🛎️ 48 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (15–16 August)

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Hey DILFs!

In case you’re interested, the next tranche of tickets for Costa del Croydon has just been released (for 17–23 August), so you’ll need to grab them now before they go. Tickets are VERY popular for good reason – and not just because they’re completely free!

At Costa del Croydon you get more than just an excellent name. In addition to the splash zones and baby splash area, the giant sandpit, giant chess and family games, the street food, the fairground rides, the chill-out areas and shaded seating, you ALSO get a new line-up of workshops each week. Next week there’s yoga (5+) and slime making (4+) on Monday, comic drawing with Waterstones (6+) and nail art (5+) on Wednesday, pottery painting and more slime making (4+) on Thursday, face painting (4+) and a music workshop (5–11) on Friday, bingo on the beach (all ages) on Saturday, and tunes for tots on Sunday.

Get your tickets here ASAP!

And now for what’s going on this weekend…

Enjoy!

Jeff xx

PS Last week I asked for your favourite Frozen song. It’s no surprise which track was most popular (predictable lot, you are), but some of the others might not be quite what you'd expect…

• Let It Go: 36%

• Love Is an Open Door: 22%

• Do You Want to Build a Snowman?: 18%

• For the First Time in Forever: 8%

• Fixer Upper: 8%

• Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People: 4%

• In Summer: 4%

1: Discover why ZOG works even better with live music and dragon puppets

ZOG – Live on Stage
Daily until 23 August, 10:30 and/or 13:00 and/or 15:30
Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, SW1X 9DQ
£19.50–£29.50 per person
Age guidance: 3+

I’ll be honest. My eldest son was going to see ZOG with his babysitter while I worked, and they were planning to tell me every single detail so that I could pass their thoughts on to you. But my son had "a bit of a morning" and they arrived too late to be allowed in, so instead they got ice cream and wandered around all the massive houses in Belgravia, counting Range Rovers and labradors. I’m glad he had a lovely time in the end, but it didn’t half scupper my plans for an easy write-up.

Instead, I’m relying on the reviews of people who actually made it inside the venue – either this exact production or the same one elsewhere earlier in the year. And here’s what I now know: my poor kid really missed out.

First, the story. It’s based on one of the Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler books that isn’t The Gruffalo for a change, and… it’s a bloody weird story, I’ll tell you that. I mean, it has some excellent moral lessons, but see what you think of this:

Zog is a young dragon who’s desperate to win a gold star from his teacher, Madam Dragon, at Dragon School. Every year there’s a new skill to learn, and every year Zog’s attempts go a bit skewiff – always ending with a mysterious girl coming to his rescue with bandages and reassurance. When it comes to the "capture a princess" lesson, she helpfully offers herself up so that Zog can finally win that elusive gold star.

It turns out this girl is Princess Pearl. But when a knight called Sir Gadabout turns up out of the blue to rescue her, she reveals that she doesn't want to prance around a palace in a frilly dress anymore; she wants to be a doctor. The knight's like, "What a coincidence! Me too! Will you train me?" Princess Pearl, who you'd hope would be at least a little suspicious, is instead just all, "How wonderful! I'd love to!" Then Zog offers his services as their flying ambulance. Nobody asks any follow-up questions. Nobody has an internal monologue about ulterior motives. The end.

I’ll leave you to figure out the author's actual intended messages while I move onto the stage adaptation. By all accounts: fantastic. I don’t even think it matters if you’re not a fan of the original book (and most people are anyway; it’s just me who’s a bit meh on it): the stage show is so joyful, energetic and inventive that it stands on its own.

There's lots of live music with catchy songs (performed by the cast themselves), as the actors seamlessly switch between playing the characters and bringing beautifully crafted dragon puppets to life. Throw in five of the most stamina-laden performers I've ever come across – and that's just from short clips online – and the whole production sounds like it's been put together with a huge amount of love.

Apparently the stage show also fixes my biggest gripe with the book. Sir Gadabout is given so much more personality that his decision to sack off knighthood and become a doctor suddenly feels just about plausible.

Sadly, my son can't tell you whether all of this is true. But judging by everything I've read (and watched), I think we missed one of the very best children's theatre shows around. Next time it's in town, we very much intend to get there on time.

Find out more: https://cadoganhall.com/whats-on/zog-2026/

While you’re there…

👍️ The Star Tavern in Belgravia is a quiet-looking pub that once served as HQ for the Great Train Robbery, the Profumo affair, and various other shenanigans.

In the 50s and 60s it was run by Paddy Kennedy – a landlord known for swearing at patrons, hurling out the unwelcome, and somehow attracting people like Princess Margaret, Bing Crosby and Lucian Freud... as well as professional safe-blowers.

Upstairs, in what’s now the not-so-secret bar, a gang of thieves plotted how to hijack a Royal Mail train and make off with £2.6 million – still one of the biggest heists in British history.

The carpets are cleaner now and the Maharaja of Baroda is no longer buying rounds, but it’s still worth a visit.

2: Enjoy dodgems, fairground rides and river views without leaving Zone 1

Electric Summer
Daily until 31 August, 10:00–22:00
The Coaling Jetty, Battersea Power Station Pier, SW8 4NR
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all

I’m a real sucker for those beachfront amusement areas with their rides, arcades and candy floss: they feel like proper summer, and bring back fond(ish) memories of when I was brave enough to do the Coney Island Cyclone. (Brave… or stupid?)

The only reason I’m not dragging my kids to a different one each weekend is because I can’t stand everything else that comes with them. I hate beaches. I hate windswept promenades. I hate having nowhere to wander except more beach. Basically, if parking nearby costs less than £10 an hour, it's too far from proper civilisation for me.

So I’m beside myself about Electric Summer, which is being held at the Coaling Jetty by Battersea Power Station. There’s no sea and the sand is fake, which makes it even better in my eyes. There’s a Ferris wheel, dodgems, roller rink, pétanque, chair swing ride, and classic fairground games like Goblet Toss and Lobster Pot (aka Bucket Ball aka Tub Toss). Click those links for tips on how to win, and please do send me photos of the giant teddy bear or light-up yo-yo you end up bagging.

Plus, of course, there are endless food options and cocktails for the grown-ups.

Best of all, you still get the water views and summery atmosphere of a beachfront amusement area, but without leaving Zone 1.

Find out more: https://electricsummer.com

3: Fill Saturday with Carnival crafts, colourful yarn and African drumming

All events are suitable for all ages and held at Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS

Carnival Make Space
Saturday 15 August, timeslots at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
FREE (but booking required)

Finger Knit Workshop
Saturday 15 August, timeslots at 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00
FREE (but booking required)

Carnival Rhyme Time
Saturday 15 August, 10:30
FREE (but booking required)

If you’re a Dads in London Club Member, you’ll no doubt have already booked tickets for the ridiculously in-demand dance workshops and Dance Around the World Carnival performance at Barbican this Sunday. If you’re not a DIL Clubber, I’m afraid they’re all booked up. But you can still participate in a bunch of pre-Carnival activities on the Saturday – which sounds like a poor fallback, but what can I say? You should become a DILF Club Member so you don’t miss out in future. (Just £3 a month!)

Also, Saturday’s activities are superb in their own right. You know how sometimes the support act is better than the band you actually paid to see? Well, this isn’t quite that, but it’s getting close.

In Carnival Make Space, you’ll craft not one, not two, not four but THREE different Carnival-inspired items. You’ll start by creating masks inspired by Caribbean masquerade traditions; then you’ll design and assemble your own Carnival-inspired crowns and headdresses; and finally you’ll fashion some Carnival accessories and showpieces.

You’ll do all this with hands-on help from a collective of Caribbean creative practitioners called Tropical Isles, who specialise in Carnival arts. They’re all about celebrating creativity, cultural heritage and self-expression, so they’re exactly the people you want leading this thing.

You can also join a Finger Knit Workshop, where you’ll explore various yarn textures, colours and fibres inspired by Black women’s hair, and then create your own knitted pieces to be added to a larger installation.

If that weren’t enough to keep you from feeling left out, there’s a Carnival-inspired Rhyme Time in the library. There’ll be singing, movement and stories, all accompanied by the African drummer Seneke Sillah.

But seriously: subscribe to The DILF Club to make sure you don’t miss out on anything in future.

Find out more:

• Carnival Make Space: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/carnival-make-space-the-art-of-mas-tropical-isles-carnival

• Finger Knit Workshop: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/carnival-make-space-braided-traditions-common-threads

• Carnival Rhyme Time: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/rhyme-time-with-barbican-library-party-time

While you’re there…

👍️ There are three other fantastic exhibitions to check out – two of which I’ve been to, and one I haven’t. There’s 1996: 30 Years On at Barbican Music Library, which I wrote about here (event #5 on the list). There’s also In Other Worlds: Liam Young, which I wrote about here (event #1 on the list). And finally there’s Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica, which I haven’t yet visited or written about (but hope to see soon!).

4: See a grand hotel adventure performed in Covent Garden’s loveliest hidden theatre

Kaspar: Prince of Cats
Saturday 15 August, 16:30 and Sunday 16 August, 14:30 (plus other dates and times until 29 August)
St Paul’s Church (aka The Actors’ Church), Bedford Street, WC2E 9ED
Adults £20, under-16s £18 (including booking fees) BUUUUUT I’ve just spotted much cheaper tickets via Groupon. Remember to use the code TOGETHER for even more money off. You love me, I know.)
Age guidance: 3+

Is it awful to admit that I’ve never read anything by Michael Morpurgo? And nor have my children?

Until ten minutes ago, I couldn’t even tell you the names of any of his books, but I did some research for this write-up and I think I've packed more into the past 600 seconds than most productivity influencers manage in a week. (Ali Abdaal: come and get me.) I have:

• Ordered Kaspar: Prince of Cats for my son after falling in love with the storyline.

• Read Michael Morpurgo's entire Wikipedia entry.

• Learned that he'd named all three of his children after Shakespeare characters (Sebastian, Rosalind and Horatio).

• Realised he's the guy who wrote War Horse (which I'd definitely heard of but still haven't read or watched).

In case you hadn't come across Kaspar: Prince of Cats either, firstly: fist bump for solidarity. Secondly: the gist is as follows…

It’s about an orphaned bellboy at The Savoy who ends up looking after the spectacularly spoiled cat of a Russian countess. Before long he, the cat and a spirited American girl are sailing across the Atlantic aboard the Titanic – which feels like quite the left turn. It’s the "cosy hotel story" equivalent of The Vicar of Dibley suddenly becoming Jaws.

I LOVE that it’s set in London at The Savoy – and it means that after we’ve read the book and seen the show, we can visit the hotel for Afternoon Tea (HOW much?) a bowl of cornflakes (what the hell is that price for a bowl of cornflakes???) a side portion of chips. I also love that it seems to have that old-fashioned, comforting feel that you don't always find in children's books these days, while sneaking in a bit of history without sounding remotely educational. And refreshingly, the wealthy characters seem to be decent people rather than the obligatory villains.

As for the stage adaptation, I'm afraid I don't have much to go on because this appears to be a brand-new production with virtually no reviews. What I can tell you is that the company behind it has an excellent track record, and the venue (the Actors' Church) couldn't be more perfect.

Officially called St Paul's Church, the Actors' Church in Covent Garden has been putting on open-air theatre for years. It's tucked away in a beautiful walled garden just off the Piazza, where the street magicians and musicians (much as I love them) can't interfere. On a warm summer afternoon, there's no better place to watch a family show.

Find out more: https://actorschurch.org/whatson/kaspar-prince-of-cats/

While you’re there…

👍️ Want a double dose of alfresco acting? Hang around until the early evening for Around the World in 80 Days, suitable for ages 10+. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any Groupon deals for this one – sorry!

5: Introduce your children to Miffy over tea and cake

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

There’s a chance you’ve heard of Miffy – the little white fictional rabbit who appears in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. She’s a huge deal in the Netherlands – on par with Paddington here – and there’s even a Miffy Museum in Bruna’s hometown of Utrecht. (We’ve visited. It’s amazing. Utrecht is wonderful too, so you should definitely make the trip one day.)

The Miffy books are, I’d argue, unlike any other children’s books we have available to us in the UK. They’re incredibly simple, with each page having one illustration and four lines of semi-rhyming verse (translated from the original Dutch), and storylines that include going to the beach, going to the zoo, looking after a teddy and baking.

There’s no twist or surprise, and there's not even any cheekiness on her part. She does a thing, notices something fairly mundane, and that’s about it. Everything is calm, reassuring and observational, with artwork that matches the tone: thick black outlines, flat primary colours, and almost no background detail. The TV adaptations (which never really caught on in the UK) look exactly the same and capture the same atmosphere.

I love Miffy so much that my boys bought me a Miffy teddy wearing a Mondrian dress for my birthday one year – but I was almost certain she was a very niche interest in this country.

And yet there’s now a Miffy Afternoon Tea on offer at Cutter + Squidge, suggesting I’ve been wildly underestimating her UK fanbase all these years.

Now, admittedly the Afternoon Tea has very little to do with Miffy. Nowhere in the stories is there a strawberry sprinkle posset or a cheese and chutney brioche. And I don’t think there could be: those ingredient colours are far too pastelly for the bold-and-bright books. But does it matter? I mean, what kid is going to care about brand continuity when there's a strawberries and peach melba cake to be eaten? And anyway, there's Miffy branding everywhere and umpteen opportunities for them to beg you for all the Miffy merch available in the shop.

Now, I’ll admit there’s a chance I haven’t exactly sold this to you. But there are three reasons I'm including it anyway.

Firstly, Cutter + Squidge has an excellent reputation. Their cakes are consistently praised (and have you SEEN their Instagram???), so I’d be amazed if this tea weren’t delicious.

Secondly, at £25 for children and £35 for adults, it’s a fraction of the price of many of London’s Afternoon Teas.

And finally, if your children haven’t discovered Miffy yet, this is a great reason to introduce them. The books (aimed at roughly ages 4–8) are unlike anything else on most British bookshelves – and they’re well worth seeking out whether you book the Afternoon Tea or not. Bruna deliberately made them small because he wanted children to feel they were their books – not books that happened to be read to them by adults.

Find out more: https://cutterandsquidge.com/pages/miffy

While you’re there…

👍️ Take part in a Miffy-themed Strawberries & Cream Roulade Masterclass (suitable for ages 6+) and take the whole thing home at the end.

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.

Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain – The Best Bits (full write-up coming soon!)
Until 31 August, various start times depending on the day
Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EZ
£19.50–£33 per person
Age guidance: 5+

Circus Cabaret Show for Kids
Saturday and Sunday, 14:00
Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No. 1 Street, SE18 6HD
Adults free, child #1 £20, additional children £11 each
Age guidance: suitable for all

Summer Sounds Music Festival
Daily until 23 August, various performance start times (Family Sunday performances 13:00–18:00)
Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street, N1C 4DQ
FREE

Anansi the Spider
Until 6 September, 10:30 and 14:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays; 10:15 on Saturdays
Picnic Lawn, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, The Regent's Park, Inner Circle, NW1 4NU
Adults £18, under-18s £15
Age guidance: 4+ (under-4s are permitted but everyone aged 2 and over must have their own ticket)
Note: tickets for this weekend may have already sold out, but there are still tickets available for other dates

Blub
Thursday–Sunday until 23 August, 10:30, 12:30 and 15:30
Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB
Adult + child £28.50 (including booking fee)
Age guidance: 6–18 months

Brainiac Live (see my write-up here)
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+

Dinosaur World Live (see my write-up here)
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)

Uniqlo Tate Play: Lina Lapelytė, Serendipity Island (see my write-up here)
Daily until 31 August, 10:30–18:00
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all

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+

Dog Man: The Musical (see my write-up here)
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 (see my write-up here)
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 (see my write-up here)
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)

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)

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

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

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)