FREE Summer Holiday Activities 2023: Week 5

In an attempt to give myself a rest, I’m skipping this week’s intro to head straight to the listings - I’ll catch you up on our outings next time.

Of course, I still have time to listen to what you’ve been up to. 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 5

Too much month at the end of your money? 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 21 August 2023

1. Fun, free family activities at All Points East In the NHBD include Bus King Theatre, Adventure Babies, real fork lift trucks to sit in, Somali storytelling, poetry workshops, Half Moon Theatre performances, craft from Museum of London, and more. Drop in, E3. Runs 20-23 August.

2. Doodle, rip, cut and stick to make wild waves and contribute to a collaborative artwork with Originary Arts at Summer on the Square, WC2. Drop in. Runs 21-24 August. Plus hear Captain Admirable Half Nelson’s tales of stormy seas and pirate antics, 22-23 August.

3. Sail your own paper boats in a paddling pool on the front lawn in Little Feet: Ride the waves at British Museum, WC1. Drop in, under 5s.

4. Play, tell stories, build confidence and be a bit silly in Comedy improv sessions at Woolwich Works, E15. Book, ages 7-18+. Runs 21-25 August.

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

Tuesday 22 August 2023

1. Time Travel Craft Club: Exploring the world at the National Archives, TW9. Book/drop in. Every Tuesday in August.

2. Take fun team in challenges in Cold War giant game at the National Army Museum. Drop in, ages 5+. Runs 22-25 August.

3. Science of Light & Walking Automata Building in Clever kids - family friendly STEM workshop at Tramshed Community Hub, E2. Book.

4. The Bank of England Museum has spaces for interactive storytelling Gold vault break in. Book, ages 7-11. Runs 22-24 August.

5. Mushroom tasting and grow your own alien workshop at Somerset House, WC2. First come, first served. Plus make your own puppet on 23 August and Stories of Welcome on 24 August.

Wednesday 23 August 2023

1. Family day: Covert and classified at Westminster Abbey, SW1. Book.

2. Make your own paints and dyes from natural ingredients plus storytelling at Museum of the Order of St John, EC1. Drop in.

3. Have a Barrel of laughs with family friendly stand-up comedy and learn how to Build-a-joke at Museum of London Docklands, E14. First come, first served.

4. Construct your own dinosaurs using special tools, screws and huge amounts of cardboard in Big build: Jurassic cardboard kingdom at The Invention Rooms iZone, W12. Book.

5. Meet the artists behind multi-sensory installation and enjoy a 2 hour relaxed session in Sculpting conversations: Sarah + Steph in situ at Whitechapel Gallery, E1. Book.

Thursday 24 August 2023

1. Make exciting play landscapes and enjoy free entry in Assemble Play at Pitzhanger. Drop in. Runs 24-27 August.

2. Build a badger den and create clay animals in In Life underground at LookOut Discovery Centre, Hyde Park. Book/drop in. Runs 22-24 August.

3. Create your own model of a human skeleton in Archaeology at Benjamin Franklin House, WC2. Book, ages 5-12.

4. Design a personalised tote bag or wooden coaster in Summer at Strand Aldwych 30-minute workshops. WC2, Book. Runs 23-26 August.

5. Learn techniques to capture stunning smartphone images in Introduction to photography at A House for Artists, IG11. Book. Ages 11-16.
   

Friday 25 August 2023

1. Explore tactile sculptures and touchable artworks with Leap Then Look at Summer on the Square, WC2. Drop in. Runs 24-28 August.

2. Make clay bodily impressions and create sculptures in Land and body sculptures at V&A Museum, SW7. Drop in. Runs 23-25 August.

3. Follow a trail around Londinium with the Roman London family quest to win a prize. Book. Runs 25-26 August.

4. Family mini sports days at Canons House & Grounds, CR4. Book. Ages 6+.

5. Paper mache your own mini giraffe at Centrale Shopping Centre, CR0. Marks the Croydon Stands Tall launch, donations to Crisis welcome. Book/drop in.

Daily, all drop in

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

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

3. LEGO® build the change: Helping today’s dinosaurs at Natural History Museum. SW7, drop in. Until 1 September, Mondays-Fridays.

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

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GDIF 2023 with kids

The Greenwich and Docklands International Festival 2023, London's leading festival of free outdoor theatre and performing arts, launches on Friday, 25 August 2023.

Here’s my guide to the most promising GDIF events for families. All are FREE and unticketed.

1. Watch Tatiana Mosio Bongonga cross a high wire above your head - with no safety equipment - in Open lines at General Gordon Square, Woolwich. 25 August 2023.

2. Family-friendly street arts, theatre, circus, installations and dance take over the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, Cutty Sark Gardens and Greenwich Park for Greenwich Fair. 26 August 2023.
   

3. In Ancient futures in Thamesmead, join the Afrinauts in a spectacular dance party blending contemporary circus and spoken word with Sound System culture and West African folklore. 27-28 August 2023.
   

4. Family-friendly hip hop, theatre, dance and street arts comes to Abbeywood, Deptford, Eltham and Plumstead in On your doorstep. 27, 28 & 31 August and 2 September 2023.
   

5. The side of the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral becomes the stage for Resurgam, a breathtaking performance of vertical dancing by the Californian troupe Bandaloop. 31 August & 1-2 September 2023.
   

6. Twelve life-sized robotic swans perform a poetic ballet on the surface of the Royal Victoria Dock in Cygnus. 31 August-3 September 2023.
   

7. Canary Wharf’s outdoor spaces are transformed with contemporary, ballet, hip hop, kathak and choreography on trampoline in Dancing city. 9-10 September 2023.
   

8. In RoZéO in Tide Square, watch three performers create an entrancing ritual - all on top of 10 metre high poles. 9-10 September 2023.

Don’t forget to tag me in your posts and stories if you go!

FREE weekend activities: 19-20 August 2023

Has the weekend come around too soon? Here’s plenty of inspiration, all completely free. Plus they’re either drop in or still have spaces - just click the link for timings and any booking info before heading out.

Saturday 19 and 20 August 2023

1. Counterpoint dance performance at Somerset House fountains.
   

Saturday 19 August 2023

1. Video game dance party, make up art, rug tufting, Design Baby sessions, storytelling, dance workshops and more in Family festival: The shape of us at V&A Museum, SW7.

2. Mimi’s Rainbow Adventure: Green energy family day at Institute of Physics, N1.

3. Pomander making workshop at Museum of the Home, E2.

4. Design your own Morph and animation workshops in Morphs’s celebration weekend at Guildhall Yard, EC1.

5. Join Olivia Armstrong for Covert and Classified themed Story Saturdays at Westminster Abbey, SW1.

6. King’s Cross sound waves workshop in partnership with Crafts Council in Coals Drop Yard, N1.

7. Make an ice cream puppet with Little Angel Theatre at Angel Central, N1.

8. African drumming, free Creole food, arts and craft and seed planting in Summer celebration garden at Meridian One Community Garden, N18.

Sunday 20 August 2023

1. Theatre, workshops, music and more at All Points East In the NHBD, E3.

2. Design your own Morph in Morph’s celebration weekend at The Scoop, More London, SE1.

3. Join in with The marvellous myth hunter ceilidh at Southbank Centre, SE1.

4.  Early years messy play at Old Royal Naval College, SE10. Ages 2-5.

5. Choir performances and workshops in Family Voices Sunday at Kings Cross summer sounds, Coal Drops Yard, N1.

6. Make a paper pulp seed bomb in Open Sundays at Pitzhanger, W5.

7. Give old footwear a new life in (Re)love your shoes workshop at Art in the Docks, E16.

8. Street art and graffiti workshop at Crystal Palace Park, SE20.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone, and here’s to a happy week 5!

Until next time,

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