💥 47 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (8–9 August)

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Hey DILFs!

How long does a child’s obsession with Frozen generally last? My firstborn never cared for it, but my second has been into it for about a year, and – while I was into it too for a while – I'm getting to the stage where I wince if anyone so much as mentions winter, lest he break out into song again.

Anyway. Somewhere along the line, my friends and I seem to have developed a mild case of Frozen Stockholm syndrome because, rather than chatting about football or work the other day, we found ourselves debating which Frozen song is objectively the best.

Which got me wondering where everyone else stands. The stakes could scarcely be lower, but cast your vote below and I'll reveal the winner next week.

I’ll share the results next week!

And now for some things you can do this weekend that definitely don’t involve any princesses with cryokinetic powers, anthropomorphic snowmen or loveable reindeer.

Enjoy!

Jeff xx

1: Watch scientists answer sensible questions with fire, explosions and spinning chairs

Brainiac Live
Until 30 August, 11:30 and/or 14:30
Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0HH
£19.50–£36 per person
Age guidance: 5+

I’m in the annoying generation of Brits who managed to miss Brainiac (the TV show) completely. It came out in 2003 and finished in 2008 – a period when I was busy muddling through my "post-university, minimum-wage job" years while my firstborn was still between the ages of minus 13 and minus 10.

In fact, I missed it so thoroughly that I'd never even heard of it until last month, when I got tickets for Brainiac Live – which takes the TV show's formula of rapid-fire science sketches, demonstrations and explosions and brings it to the stage. The TV sketches all aimed to answer fun scientific questions – like whether you can walk on custard, boil an egg using 100 mobile phones or learn while you sleep – and the live show follows the same idea, but with experiments that work better in front of a theatre audience. Which, of course, means lots of explosions, plenty of fire, and people in the front row wishing they'd been asked to sign a waiver.

I would have happily attended alone, but this newsletter occasionally benefits from consulting the target audience, so I brought a couple of children (my own) along. And we all loved it.

For starters, the production was unbelievably slick. While the team cleared the stage after each experiment, there was a big screen that kept the audience busy with mini-experiments they could do from their seats. And the live experiments themselves were thrilling, answering questions like "How fast can you make a chair spin?" and "Which gas makes balloons bang the loudest?" in the most bonkers and hilarious ways possible.

My only minor gripe was that the scientific explanations often flew by a bit too quickly. I'm pretty sure much of it sailed straight over the kids' heads; or at least I hope so, because I could barely keep up myself.

So if you're hoping this will reverse a bit of the "summer slide" – when school knowledge slowly evaporates over the holidays – I'd probably lower your expectations. It is, however, a ridiculously fun way to spend an afternoon.

Find out more: https://nimaxtheatres.com/shows/brainiac-live-2026/

While you’re there…

👍️ Cecil Court is a 17th-century lane chockablock with shops selling secondhand books, rare art finds and antiques.

👍️ Fair Shot is a beautiful social enterprise cafe in Covent Garden that trains young adults with learning disabilities and autism for a year-long internship — teaching everything from customer service to hospitality skills — before helping them land proper paid jobs. We’ve been before and it’s a lovely place that has a great atmosphere and isn’t scary-busy like everywhere else in the area. Must admit our orders weren’t entirely correct, but they’d have happily fixed them if we’d asked!

2: Discover how much theatrical magic can fit inside one square of paper

Club Origami
Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 and 14:00 (also this Friday at 14:00 and 16:30)
Little Angel Studios, Sebbon Street, N1 2EH
Adults £15.50, under-18s £13.50
Age guidance: 2–5

I’ve never bought my kids one of those origami “how to” kits, because I know how it would go: they’d ask for my help, I’d then spend several hours trying and failing to create a butterfly out of a square of paper, and I’d end up in the sort of mood where “Daddy needs to be by himself for a while.”

So I’m admittedly relieved we can’t make it to Club Origami this weekend, because it’d basically be a 45-minute advert for an activity I’m trying hard not to introduce into our household. Our collective loss, because it looks like one of the most inventive children’s plays on at the moment, and I’m pretty sure we’d all love it.

You, on the other hand, aren’t the type to get all flustered and storm-outy and “Screens were invented for a reason, you know,” about a centuries-old craft that's inspired artists, engineers and mathematicians alike – so you’ll be able to watch Club Origami without the faintest sense of existential dread.

Club Origami is about seeing ordinary paper the way children do. Over the course of 45 minutes, two performers transform it into birds, monsters, costumes and all manner of other creations, accompanied throughout by live music. The performers build on each other's ideas until the stage is overflowing with increasingly elaborate paper sculptures.

Throughout the show, there’s very little dialogue: the whole thing is driven by music, visual comedy, and many opportunities for paper cuts (none of which ever seem to materialise), and at the end, the audience gets to stop watching and start playing too. It all sounds absolutely lovely – the type of show I wish I could trust myself to attend.

By the way, if you want to be even more in awe of origami, the same folding principles that have delighted artists and young children alike have also helped engineers create foldable satellites, airbags and medical devices. Which makes me feel even worse about throwing my hands up after one bloomin’ butterfly.

Find out more: https://www.littleangeltheatre.com/whats-on/club-origami/

3: Watch a T. Rex arrive in Wembley, and try not to look frightened

Dinosaur World Live
Until 6 September, 11:00 and/or 14:00
Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, 3 Fulton Road, Wembley, HA9 0SP
£10–£27 per person
Age guidance: 3+ (but see warning below)

Dinosaur World Live premiered in London in 2018 and is now on its fifth UK tour, so, whatever the critics say, it must be popular with parents and/or kids. As it happens, the critics are pretty darn positive for what's essentially an elaborate show-and-tell.

That’s a bit mean of me, I'll admit. What I mean is that Dinosaur World Live isn't your average narrative-driven production. There's no witch desperately trying to squeeze a Stegosaurus onto the broom. No Little Red Riding Hood wondering why Grandma has suddenly become a Microraptor. No Sophie discovering that the tiger who came to tea has brought a Triceratops with him.

Instead, there's just enough of a backstory to explain why we're about to meet a lot of dinosaurs. The show's host, Miranda, explains how her palaeontologist parents discovered an island full of living dinosaurs and, in a move that surely required a mountain of paperwork, now tour them around the UK. The opening chat goes on a touch too long for some reviewers, but the dinosaurs start arriving soon enough.

Calling the dinosaurs "puppets" does them a massive disservice. When I hear "puppet", I think Sooty. When I see these puppets, I think "HOW IS THERE A TYRANNOSAURUS REX IN WEMBLEY?" The dinosaurs are astonishingly realistic, with rippling skin, blinking eyes, and weighty and deliberate movements. The T. Rex in particular is lifelike to the point of feeling intimidating – especially when it lets out a deep, thunderous roar that might be a bit much for younger kids to handle.

Every dinosaur gets its own introduction and lots of fun facts – and a child from the audience is often invited on stage to feed, groom or pet it. Meanwhile, a gigantic dinosaur egg wobbles ominously in the background throughout the show. It eventually hatches, so Chekhov can rest easy.

At the end, there's a chance for everyone else to meet a couple of the dinosaurs. Reviews suggest this part is a tad hectic, though, so if your child is desperate to swap pleasantries with a Velociraptor, do everything you can to get them on stage during the show itself.

I know I've dwelt on a couple of criticisms, but the overwhelming consensus is that it's a brilliant show. Parents praise the educational angle, and pretty much everyone loses their mind over the dinosaurs.

Find out more: https://dinosaurworldlive.com

While you’re there…

👍️ Wembley is no longer somewhere you reluctantly visit for a football match or concert, and then get the hell out of as quickly as possible. For starters, it’s home to the tremendous trifecta of family-friendly entertainment: Mundo Pixar Experience (full review here), Bubble Planet and this very dinosaur show.

But it’s also home to many activities that won’t break the bank quite so spectacularly. For example, there’s a ton of events for Summer Rocks 2026 – a free season of music, art, food, sport and family fun. (Visit the website for more information about everything that’s on this weekend.) Plus there’s Wembley Park Summer Market this Sunday, which has “hand-crafted goods, one-of-a-kind apparel, distinctive jewellery and lifestyle pieces you won’t find on the high street”. There’s also lots of food and drink options, plus live performers throughout the day.

4: Settle the original-versus-remake debate

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 (and also Wednesday 12 August at 11:00)
The Garden Cinema, 39-41 Parker Street, WC2B 5PQ
Pay what you can
Age guidance: 5+ (rated U)

Whenever I’ve finished watching a film, I’ll head straight to Wikipedia for a scene-by-scene summary because it’s inevitable I won’t have understood any of it. Then I’ll move on to the film’s “Trivia” section on IMDb.com – which is usually a goldmine of fun behind-the-scenes facts.

Aaaand occasionally some not-so-fun or goldminey facts…

I’ve never seen the original 1961 One Hundred and One Dalmatians (which was based on a near-identically named book called The Hundred and One Dalmatians), but I have seen the 1996 live-action remake (101 Dalmatians) – so I don’t think I’ll need to Wiki the plot this time. We’ll see how that confidence holds up this weekend.

But the Trivia? Yes please! Here are a few of my favourites:

• The guy who provided many of the dog barks for the film was Clarence Nash, who also happened to be the famous voice of Donald Duck.

• Disney could only afford to animate all those thousands of spots because Xerox's photocopying technology slashed the amount of tracing artists had to do by hand, almost halving the cost of making the film. (#notanad. Other photocopiers are available.)

• The character of Roger (Pongo's owner) is played by two different actors: Ben Wright for his speaking voice, and Bill Lee for his singing. Four years later, both had The Sound of Music connections: Wright appeared on screen as the Nazi official Herr Zeller, while Lee dubbed Captain von Trapp's singing. In other words, you've spent the last 60 years thinking you were listening to Christopher Plummer's voice break during Edelweiss... and you weren't.

Anyway. The film itself. Like me, you've probably seen the 1996 version, but when was a remake ever better than the original? Setting aside Scarface and (arguably) Ocean’s Eleven, when? The answer is never – which is why the original is the one to see. (Incidentally, I was delighted to discover that Ocean's did exactly the opposite with its title: Ocean's 11 became Ocean's Eleven in the remake, while One Hundred and One Dalmatians became 101 Dalmatians. I suspect this is exactly the sort of observation I'm supposed to keep to myself.)

If reviews mean anything to you, the original Dalmatians film has a Tomatometer score of NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT (compared to just THIRTY-NINE PERCENT for the remake). But you know you'll never convince your kids to watch it at home one day: faced with the choice, they'll pick the glossy live-action remake every time. This one looks older, moves at a gentler pace and, thanks to Xerox's cost-cutting wizardry, has a much sketchier style than the polished Disney films they're used to.

But put it on the big screen – especially in the fantastically art deco surroundings of The Garden Cinema, where even the snacks are sophisticated – and it's an event rather than "that old boring cartoon we have to watch because people say old stuff is always better or something bla bla bla". They'll stop thinking about how old the film is and start thinking about how good it is.

Find out more: https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/film/101-dalmatians-1961/

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

5: Explore another brilliant Tate Play activity described with heroic vagueness

Uniqlo Tate Play: Lina Lapelytė, Serendipity Island
Daily until 31 August, 10:30–18:00
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all

Uniqlo has been partnering with Tate Modern since 2021 to create year-round family activities – and if anyone tells you that brand partnerships don't work, point them in my direction. Approximately 74% of my wardrobe is Uniqlo, and every time I see their logo, my heart skips a beat and I feel an overwhelming sense of love and affection.

That’s because, since 2021, Uniqlo Tate Play has given my kids and me something fun, creative, safe and free to do whenever it’s too hot, cold or rainy outside. (In fact, back in 2022 – when my youngest was four days old and we were in the midst of a 40-degree heatwave – our family stayed and played in the Uniqlo Tate Play space for hours.)

There are only two problems with Tate Play activities:

1: There’s a cap on the number of people allowed into the activity space, which means that sometimes (especially when the weather outside is too hot, cold or rainy), the queues can be wild. Try to get there as early as possible in the day, or aim for around lunchtime – when everyone else is swearing about the prices at Corner Cafe.

2: The people who write Tate Modern's exhibition summaries seem to have been put in charge of Tate Play too, which means they somehow use many, many words without ever quite telling you what to expect when you get there. It doesn't really matter because all Tate Plays are great, but I do wish they'd tell us what we're going to be doing before they tell us what it all means.

The description of the latest Tate Play activity is actually one of the more concrete ones. It involves a "maze-like installation" where you move through a grid of wooden barriers and somehow "create the work as you become part of it". I don't have much of an idea what that second bit means, but that's OK. The first part gives me enough to go on.

There are also sounds to listen out for that prompt everyone to move, make noises and add to a shared piece of music. (That's my translation, not Tate's.)

There’s a video on the museum’s social media pages, which might help to explain it a bit more. The comments below the video aren’t exactly enthusistic, but I’m still optimistic: Tate Play has an unbeaten record of putting on fantastic activities, and I can’t imagine that ending anytime soon.

Find out more: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/uniqlo-tate-play/lina-lapelyte-serendipity-island

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.

Alice in Wonderland (see my write-up here)
Daily until 16 August, various times (see website)
Soho Theatre Walthamstow, 186 Hoe Street, E17 4QH
£19.50–£42 per person
Age guidance: 5+

Bearpit Karaoke August 2026 (see my write-up here)
Saturday 8 August, 16:00–20:00
Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, SE11 5HL
FREE – booking required
Age guidance: suitable for all

BBC Proms: Relaxed Prom
Sunday 9 August, 11:00
Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP
£13.24–£31.60 per person
Age guidance: suitable for all

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+

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

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 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

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 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

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

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)