here)
Daily until 30 September, timeslots throughout the day
Immerse LDN, Excel Waterfront, ExCel, E16 1XL
Adults £28.90, 3–12s £23.90, under-3s free
Age guidance: suitable for all

Everyman on the Canal (see my write-up here)
Daily until 16 August, films at 12:00, 14:30, 17:00 and 19:30
Regent's Canal Towpath, N1C 4PQ
FREE
Age guidance: depends on the movie!

Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica
Tuesday–Sunday until 6 September, 10:00–17:00 (until 19:00 on Thursdays and Fridays)
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Adults £19, under-16s free

Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience
Daily until 30 August, various timeslots throughout the day
Science Museum, Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD
Adults £22.90, 10–17s £20.35
Age guidance: must be 10+

Jeppe Hein: Appearing Rooms (see my write-up here)
Wednesday–Sunday until 31 August, 10:00–21:00
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
Free – just show up
Age guidance: suitable for all

Summer Exhibition 2026 (see my write-up here)
Tuesday–Sunday until 23 August, 10:00–18:00 (Fridays until 21:00)
Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
Adults £23, under-16s free

King’s Cross Pétanque (see my write-up here)
Until Wednesday 30 September, 09:00–21:00
Pancras Square, King's Cross, N1C 4AG
FREE – just turn up
Age guidance: suitable for all

1996: 30 years on (see my write-up here)
Mondays–Saturdays until 19 September, 09:30–various closing times depending on the day
Barbican Music Library, Barbican Library, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
FREE – no booking required
Age guidance: suitable for all

Arthur
Until 9 August, various start times (see website)
Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB
£10 per person
Age guidance: 6–12

Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait (see my write-up here)
Daily until 6 September, 10:30–18:00 (Friday and Saturday until 21:00)
National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, WC2H 0HE
Adults £27, under-26s £5, under-12s free

Serpentine Pavilion 2026 by LANZA atelier (see my write-up here)
Until 25 October 2026, check website for precise timings each day
Situated by Serpentine South, Kensington Gardens, W2 3XA
FREE

Beano Havoc at Hampton Court Palace
Wednesday–Sunday until 23 August, 10:00–17:30
Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, KT8 9AU
Free with palace admission (adults £32, children 5–15 £16, children 0–4 free)