FREE Summer Holiday Activities 2023: Week 3

Week two of the school holidays is almost over! How’s it been for you?

For us, our week has been sunshine and showers - both with the weather, and the sibling dynamics. Luckily culture and friends brightened the greyer days.

The Box Rocket at Discover Story Centre is just as imaginative and play-filled as Museum Girl hoped. I dread the day she finally grows out of their exhibitions. At Polesden Lacey’s Summer of Play we checked out the orchard filled with games, before the rain had us running to the house for cover (and admiring their Faberge collection!)

There were two great reasons to visit Trafalgar Square this week: the National Gallery’s Summer on the Square festival-style arts tent; and the National Portrait Gallery’s Summer Family Festival, a mix of making and animation in their beautifully-designed learning studios. At the former we made carnival masks whilst at the latter, Museum Boy put a portrait of me on his inspirational person badge. He’s either a suck up or very sweet - but I’ll take the sunshine when I get it!

The kids were too competitive to enjoy the challenges at London Zoo’s Summer of Fun but a scratch on the head from the squirrel monkeys ended the day with a smile. At Theatre on Kew: Alice in Wonderland fortunately both kids were picked to take part in the show, much to their delight.

Tate Modern Zero to Infinity had finite interest and a fair few frustrations - thankfully their mezzanine play area offered more play opportunities. Today’s early start to check out the Peppa Pig pop-up shop at the Natural History Museum was worth it - how many people can say Daddy Pig (aka Richard Ridings) has read them a story?

I’d love to hear how you’re getting on. Hit reply, post in my Facebook group or DM me on Instagram to let me know what your family are enjoying (or otherwise).

FREE Summer Holiday Activities: Week 3

Keep your kids entertained for nowt - here's my pick of completely FREE family activities this week in London! For times and any booking info, click the link.

I’ve shared up to 5 suggestions a day and indicated if they run on other dates.

Don’t forget there’s plenty more ideas - paid and free - for every week of the summer in my ultimate guide to the Summer Holidays blog post.

Monday 7 August 2023

1. Celebrate change makers in Week 2 of Summer family festival at National Portrait Gallery, WC2. Activities vary daily; today’s are animal animation, popping portraits making and interactive storytelling. Drop in. Runs 7-11 August.

2. It’s your last chance to catch Luke Jerram’s Mars at All Saints’ Church, W11. Book. Runs 31 July-8 August.

3. Join a a journey of sensory exploration through moving, sounding, drawing and mark-making in Tuning in at Summer on the Square, WC2. Drop in. Runs 7-9 August.

4. Use willow and wire in a traditional folk art form from India in Warli art family workshop at Eltham Library, SE9. Book. Ages 6+.

5. LEGO® build the change: Helping today’s dinosaurs at Natural History Museum starts today, with Nature Friendly Neighbourhood build and Challenge Workshop. SW7, drop in. Runs 7 August-1 September, Mondays-Fridays.

   Plus Meet Peppa Pig and her family at the Natural History Museum’s pop-up themed shop. SW7, drop in. Every Monday, 4 August-10 September.

Tuesday 8 August 2023

1. Design Wearable inventions in this week’s Time Travel Craft Club at The National Archives, TW9. Book/drop in. Every Tuesday in August.

2. Play the First World War giant game at National Army Museum, SW3. Drop in, ages 5+. Runs 8-11 August. 

3. Make seedballs and go meadow sweeping in Meadow madness at LookOut Discovery Centre, W2. Runs 8-10 August.

4. Create the fastest boat to race in Play outdoors Tuesdays at National Maritime Museum, SE10. Drop in. Under 5s. Every Tuesday until 3 September.

5. Help build a play structure in MATT+FIONA: Build and play summer residency at Museum of the Home, E2. Drop in. Every Tuesday in August.

Wednesday 9 August 2023

1. Family day: Planet and plants at Westminster Abbey, SW1. Book.

2. Learn natural printmaking in Hear all about it! at Museum of the Order of St John, EC1. Drop in.

3. Marlo brings ‘joyology’ to the Green in a feel-good family session at Seething Lane Garden, EC3. Book.

4. Chanachur Bengali snack making at Museum of London Docklands, E14. Tickets allocated on arrival.

5. Stories from the shed: The Queen's bee at Honeywood Museum features quirky puppets, music and real lavender plants. SM5, book.

Thursday 10 August 2023

1. Build your own Dream Lego houses at Sir John Soane's Museum. WC2. Book/drop in. Ages 4+, younger siblings welcome.

2. Mars: War & Peace by Luke Jerram lands outdoors in Jubilee Square, W8. Book. Runs 10-13 August.

3. Learn the art of 18th century letter writing in Calligraphy at Benjamin Franklin House, WC2. Book for either 13:00-14:00 or 15:00-16:00. Ages 5-12.

4. Beyond blocks: Robotics through Lego at North Kensington Library, W11. Book. Ages 7+.

5. Black Panther screening with Larry Achiampong and David Bland at Wellcome Collection, NW1. Book, ages 14-19.

Friday 11 August 2023

1. Join London Drawing in Summer on the Square for a celebration of sketching and colour through an evolving living 3D collage. Drop in, WC2. Runs 10-13 August 2023.

2. Make Salt-dough sculptures inspired by the body, food and emotions at V&A Museum, SW7. Drop in. Ages 5+. Runs 9-11 August.

3. Find out about the life of bees with stories and puppets in Judy Preece’s Busy Bee at the Natural History Museum, SW7. Drop in, ages 3+ Also runs 9 and 13 August.

4. Summer family Fridays at Young V&A, E2. Drop in.

5. Street Culture Festival - Street Art with Alec LDN at Whitgift Centre, CR0. Book, ages 4+.

Daily, all drop in

1. Morph’s epic art adventure trail, across City and Central London. Until 20 August.

2. Family hub: Flight academy at IWM London. Until 25 August.

3. Uniqlo Tate Play Rasheed Araeen Zero to infinity at Tate Modern, SE1. Until 27 August.

4. Growing curiosities: The science of gardens at the Garden Museum, SE1. Until 14 September.

5. Play studio at Tate Britain, SW1. Daily throughout the school holidays.

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FREE weekend activities: 5-6 August 2023

Need some weekend inspiration? Here’s some ideas, all of them completely free. They all either have space at the time of posting or are drop in - do click the links for timings and any booking info before heading out.

Saturday 5 August 2023

1. Roller skating, face painting, interactive games and activities at Strand Aldwych Summer Social, WC2.

2. Hear stories from Children’s Laureate in Story Space Read Aloud: Joseph Coelho at Tate Britain, SW1.

3. Planet and Plants themed Story Saturdays at Westminster Abbey, SW1.

4. Family Fun Fest with the Flying Seagull Project at The Boathouse Studios, IG11.

5. Family Silent Disco at Museum of London Docklands, E14.

6. Design your own emoji mask in Families Create at Zabludowicz Collection, NW5.

7. Bowie & Beyond Family Fun Day at Kingston Museum, KT1.

8. Head to Wembley Park’s for interactive gaming experience PlayDays: Creatures of Wembley Park, You're Out Of This World Disco and Art in the Park. HA9.

Sunday 6 August 2023

1. Bird Rave workshops and performances at Southbank Centre, SE1.

2. Let’s Get Inventing with Kids Invent Stuff! at The National Archives, TW9. Weld chocolate (book), build electric drag racers (book), make invention prototypes, construct a straw city, explore the exhibition with a Victorian Inventor and get your face painted.

3. Storytelling with Usifu Jalloh and make textured paper flowers using crayons and watercolour in Open Sundays at Pitzhanger, W5.

Have a fantastic weekend and here’s to more sunshine, literal and otherwise, in week three.

Until next time,

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