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- 🦑 5 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (7–8 June)
🦑 5 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (7–8 June)
Jeff – Dads in London
June 04, 2025
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Hey DILFs!
Sorry about the bullet-point avalanche this week. There are just so many sprawling, multi-activity events at the moment that bullets felt like the only sane option. I did try writing it all out as flowing prose, but somewhere around “sock wrestling giving way to medieval jousting beneath a summer sky”, I blacked out and woke up surrounded by unordered lists.
There really is a heck of a lot happening this weekend – from free festivals to full-blown jousting spectacles. Whether you're in the mood to spend nothing or much more than nothing, there’s something in here with your name on it.
Enjoy!
Jeff
PS Please check this week’s sponsored section – especially if you have pre-schoolers. It’s a special one!
World Ocean Day family-friendly celebration
Saturday 7 June, 10:30–17:00
National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, SE10 9NF
FREE
This Sunday is World Ocean Day (or World Oceans Day, if you prefer to believe the United Nations). It’s also Kanye West’s 48th birthday, but the National Maritime Museum has somehow chosen not to slot a 12-hour deep-sea remix of Waves into their otherwise water-themed programme.
To be fair, there’s already a lot going on:
👋 Take part in an interactive science show called “It’s Only Water”, which explores the incredible properties of water and “may” involve getting wet.
👋 Watch a comedy science show, “Ugly Animals” by biologist Simon Watt, which will introduce you to some of the more “aesthetically challenged” creatures of the deep.
👋 Check out the newly refurbished Ocean’s Court – with its “giant map of the world according to fish”, new objects and displays, plus “a wave of colour washing over the walls”.
👋 Meet scientists and campaigners throughout the day and get answers to your big ocean and conservation questions.
👋 Enjoy conservation games and ocean-themed treasure hunts.
👋 Get arts-and-craftsy with origami, puffin puppet-making and mermaid face painting.
👋 Meet astronomers from The Royal Observatory, who’ll be showing you what Earth looks like from space.
👋 Listen to what might be the most tenuous connection of all time: “a wave of music... with live performances from across the globe”. Sigh.
But seriously: that’s only part of it. You can read the full event schedule here, and it’s all completely free. (Note: the official World Ocean Day is on Sunday, but this event is on Saturday.)
While you’re there…
👍️ Whenever a new, half-decent playground appears in London – one that doesn’t look like “a gated spliff area for the local teens” – there’s usually a lot of excitement, enthusiasm and online chat. For some reason, The Cove playground didn’t generate much hype when it arrived at the National Maritime Museum a couple of years ago – even though it’s such a unique and fun place. Check out some photos here.
👍️ The Cutty Sark Rig Climb is BACK! If you’re aged 10 or older, you can climb the ship’s famous masts – just like hundreds of sailors did during its time at sea between 1870 and 1954. The view (of both the ship itself and the Thames) is meant to be incredible.
Squid Game: The Experience
Saturday and Sunday, multiple time slots (plus other dates until September)
Immerse LDN, ExCeL Waterfront, E16 1XL
Adults £43.45, 0–15s £30.80
Age guidance: “open to all”
I’ve never seen Squid Game. Originally, I avoided it because I felt uncomfortable watching a game show where people actually die. Then, years later, I finally learnt it was fictional (should I admit that?). But I still didn’t watch it – because, even though I’m very much an alpha male, I get scared easily.
So no: I haven’t attended the Squid Game interactive experience. I’ve been assured that no one perishes and it’s not even scary – and I’ve also been reminded that even young children can attend – but nope. I’m out.
You can go, though! It’s a full-on competition involving five challenges inspired by the series, where you’ll face off against other players in a mix of memory, skill and pure panic.
The games are:
🫣 Memory Steps: cross a high-tech glass bridge by recalling the correct six-square sequence.
🫣 Marbles: throw your metal boule as close as possible to the target ball (the cochonnet) while knocking your opponents’ boules away.
🫣 Rope Game: work with your teammates to battle against an unseen opponent in a tug of war.
🫣 Red Light Green Light: make it to the other side as quickly as you can without getting caught by Young Hee. I have no idea who Young Hee is, but I’m sure it’ll be explained at the event if necessary. (Update: oh Jesus I just googled it. How are you people not shitting yourselves???)
🫣 Round and round: make sure you land on the correct shape before the signal ends.
The entire game is timed. Guards are watching. You’ll rack up points on a dystopian wristband that monitors your every move and broadcasts your ranking to everyone else: red for the doomed, orange for the flailing, green for the psychopaths who’ve spent actual time strategising for this moment. The pressure is constant, the lighting is aggressive, and the failure is public.
But like I say: go! Have a blast! Just don’t come crying to me when you make eye contact with a guard and forget your own name.
Find out more: https://fever.pxf.io/QjzoaY
While you’re there…
👍️ Nothing noteworthy or useful is near Excel London (unless you enjoy terrible customer service while getting your passport renewed), so I’ve employed a bit of artistic license with the concept of “there”. Stick with me on this…
“There” is the journey as much as the destination, right? And what kind of journey is just as exciting – if not more so – than anywhere you might end up? A journey on the DLR, of course! So: hop on the DLR and have the best time ever, get off at Canning Town, then enjoy a leisurely walk along the water to the lighthouse on the Trinity Buoy Wharf. There, you can listen to Longplayer – a piece of music that’s been playing since 1999 and won’t finish until 2999. Created by Jem Finer of The Pogues, it’s designed to run for 1,000 years without repeating. No gimmicks – just a very, very long idea taken seriously.
Mrs H is a local legend. Whisper her name in any soft play near EC1 and someone will say, “Oh, we LIVE for her sessions.” Because while most toddler music classes involve nursery rhymes, questionable puppets and the creeping sense you’re just filling the gap before snack time, Mrs H and the Sing-along Band are in a different league. People shift work patterns to attend (🙋 guilty). Grown adults sing made-up songs about duck races and dog poo. Toddlers light up, then stage sit-ins. No one wants to go home.
And now – somehow – the teachers at Dallington School have managed to book her.
She’s coming to Dallington – a delightfully diddly, village-like primary school – on Thursday 12 June at 13:30. If you’ve ever tried to get into one of her music drop-ins, you’ll know what a big deal this is.
It’s part-theatre, part-comedy, part-musical adventure. The band features top-tier musicians on accordion, double bass, banjo, guitar and more, playing mostly original songs. No pressure to sing – just turn up and enjoy something properly uplifting.
It’s free, but you do need to book. Grab your place here: https://dallingtonschool.co.uk/mrs-h-performance-at-dallington/
While you're booking your spot for Mrs H, you might also book in for a look around. Dallington is an independent primary school in the heart of Clerkenwell, just a few minutes from Farringdon station. It's known for its small classes and focus on individuality, with a “family feel” that makes adults say: “Damn – why didn’t I get to go somewhere like this?”
The Dallington approach gives children room to breathe. They’re supported to take their time, ask questions and figure out who they are – without the pressure to rush or compete. And it works: they achieve academic success without the stress found in plenty of other schools.
It’s also such a joyful place to be. On any day they might be building dens in Forest School, rehearsing a play or going kayaking. The timetable feels spacious, creative and actually designed for children.
Nursery and Reception places are available (including part-time for Nursery), and Open Days are running – so if you're curious, come and see it for yourself. I know the school well, and I’m genuinely proud to recommend it.
Polo in the Park: Family Day
Sunday 8 June, 11:00–19:00
Hurlingham Park, Fulham, SW6 3RH
Adults £46.94, 12–17s £24.28, 0–12s FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all
When I saw the promo photos for Polo in the Park’s “Family Day”, I immediately went to the website’s FAQs page for a dress code: it’s too late for a Vinted delivery to arrive, so I wanted to make sure there wasn’t an official requirement for children to wear boater hats and designer polo shirts. It’s fine: “There is no dress code for the general admission areas.”
(Though the website does kindly advise that if it’s hot, sunscreen and a hat are recommended. And if it’s wet, you might consider – brace yourself – a coat.)
Anyway, back to the good stuff – because this event looks FANTASTIC. There’s a huge variety of activities throughout the day, including (deep breath):
👒 Polo help for first-timers with expert guidance (don’t panic: the horse is a wooden one)
👒 Parachute games, giant musical statues, horse derby, tug of war, dizzy races, blindfold ninja, sock wrestling, spy quest and an epic water fight – all with kids’ entertainers Sharky & George
👒 Obstacle courses, Mini Olympics and other action-packed adventures with children’s exercise experts TARKA
👒 Football skills and challenges with Fulham FC Foundation – including the Inflatable Goal Challenge (aim for target holes in the inflatable goal) and Football Dartboard (kick a football onto a giant dartboard on the floor)
👒 Netball skills sessions with Maverick Netball
👒 Bouncy castle and face painting
👒 A thrilling, full-contact medieval jousting performance from Knights of Middle England, followed by trick riding stunts in which expert riders perform somersaults, drags and vaults at full speed
It’s definitely not cheap, but it looks like a brilliant place to go if you’re in the mood for a summery day out where all the entertainment is taken care of. Just mentally prepare yourself for the fact your child may be the only one in a Paw Patrol T-shirt surrounded by kids called Tarquin wearing linen.
The Great Garden Fete at the British Library
Saturday 7 June, 10:30–17:00
British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all
I’ll be honest: a Saturday afternoon talk called “The Philosophy of Houseplants” sounds like the exact sort of thing I’d politely pretend to consider before immediately doing something else. But seeing as I’ve singlehandedly turned a peace lily, a spider plant and a fern into mulch, maybe it’s time to hear their side of the story.
The talk is part of the British Library’s Great Garden Fete (brief aside: how do we feel about the BL knocking the little hat off that first “e”?), and – while several of the other talks also seem like decent places for a discreet nap – it looks like a jolly nice day out for the family.
In addition to food, drink and live music throughout the day, you can take part in some “botanical printing”: making prints using fresh flowers and leaves on fabric. There’s also the beautiful Story Garden at the back of the library, with lots of fun activities for all ages.
And if you’re more green-fingered than me, you might enjoy the other talks too – such as “Gardening in a changing climate” and “Gardening Question Time”. It’s all free, Hot Rocket is one of the food vendors, and a brass band rounds off the afternoon – and these are pretty much the only three things necessary to get me anywhere.
Find out more: https://events.bl.uk/events/the-great-garden-fete
Martin Creed: Everything Is Going To Be Alright
Saturday and Sunday, 09:00–18:00
Camden Arts Projects, 176 Prince of Wales Road, NW5 3PT
FREE – but you need to book
Age guidance: suitable for all
Described with great seriousness as: “comfort, vulnerability, and the ephemeral nature of reassurance”.
More usefully described as: A ROOM FULL OF BALLOONS!!!!!
Done.
Find out more: https://camdenartsprojects.com/exhibition
While you’re there…
👍️ Hang on, what’s this? Drop-in sessions at the Roundhouse for 11–14s to learn how to DJ, produce their own music and write songs? With support from professional music tutors? Just £2 per session? HOW DID I NOT KNOW???