September 2023 Part 2: What's on London with kids

As promised, here’s yet more ideas to make your September weekends magical for the big kids, and lots to fill the week with pre-schoolers too.

As I’m feeling under the weather, I’ll skip over our week - but here’s a photo from our fantastic day trip to Folkestone to mark Museum Girl’s last day of the school holidays. I hope those who started or returned to school had a great week too.

This newsletter features 20 things to do at Open House with kids and the latest batch of under 5s cultural play sessions to book or diarise.

And, in case you missed it, Part I featured there’s 20 things to do in September and 10 Heritage Open Days 2023 to visit with kids.

After 8 newsletters in a row this summer, I’ll be taking a short break from writing them. Expect to hear from me again in October - but do keep in touch in the meantime. Hit reply, post in my Facebook group or DM me on Instagram.

30+ Under 5s cultural play sessions: Autumn term

With the big ones heading (back) to school, London’s cultural places are putting on a whole new group of activities for pre-schoolers. Here’s a comprehensive list of Under 5s play sessions in museums, galleries, theatres and archives across the capital.

1. Seagull stories and silliness sessions at The Boathouse Studios, IG11. Mondays in term time. Under 5s. Free; book.
   Now booking: Mondays from 18 September-4 December 2023, excluding 23 October 2023.

2. Little explorers at Kew Gardens, TW9. Second Monday of the month, term time only. Paid, book. Ages 2-5. £14 per child (including 1 adult), plus entry to Kew Gardens £19 adult, £2 Universal Credit.
   Now booking: Autumn (9 October 2023). 

3. Play Tuesdays at National Maritime Museum, SE10. Tuesdays. £4 1A+1C, free under 6 months, book. Under 5s.
   Now booking: every Tuesday during term time until 19 December 2023.

4. Curious Tots at Orleans House Gallery, TW1. Fortnightly on Tuesdays. £6/£4 conc 1A+1C, book. Ages 0-walking.
   Now booking: 19 September; 3, 17 & 30 October; 14 & 28 November and 12 December 2023.

5. Adventure Babies at Natural History Museum, SW7. Weekly on Tuesdays during term time. £20 1A+1C, book. Ages 0-4.
   Now booking: Tuesdays 7 November-19 December, plus Monday 18 December.

6. RIBA Baby: Bricks and Bubbles at RIBA London, W1. Occasional Tuesdays/Wednesdays. Free, book. Ages 0-3.
   Now booking: 14 November 2023.

7. Little Swifts at RAF Museum, NW9. Second Tuesday/ last Thursday in term time. £3 child, book. Ages 2-5.
   Now booking: 12 & 28 September; 10 October; 14 & 30 November and 12 December 2023.

8. Little Feet at British Museum, WC1. Once or twice a month on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Free, drop in - book museum entry. Under 5s.
   Upcoming dates: Exhibition Explorer: China’s Hidden Century (21 September 2023) and Light up the day (24 November 2023)

9. Creative Explorers at Polka Theatre, SW19. Tuesdays or Fridays in term time. £90/term 1A+1C, book. Ages 2-4.
   Now booking: Autumn term (Either Tuesdays 19 September-28 November 2023 with no session on 25 October 2023; or Fridays 22 September-1 December 2023 with no session on Friday 27 October 2023).

10. Hop, skip, Hackney at Hackney Museum, E8. Tuesdays and Saturdays. Free, drop in. Under 5s, older siblings welcome.
    Next dates: 30 September and 10, 14, 17 & 24 October 2023.

11. Uniqlo Tate Play: Shadow and Light at Tate Modern, SE1. Under 5s sessions on Wednesdays until 18 October 2023. Free, drop in.

12. Toddler time at Cutty Sark, SE10. Wednesdays in term time. £5 child, book. Under 5s.
    Now booking: Wednesdays until 20 December 2023.

13. Free Under 5s Family Workshops at Museum of the Order of St John, EC1. Second Wednesday of the month in term time only. Free, book.
    Now booking: Mr Gumpy’s Day Out on 13 September 2023 - Under 3s and Under 5s sessions.

14. New Early Years Studios at Royal Academy of Arts, W1. Third Wednesday of the month. Free, drop in, ages 0-4.
    Next dates: Shape (20 September 2023) and Colour (18 October 2023).

15. Baby Explorers at Polka Theatre, SW19. Wednesdays in term time. £90/term 1A+1C, book. 0-12 months.
    Now booking: Autumn term (Wednesdays 20 September-29 November 2023 with no session on 25 October 2023).

16. Tiny Troopers at National Army Museum, SW3. Last Wednesday of the month. £5 per child, book. Ages 2-4.
    Now booking: Mr Bear’s Mystery on 27 September 2023.

17. Tots at the Docks at the Museum of London Docklands, E14. Last Wednesday of the month. Free, drop in. Under 5s.
    Next dates: Stories from the Sea on 27 September, then 25 October, 29 November and 20 December 2023.

18. Mini Explorers at Polka Theatre, SW19 have sold out for the autumn term.
    Now booking: Spring term (Wednesdays in term time from 10 January 2024) or Summer term (Wednesdays in term time from 24 April 2024). Ages 1-2, £90 1A+1C.

19. Storytelling and Music Sessions at Royal Albert Hall, SW7. Select Wednesdays and Thursdays. £5 child / £1 conc child, book. Under 5s.
    Now booking: 5, 12, 19, 25 & 26 October and 1, 2, 8, 15, 16, 22 & 23 November 2023.

20. Early Years Sessions at REPLAY: A limitless recycled playground. £6.50 per person; book.
    Now booking: Under 5 sessions run Wednesdays to Fridays 13-29 September

21. Sound Explorers at Young V&A, E2. Wednesdays to Fridays. Free; drop in. Ages 0-2.
    Upcoming dates: Wednesdays-Fridays from 4 October to 15 December 2023.

22. Mini makers at Pitzhanger, W5. Wednesdays and Fridays. £5 child, £1 child concession; book. Ages 6 months-8 years.
    Now booking: September (28 September 2023); October (4, 13 and 18 October 2023) and October half term (27 October 2023).

23. Toddler Group at Boston Manor, TW8. Thursdays. Free; book.
    Now booking: Thursdays 28 September-28 December 2023.

24. Mini museum at Headstone Manor, HA2. Thursdays in term time. £3 child, £1.50 concessionary child; book. Ages 0-4.
    Now booking: Thursdays from 14 September-12 October 2023.

25. Post and Play at the Postal Museum, WC1. Thursdays in term time. £5 / £1 Camden residents 1A+1C, book. Under 6s.
    Now booking: Thursdays 14 September-19 October 2023.

26. Creative Kids at William Morris Gallery, E17. Third Thursday of the month in term time. Free, book/drop in. Ages 2-5.
    Now booking: Telling Stories like William Morris (17 September 2023). Bookings for Make Music, Be Merry (19 October 2023) open on 5 October 2023.

27. Under 5s Explore: Mini Masterpieces at Dulwich Picture Gallery, SE21. Last Thursday of the month. £15 per adult, book.
    Now booking: 26 October 2023. Upcoming dates 30 November and 28 December 2023.

28. Singing, Stories and Crafts for Under 5s under London Transport Museum. Every Friday in term time. Included with annual pass £24 adults, £23 conc, £18 local resident, £1 Universal Credit and Pension Credit.
    Next dates: Fridays until 24 November 2023, excluding 27 October 2023.

29. Angel’s Little Explorers at Little Angel Theatre, N1. Fridays in term time. £12 1A+1C, £8 sibling. Ages 6 months-3 years.
    Now booking: Fridays 22 September-20 October 2023.

30. Sensory storytelling for babies/toddler at The National Archives, TW9. Friday. Ages 0-2. Now booking: Alice in Wonderland (22 September 2023).

31. Mini Play Studio: Taster Sessions at Young V&A, E2. Fridays. £10 1A+1C, book.
    Now booking: 29 September and 6 October 2023.

32. Rug Rhymes at National Poetry Library at Southbank Centre, SE1. Second and fourth Fridays of the month in term time. £4 1A+1C, book. Under 5s.
    Now booking: 29 September, 13 October, 3 & 17 November and 1 & 15 December 2023.

33. Family Under 5’s Workshops at British Library, NW1. Second Friday of the month. Free, book.
    Now booking: Time to Grow (13 October 2023).

34. Little Flamingos at Gunnersbury Park & Museum, W3. One Friday a month in term time. £3 child. From sitting baby to toddlers.
    Now booking: Aliens (20 October 2023); Diwali (10 November 2023); and Christmas Party (8 December 2023).

35. Early Years Messy Play at Old Royal Naval College, SE10. Third Sunday of each month. Free, drop in. Ages 2-5.
    Upcoming dates: 17 September 2023.

36. Palace Explorers at Fulham Palace, SW6. Selected days. £10.50, book. Ages 2-5. Now booking: A Banquet for Queen Elizabeth I (25 October 2023).

37. Chamber Tots at Wigmore Hall, W1. Selected days. £8 adult, £6 child, book. Ages 1-5.
    Now booking: 3, 2, 1... Take Off! (22 November 2023) and Winter (7 December 2023).

I’d love to hear how you find these activities - so I know whether to highlight them again in future. Drop me a message or tag me online.

Open House London with kids

For two weeks every September, Open House celebrates London's homes, architecture and neighbourhoods. with unique access and special events. But it can be very hard to find which parts of this fantastic festival are suitable with kids. Luckily, I’ve trawled their listings to find all the best family events for you. All of these are completely free, and drop in - unless otherwise stated.

1. Family fun at Open House festival with Museum of London at West Poultry Avenue, EC1. 9 September 2023.

2. Create your own unique structures out of anything in Let’s Play at Open House with Sir John Soane’s House and Assemble Play in Lincoln’s Inn Field, WC2. 9 September 2023.

3. There could be storytelling, folk music, dancing, origami, painting, play dough modelling or doodling at Streatham Space Project Family Day, SW2. 9 September.

4. Craft your dream neighbourhood at Patch, TW1. 9 September.

5. Meet firefighters in a striking 1980s building at East Greenwich Fire station open day, SE7. 9 September.

6. Become the crafty inventors of the future in Time Travel Craft Club: Open House Festival at The National Archives, TW9. 9 and 10 September.

7. Children’s workshops, face painting and a carnival procession at Gaunson Creative open studios, N15. 9-10 September.

8. Family workshop at the buzzing Red Door Studios, E6 - home to animators, illustrators and theatre set designers. 9-10 September.

9. Create an epic 3D cardboard City of London, build your own London Bridge, colour a giant 16th map, create a Future London Lego station and make Roman buildings from nets in London: The never-ending city in Guildhall Yard, EC2. 10 September.

10. Go cart racing, mosaic making, poetry takeaways, make a bug hotel, face painting and pineapple-powered cars at the Carnival of Invention in Station Road, SE25. 10 September.

11. Design your dream house and storytelling at Open Sunday: Open House at Pitzhanger, W5. 10 September, drop in.

12. Build your own Mars Rover, shoot a volcanic bomb, make your own fossil, construct an earthquake-proof building or colour in your own version of William Smith’s famous geological map at The Geological Society of London Open Day, W1. 16 September.

13. Next door, learn about comets, stars, constellations, and the Herschels with children’s science activities at the Royal Astronomical Society, W1. 16 September 2023, book.

14. Upcycling and craft workshops, Bouncy Castle, face painting and games at Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility Open Day, SE15. 16 September.

15. Learn to make repeating patterns and fun shapes in a ‘parametric’ den making activity at Zaha Hadid Foundation: Open day, EC1. 16 September.

16. Free family activities with ATeam Arts Education at The Brady Open Day, E1. 16 September.

17. Family workshops in Summer yard party at A House for Artists, IG11. 16 September.

18. Explore Croydon’s urban history and recreate iconic buildings at Croydon Library’s Workshop, SE25. 16 September; ages 5+.

19. Chickenshed Theatre performances and workshops at Festival of Industry at Bloqs, N18. 16-17 September.

20. There’s kids yoga, music, markets, makers and merriment at Crystal Palace Park Trust garden party, SE19. 17 September.

21. Plant cress, decorate pots, chalk your own road routes and complete activity sheets at Squaring the corners activity day, RM8. 17 September.

If you enjoy these newsletters, please take a second to forward this to friends or mention it online.

Thanks for reading! I hope these newsletters help you have a fantastic September. Until next time,

If this email lands in your promotions tab inbox, drag it to the primary inbox so you don't miss any updates!