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- 🐘 42 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (28–29 March)
🐘 42 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (28–29 March)
Jeff – Dads in London
March 25, 2026
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Hey DILFs!
I’ll admit that, on the face of it, temporary replacements are rarely a reassuring prospect. Substitute teachers, replacement buses, stand-in referees… they’re never exactly a hit with the audience, are they?
So when I heard that Stratford’s Discover Children’s Story Centre had closed until May and been replaced by a pop-up in Westfield, I wasn’t enthralled. In fact, I was planning to ignore the whole thing and not mention it to you at all.
But then I realised something that you’ve no doubt already clocked yourself: if you need to go to Westfield anyway for yet more trousers that haven’t been shredded at the knees, you can now combine it with something your children actually want to do. Much better.
And to be fair to the Story Centre people, they haven’t scrimped on making this experience as good (ok: nearly as good) as the original. There’s a free play space for stories, crafts and general imaginative pottering about, a LEGO wall, spoon-puppet making, a cosy reading corner and a small bookshop. They’re also running regular storytelling sessions in a dedicated space at the back, with tickets at the pleasingly reasonable end of the spectrum (£2–£4).
Entry to the space itself is free – which already gives it one clear advantage over the (not free) original. Here’s more information about the Story Centre Westfield Stratford pop-up – and if you ask me, it should become a permanent second branch…
And now, here are a few other things to do this weekend – should you need them.
Enjoy!
Jeff xx
Fairy Tales
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
It’s here! It’s finally here! The most eagerly anticipated event since Evie Pig’s birth has arrived at the British Library and… I’ll be honest with you: I thought it would be far more booked up than it is because it sounds brilliant.
Maybe everyone’s waiting until the last possible moment. Maybe the children of London have collectively decided that the first weekend of the Easter holidays should be devoted exclusively to chocolate. Hard to say. But just in case everyone else is planning a last-minute dash, you may want to book your tickets now while your preferred time slot still exists.
The exhibition itself is an interactive wander through the world of fairy tales – the deep dark forests, royal palaces and magical landscapes that have been terrifying and entertaining children for centuries. You can sit down at the Three Bears’ breakfast table, tell a genie your wish, smell the wicked witch’s potions and generally poke around the scenery of stories you know very well.
There are theatrical sets, costumes, puppets, illustrations and pop-up displays, along with plenty of hands-on bits designed for children who prefer their literature to involve a certain amount of climbing, smelling or pressing buttons.
And if you think you already know these tales, the exhibition also explores some of the stranger variations that have appeared over the years – including versions where the Three Little Wolves are the victims, witches turn out to be rather nice, and princesses decide they’re not actually that interested in attending the ball after all.
Along the way you’ll also see beautiful books and artwork from some of the UK’s best-known children’s writers and illustrators, showing how these stories have been retold and reinvented across generations.
Find out more: https://events.bl.uk/exhibitions/fairy-tales
While you’re there…
👍️ Do you remember that god-awful building on Euston Road, which was an extension to Camden Town Hall and looked like it had been designed by someone who had a vendetta against London? In 2019 it was transformed into The Standard Hotel and – while the original site was never fully demolished – it now looks mercifully better.
Anyway! In recognition of Camden Council Library, which was once housed in that shockingly horrendous extension, The Standard has a lounge bar called The Library Lounge. And they’ve really committed to the bit: there are actual books, on actual bookshelves, categorised by topic – exactly as you’d find in a real library.
But because it’s a bar and not just a library, there are also huge comfy sofas and beautiful tables and chairs so you can enjoy a hot drink, cold drink or snack. While noise levels are allowed to rise above “Ssshhh: we’re in a library”, this isn’t the sort of place to take anyone who thinks “inside voice” is more of a concept than a practice. But if they can be somewhat trusted, go for it: it’s a lovely place to hang out for an hour or so.
👉 Brief interruption in a horrible colour: if this newsletter has earned its keep, you can buy me a coffee. (Completely optional, of course.)
The Elephant Trail
Until 26 April
Battersea Power Station, Circus Road West, SW11 8DD
FREE
If you were designing a sculpture trail where people had to spot a particular type of animal around London, you might opt for something like Etruscan shrews or African pygmy mice – something that gives the activity a whiff of difficulty. Elephant statues, though? That’s basically easy mode with the cheat codes turned on.
Except I always forget that not every game needs to be competitive or fiendishly difficult, and they don’t all have to end with someone storming off in a huff. This one, for instance, simply involves wandering around Battersea Power Station looking at 21 brightly decorated elephant sculptures, which have appeared across the site as part of the Battersea Elephant Parade – a month-long outdoor art exhibition.
If you’d like to keep score, there’s also a mobile app that lets you tick off each elephant as you find it, unlocking little rewards and the occasional prize along the way. One of the elephants will even be painted live this weekend, when artist Sophie Tea decorates the White Elephant sculpture in front of visitors.
The trail is part of Elephant Parade, a travelling sculpture exhibition that places brightly decorated elephant statues in cities around the world. You’ve probably seen some of the other sculpture trails that pop up around London – the Easter egg one, the penguin one, and so on – and, like this one, they’re usually presented as ways of raising money for charity. In this case, Elephant Parade says the Battersea trail supports the wildlife charity Elephant Family, which works to protect endangered species and habitats across Asia.
Money comes in three main ways:
Companies sponsor individual sculptures.
The sculptures are auctioned after the display ends.
A whole range of elephant-themed merchandise (including smaller replica statues) is sold through its online shop and retail partners.
What’s less widely mentioned is that only 20% of Elephant Parade’s net profits are donated to conservation charities. That’s quite a different model from many of the other sculpture trails. The company Wild in Art, for example – which also runs trails where the sculptures are auctioned at the end – typically gives the auction proceeds directly to the partner charity (and that’s proceeds, not profit).
Still, 20% is better than nothing. And, in fairness, giant painted elephants probably do more for awareness than most people’s daily routines.
While you’re there…
👍️ Meet a pharaoh who absolutely nailed the afterlife branding. Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold: The Exhibition brings together 180 objects from his empire, all travelling from the Grand Egyptian Museum. These are the real things: coffins, statues, jewellery and burial goods created more than 3,000 years ago to make sure a king stayed powerful in both this life and the next.
The exhibition is in a dedicated exhibition venue called NEON, which is just outside the east entrance of Battersea Power Station. I wrote a review of the exhibition here.
👍️ You’re near Battersea Park, home to a sub-tropical garden, a herb garden, a children’s zoo, a boating lake and some of the best views in London.
3: Follow a trail of chocolate eggs and don’t overthink the rabbit
My three-year-old has been learning about Easter at nursery. And I’m not sure whether the teachers got their facts wrong, or my son misunderstood what they were saying, or that I’m terribly uninformed about the Easter story myself – but apparently the whole thing revolves around a bunny rabbit named Jesus who walks around pooing out chocolate eggs.
These eggs must then be discovered by the general public – including, I’m told, “grown-ups and teenagers”.
At first I assumed this was simply a misunderstanding. But the more I look at what’s happening around London this weekend, the more it seems my son may actually have grasped the core details better than I have. There are, after all, a remarkable number of opportunities to wander around looking for chocolate eggs.
And technically, as far as I’m aware, Easter itself isn’t until next weekend. Yet all these establishments are already scattering chocolate eggs around London this weekend – which just so happens to be when the school holidays start. So on reflection, I’m increasingly inclined to think my son may simply have a better sense of how Easter works.
Here are some of the Easter egg hunts and trails taking place this weekend:
London Zoo's Zoonormous Egg Hunt!
28 March–12 April, 10:00–18:00
London Zoo, Outer Circle, Regent's Park, NW1 4RY
Free with admission (adults £33.60, 3–15s £23.50, under-3s free)
Fulham Palace Easter egg trail
22 March–12 April, 10:30–15:30
Fulham Palace, Bishop’s Avenue, SW6 6EA
£3.50 (buy from the museum shop)
Easter egg hunt at Ham House and Garden
28 March–6 April, 10:00–17:00
Ham House and Garden, Ham Street, Surrey, TW10 7RS
£3.50 per child (plus admission ticket: adults £18, 5–17s £9, under-5s free)
Easter Quest at Eltham Palace and Gardens
28 March–19 April, 10:00–17:00
Eltham Palace and Gardens, Court Yard, Greenwich, SE9 5NP
£2 per child (plus admission ticket: adults £15, 5–17s £9, under-5s free); pay for the quest when you arrive at the venue
Easter Eggsplorers 2026 at Hobbledown Heath
28 March–12 April, from 10:00 (closes at 18:00 most weekends)
Hobbledown Heath, Staines Road, Hounslow, TW14 0HH
Free with admission (adults approx £22.50, 1–2s approx £11.50, under-1s free)
Easter Lindt GOLD BUNNY Hunt
21 March–12 April (opens at 10:00 and closes at different times depending on the date – see website)
Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, KT8 9AU
Free with palace admission (adults £32, children 5–15 £16, children 0–4 free)
Eggstravaganza: Easter Family Festival at Dulwich Picture Gallery
Sunday 29 March, 09:00–16:00
Dulwich Picture Gallery, College Road, SE21 7AD
FREE – but must be booked online in advance
Astronomers Take Over
New permanent interactive experience, 10:00–17:00 daily
National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, SE10 9NF
Experience + planetarium £16 per person, experience only £8 per person
Age guidance: 4+
You know what’s so great about going to places like the National Maritime Museum as a child these days? Being able to take an “awe-inspiring stroll through our galaxy box”, because it’s “perfect for that Instagram moment”.
I roll my eyes while shuddering. I wonder what the world has come to when an institution that commemorates Britain’s long history of navigation, exploration and scientific discovery – the sort of place that tells stories about people like Captain Cook, John Harrison and Edmond Halley – feels the need to reassure us that the experience will photograph well.
Still. If this is what it takes to get the next generation interested in astronomy, then so be it.
Because the museum’s new installation, Astronomers Take Over, is actually a rather lovely idea: a family-friendly space-themed takeover created with the Royal Observatory’s astronomy team.
Children can try landing a Mars rover, experiment with a spectroscope to split starlight, and step inside that aforementioned galaxy box to see how technology has changed the way we observe the universe. Along the way they’ll also hear from astronomers about their work, learn how the Earth and Moon move through space, and take part in a cosmic scavenger hunt involving some of the stranger objects astronauts have taken into orbit.
I, meanwhile, will still be quietly pretending the Instagram sentence never happened.
👉 Brief interruption in a horrible colour: if this newsletter has earned its keep, you can buy me a coffee. (Completely optional, of course.)
Cleopatra: The Experience
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
Another day, another excuse to charge the big bucks by shoving some VR glasses in a warehouse, making a painting wobble about on the wall, and calling it an “immersive experience”.
I’m being unfair. While it’s true that some exhibitions have effectively loopholed their way into declaring themselves “immersive”, this isn’t one of them. For starters, there’s actually a point to the technological cleverness. The technology here earns its keep – unlike, say, Van Gogh Exhibition: The Immersive Experience, which was essentially a bunch of low-res projections onto four walls.
(For the record, I did enjoy the Van Gogh exhibition before it closed. But yes – “immersive” might be stretching it.)
Here, you’re dropped straight into Cleopatra’s world – the final decades of ancient Egypt before the Romans took over. It’s a sprawling setting, with dynasties rising and collapsing, battles across the Mediterranean, and even parts of Alexandria now lying under the sea. Projection, holograms and VR put you in those moments rather than explain them on a wall panel.
The 90-minute experience starts with a hologram retelling the rise and fall of the Ptolemaic dynasty (Alexander the Great shows up early, having started the whole dynasty in the first place). After that, you move into a space where AR goggles let you walk through scenes from Cleopatra’s world – Alexandria’s catacombs, Mark Antony’s war tent during the Battle of Actium, and Cleopatra’s balcony overlooking the famous lighthouse.
Along the way are actual archaeological artefacts – terracotta figures, bronze gods, cosmetics containers, fragments of papyri – which ground all the digital wizardry in the real world.
There’s also a recreation of Cleopatra’s private chambers where interactive mirrors explain the symbolism behind her famously elaborate makeup and hairstyles, plus a vast 360-degree projection hall where Cleopatra’s story plays out across eight-metre-high walls – from royal coronation to Roman alliances to the final defeat that ended the dynasty.
… Which is all a long way of saying: if you’re going to call something an immersive experience, this is roughly how it should be done.
Find out more: https://fever.pxf.io/7X5733
While you’re there…
👍️ If you happen to be attending the Dulwich Picture Gallery Eggstravaganza, you could, if you feel like it, check out the gallery’s latest exhibition featuring the works of Konrad Mägi. He was a “pioneer of Estonian modernism” – and if you say you’ve already had enough Estonian modernism to last a lifetime, you’re lying. You can see some of his art on the booking page here.
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.
UNIQLO Tate Play – Linda Bell: Loop. Swing. Shake. Remake
Daily until 12 April, 10:30–18:00
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all
Seurat and the Sea
Daily until 17 May, 10:00–18:00
Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 0RN
Adults £18, under-19s free
Cinema Chill: Peace at Last
Saturday 28 March, 15:15
Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, 43 White Horse Road, E1 0ND
£5 per person
Age guidance: 3–5
The Enchanted Cinema feat. My Neighbour Totoro, The Adventures of Prince Achmed and The Illusionist
Saturday 28 March, 11:30 and 13:30
The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, TW9 4DU
£8 per person, under-3s free
Age guidance: 4–12
Cecily Brown: Picture Making
Tuesday–Sunday until 6 September, 10:00–18:00
Serpentine South, Kensington Gardens, W2 3XA
FREE (booking recommended)
Disney On Ice: Into the Magic
Daily until Sunday 28 March, various start times each day
OVO Arena Wembley, Arena Square, Engineers Way, Wembley Park, HA9 0AA
£25–£138 per person
Age guidance: 2+
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
Daily until 8 November, 10:00–17:45 (Fridays until 22:00)
V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL
Adults £25, 12–17s £17, under-12s free
Family Film Club: Scarecrows’ Wedding + The Highway Rat
Saturday 28 March, 11:00
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Adults £5, under-18s £2.50
Age guidance: 3+
Hurvin Anderson
Daily until 23 August, 10:00–18:00
Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG
Adults £18, 12–18s £5, under-12s free
Twelfth Night Family Workshop
Saturday 28 March, 12:30, and various other dates until 28 May
Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT
£10 per person
Age guidance: 5–8
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
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse (see my write-up here)
Various dates and times until 26 April)
Puppet Theatre Barge, Blomfield Road (opposite 35), W9 2PF
Adults £15, 2–16s £12, under-2s free
Age guidance: 3–7
Museum of Edible Earth
Daily until 26 April (Sunday–Wednesday 10:00–18:00, Thursday and Friday 12:00–20:00, and Saturday 10:00–20:00)
Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
Pay what you can
Age guidance: suitable for all, but guided earth-tasting sessions (arguably the most “fun” part for kids?) is 16+ only
Your Toys
Until 12 April, 10:30 and 13:30
£16.50 per person (£15.50 on weekdays)
Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ
Age guidance: 5–9
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
Seven Wonders of the World: An Immersive Exhibition (see my write-up here)
Thursday–Monday until 12 April, various timeslots
106 Commercial Street, London, E1 6LZ
Adults £20.90, 13–17s £17.90, 4–12s £15.90, under-4s free (family bundles are also available)
Age guidance: suitable for all
Ghosts & Ghouls Family Tour
Various dates and timeslots until 31 October
Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT
Adults £28, under-16s £21
Age guidance: suitable for all
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
£11 per person (under-4s free)
Samurai (see my write-up here)
Daily until 4 May, 10:00–17:00
British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG
Adults £25, under-16s 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+
Rose Wylie: The Picture Comes First
Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–18:00 (until 21:00 on Fridays) until 19 April
Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
Adults £23, under-16s free
Samuel Laurence Cunnane: Blue Road
Tuesday–Sunday until 3 May, 10:00–18:00 (until 20:00 on Saturdays)
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
FREE – no ticket required
Uniqlo Tate Play: Make Studio: Memory
Wednesdays 10:30–15:00 and weekdays 10:30–18:00 until 22 July
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all ages (under-5s only on Wednesdays)
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
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)
Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures
Daily until 1 November, 10:30–17:30
Horniman Museum & Gardens, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
Adults £9.80, children £7, 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
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: 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 £16, 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
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
£7.50 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)
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
Octonauts Above & Beyond
Daily until 12 April, 10:00–16:00
Kew Gardens, Kew, TW9 3AE
Free with admission (adults £24, 4–15s £7, under-4s free)
Age guidance: 3–6