🐭 5 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (18–21 April)

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Hello everyone! 

If you were a child of the 90s, you’ll have had lots of horrendous experiences that your kids will never appreciate. Could they possibly understand how time-consuming it was to record songs off the radio? How we’d be sticky for weeks after a single Push Pop? How our damn Tamagotchi would always die, no matter how lovingly we cared for it? Bad days. Grim years. 

But we were bloody lucky when it came to music.  

Just think of all the fantastic boy and girl bands we were exposed to, all in one go. Spice Girls, Take That, Backstreet Boys, Oasis, Blur, S Club 7, Destiny’s Child, I could go on. So I will. Aqua. Steps. NSync. Green Day. Hanson. 5ive.

And, of course, the one band we can all agree was objectively fantastic: All Saints. 

If you’re now launching Spotify and making your children die with horror as you recite, word for word, the spoken intro to Never Ever, let me tell you the weirdest news ever: All Saints-er Melanie Blatt is now making burgers every Tuesday at The Londesborough pub in Stoke Newington. Bonkers. 

Now that next Tuesday is sorted, let’s move on to more pressing matters: this weekend. 

Happy Easter!

Jeff xx

1: Complete a scent-fuelled treasure hunt for free jelly

Regent Street Sensorium
Friday–Sunday, 12:00–20:00 (and every Wednesday–Sunday until 27 April)
10 Heddon Street, W1B 4BX
FREE

There’s a company called Bompas & Parr, and they’re known for being “sensory experience specialists” – responsible for such delights as breathable gin and lava barbecues. At some point recently, they must have walked into a meeting with the people who run Regent Street and said: “We’d like to tell the story of your ‘hood through jelly, a bespoke scent cloud and a treasure hunt. Do you want to pop the kettle on and talk logistics?” 

And instead of being politely shown the door, they were handed the keys to 10 Heddon Street. 

The result is the Regent Street Sensorium – a completely free, family-friendly multi-sensory pop-up that’s part-history, part-soft play for the senses, and part-assault course for my hyphen key. You’ll enter through a cloud of “Regent Street” fragrance, which captures “the essence of Regent Street in a single scent” – and that sentence alone is enough to make me think we’re all being had. But who cares: it’s free.

You’ll then wander among a sculptural jellyscape and hear audio stories about the area’s cultural highs ​– from Nash’s architecture to David Bowie’s 1972 album cover shoot just around the corner. 

There’s more! The Sensory Quest Treasure Hunt is a surprisingly charming way to drag your kids down Regent Street without buying anything – and if you complete the map and spot some hidden design gems, you’ll get a free jelly at the end. (You can also buy jelly inspired by the buildings, whatever that means.)

If you’re wondering why this free thing exists at all, the answer lies deep in the paperwork of the Crown Estate – which owns Regent Street, runs it like a business, hands the profits to the Treasury (which in turn gives a bit to the king), and occasionally funds things like jelly tributes to commercial real estate as part of its effort to keep Regent Street feeling culturally relevant. 

Find out more: https://www.regentstreetonline.com/news/awaken-your-senses-Regent-Street 

While you’re there… 

👍️ When Casa de Frango first opened on Southwark Street, I thought the same as everyone else: “It’s just Nando’s for people who don’t like ordering from the counter.”  But then I read Jay Rayner’s review and was sold, because Jay Rayner is the GOAT. 

There are now three Casas de Frango in London, and one of them is literally a minute away. So once you’ve experienced a whiff of Sensorium’s “Regent Street” scent and been transported to, errr, exactly where you are anyway, you can get a whiff of piri-piri chicken and be transported to Portugal. Or Nando’s. Whichever memory is most prominent for you, I guess. 

👍️ Hamleys’ Extravagant Egg Hunt runs every day until 30 April – an ideal activity if you’d like your children to search for eggs while also discovering 400 toys they now believe they cannot live without. Check the link for specific hunt times. 

2: Discover the best chocolate since pre-2010 Dairy Milk

The Chocolate Station Market
Friday–Monday (exact times unclear)
Battersea Power Station, Turbine Hall B, Nine Elms, SW11 8BZ
FREE

If, for the past 15 years, you’ve had a vague sense that life just isn’t quite as good as it used to be, I’m happy to report we’ve found the culprit: British chocolate is rubbish now.

When Kraft bought Cadbury in 2010, they solemnly promised the UK government they wouldn’t mess with the Dairy Milk recipe – the same chocolate that forms the base of many other Cadbury products.

And, like all good multinational corporations, the people at Kraft kept their promise by technically doing exactly what was asked of them. The recipe stayed the same, but production quietly moved to Poland – where the ratios may be identical but the ingredients definitely aren’t. The milk is different. The sugar is different. The vibe is different. It’s compliant, but spiritually offensive – the chocolate bar equivalent of registering a yacht in Panama. 

So, as much as it pains me to say this, I think we all need to find a different chocolate to stock at home: even the king thinks so. And just imagine how happy we’d be if we could find something even better than the Cadbury of yesteryear? 

You might just discover it at the Chocolate Station Market at Battersea Power Station -– which is essentially a regular food market, if every single stall decided to pivot exclusively to chocolate. Instead of asparagus, chutney or rustic bread, it’s chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, as far as the eye can see.

One brand I’m desperate to try is Ruby Hue – which makes chocolate from cacao beans sourced from around the world (different beans are used in different types of chocolate). This Guatemalan chocolate with brown butter and tonka is on my to-buy list; I don’t even know what tonka is, but I’m sold. 

There’s also Meurisse, which has the prettiest packaging I’ve ever seen, and Chocolarder, who – oh my days – has flavours such as Cornish honeycomb, toasted oat milk and crème brûlée. Plus a million other brands to replace your major disappointment in Fruit & Nut. And even though I said it’s all about the chocolate (bars, truffles, drinks, etc.), you’ll also find the odd cookie and cake stall too. I don’t know what a matcha & gold chocolate or pistachio & white chocolate cookie will taste like, but I’m more than willing to find out. 

Find out more: https://batterseapowerstation.co.uk/events/easter/ 

While you’re there… 

👍️ Easter workshops at Battersea Power Station are booking up quicker than you can eat a shrinkflated Creme Egg. Check the individual links for dates and times (slots are available throughout the Easter weekend): 

• 🕹️ Chocolate Game Show with Sharky & George (£8.58 per child): creative challenges, themed trivia, blind taste tests, etc.

• 🪴 Paint & Plant with GLUEGANG (£15 per child, plus 38p booking fee): decorate your own plant pot, then bring it to life with real spring flowers. 

• 👯‍♂️ Spring Animal Ear Making (£8.58 per child): choose your favourite animal, create your own adorable set of felt ears to wear, and then get involved in an interactive storytelling session – where you’ll bring your creations to life. 

• 🧺 Spring Basket Decorating (£8.58 per child): create a beautiful, personalised basket adorned with flowers, tassels, trims and more. 

3: Admire the most jaw-dropping images of the year

Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition 2025
Friday–Sunday 11:00–19:00; bank holiday Monday 11:00–18:00 (and daily until 5 May, 11:00–19:00)
Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA
Adults £17.50; 13–16s £10, under-13s free

NOTE: you can get £15 adult tickets if you book through TimeOut: https://checkout.timeout.com/london/15-tickets-to-the-sony-world-photography-awards-exhibition-2025-61315. But you’ll have to book your children’s tickets separately, via the Somerset House website. 

You know what I like about Sony? (Not a plug!) They mostly sponsor things that make sense: photography, tech, filmmaking, PlayStation tournaments… and then, for reasons known to people who aren’t us, the Hawaii Golf Open. 

Look, no one’s perfect. But at least they haven’t gone the way of their competitors by slapping logos on fashion shows, Singapore Pride or the Spanish rail network.

One of Sony’s best ever brand matches is the World Photography Awards, held annually and followed by an exhibition of winning and shortlisted work at Somerset House. There are ten award categories – from Landscape and Portraiture to Architecture and Street Photography – plus additional tiers like “Professional”, “Youth” and “Student”, which intersect the categories in ways I won’t pretend to understand. There’s also an overall Photographer of the Year and an “Outstanding Contribution to Photography” prize.

Since it launched in 2008, over 1.5 million images from 200+ countries have been submitted. And while the early winners were reliably French, American or French-born American, photographers from other parts of the world have finally pulled their finger out and taken photos deemed just about good enough to win.

I’ve been going to the exhibition for years and it’s always a treat. Just know that Somerset House isn’t your typical gallery: the rooms are small and the walls are busy. And if you have a pram, I guarantee you’ll be apologising for its presence multiple times throughout your visit. 

Find out more: https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/sony-world-photography-awards-exhibition-2025 

4: Meet the tiniest circus performers in London

Little Angel Theatre’s Miniature Travelling Circus
Saturday 19 April, 10:00, 11:45 and 14:30
Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, N1 2DN
Adults £15, children £13
Little Angel Theatre age guidance: 2–5

Little Angel Theatre is a London institution with a wonderful atmosphere, plethora of events, and a success-to-misfire ratio that would make any Fringe programmer weep into their tote bag. And yet I’m worried that we take it for granted far too much. 

If we’re not careful, one day it’ll be gone – and I really don’t want that to happen. So I’m going to do my bit by mentioning it here, and by attending as many of its shows and workshops as I can. 

(If any Little Angel Theatre owners or staff are reading this thinking, “Errrr, do you know something we don’t about the fate of our business?” – oh gosh, no. That’s embarrassing. Not at all. It’s just that I’m old enough to remember Londoners’ guilt-stained nostalgia when the Stockpot on Old Compton Street closed in 2015, and I’m not keen to repeat that emotion any time soon.)

If you’re with me on this mission, let’s all start by getting tickets to a surefire banger. Miniature Travelling Circus is about a ringmaster called George who’s curated a bedazzling programme of acts – but the teeny-tiny performers (including carvoting mice and acrobatic fleas) need to do a lot more rehearsing before they’re ready for their time in the spotlight. 

It’s funny, lovingly made, and less than an hour long – the kind of show that reminds you why we need places like this. 

Find out more: https://www.littleangeltheatre.com/whats-on/little-angel-theatres-miniature-travelling-circus-2/ 

While you’re there… 

👍️ EVERYONE is obsessed with Sticks ‘n’ Sushi, and I don’t know if it’s justified because I’ve never been. So if you go (or if you’ve already visited), you’ll have to let me know if it’s any good. 

The restaurant chain was founded by two brothers and takes inspiration from their half-Danish, half-Japanese background to provide both yakitori (grilled meat sticks) and sushi in one place. According to the chain’s not-entirely-modest “about” page, it attracts “both families and trendsetters” and has become “a dynamic and innovative force on the Danish gourmet scene”. I won’t bore you with more quotes, but it’s set many new standards for lots of different things, and you’ll be blown away.  

Anyway: there’s a Sticks ‘n’ Sushi in Islington. Remember to please let me know if I should bother. 

5: Try out moves from a fusion dance spectacular

Jham!
Saturday 19 April, performances at 14:00–14:30 and 17:00–17:30, and participatory workshop at 14:30–15:15
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
FREE – no ticket required
Southbank Centre age guidance: 5+

“Four musicians – including a traditional Karnatik vocalist, a beatboxer, a violinist and a flautist – perform alongside four Kathak and Bharatanatyam dancers… followed by a free dance workshop with live music led by members of the company, suitable for different levels of dance ability and experience.”

If you’re a person with kids, you’ll no doubt think, “That sounds AMAZING! Yes please!” (Especially once you find out it’s free.) If you’re Jeff, writer of Dads in London, you’ll think, “Don’t tell me… don’t tell me… that’s GOT to be a Southbank Centre event.” I’ve been doing this newsletter for so long that I can tell you which venue is hosting by both the structure of its event and the structure of its sentences. 

Jham! combines contemporary dance and music (including beatboxing) with the classical Indian sounds of solkattu – AKA “syllabic recitation”, AKA “drumming language”. There’s also an element of improvisation, as the musicians work off each other to produce new music and beats as they go. 

In case you’re still a bit “Huh?” about my attempt to describe it – which is totally fair – I found this Jham! trailer from a couple of years back, and I think it’ll show you exactly what to expect. 

Find out more: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/jham/ 

While you’re there… 

👍️ If you’re happy to double dip into the Southbank experience, there are three performances of The Lion Inside on Saturday – at 10:30, 13:00 and 15:50. It’s about Mouse, who wishes he could roar like a lion because he’s fed up of being ignored by the other animals. There’s puppetry, music and fun songs throughout – intertwined, of course, with some predictably Aesoppy lessons about life. (The show also has limited availability on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.)n up!