So, it’s four days into the holidays and already my kids have watched six Marvel movies. Nathan’s been in charge and apparently, “there’s a lot of MCU to get through”. If you’d like your children to be slightly more productive, here are some ideas of what you can get up to:
I’ve already blogged about the fab new show “The Midnight Gang” at Chickenshed but hurry if you want to see it – it’s only on till 6th August. More information and tickets here. For younger audience, “The Jumble Book” also looks fun and that’s on till 4th August. Another thing I’ll soon be reporting back on is the BBC Proms. Not the “Last Night” where we all sing patriotic songs and wave flags – that’s a whole other, Highams Park-related story – but rather the “Ten Pieces Presents…” events where bite-size classical pieces are performed in a family-friendly way. The performances are happening tomorrow (July 23rd) so book quickly if you want to come too!
Coming up on 31st July is a Q Pootle 5-themed event at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. There’s an appearance from Q Pootle creator Nick Butterworth, a screening of an episode in the Planetarium and arts and crafts activities to take home. More details here. And in the “nepotism” section of this preview, why not check out Cecil Sharp House’s “Fun with Folk” – a three day holiday club for 6-8 year-olds? They’ll learn about folk music and hone their dancing and singing skills. There’s also a 4-day version for 9-12-year-olds, “Get Your Folk On!”
Summer in London wouldn’t be complete without something slightly surreal and the Royal Parks’ Giant Snail may well be this year’s. It’s moving around the different parks, bringing with it storytelling and creative activities. I probably haven’t explained it well, so have a look here.
There are also the usual array of community festivals. An interesting new addition is the Battersea Power Station’s “Power of Summer” Festival, which runs right from 22nd July to 1st Sept and includes things like a pop-up beach and “The Bureau of Silly Ideas”. There’s another beach at Canary Wharf, which is hosting beach volleyball, and the Olympic Park, which has a funfair as well as “sand” and “sea” at Beach East. The Royal Victoria Beach in Newham also looks well worth a visit.
Lastly, there are a couple of brand new openings I want to tell you about. The Postal Museum is reopening on 28th July with a new family area called “Sorted”. I feel like I’ve mentioned it before but it looks like it’s going to be awesome -interactive exhibits for older kids and a soft play area for littlies. More information here. And closer to(our) home is Centre17, a new theatre space in Walthamstow. I don’t know much about what’s going on there yet, but it looks like they’re hosting some drama workshops for kids over the summer so have a look here to find out more.
I’ll be reporting back on some of these things once I lure the kids out of their pyjamas and then the house. Have a good summer!
