👾 5 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (20–21 July)

Hello DiLFs, 

Whew: SO much to get through for this weekend. So I’ll keep this intro short. 

ENJOY!

Jeff xx

1: Stay one step ahead of the water jets (or get soaked)

Appearing Rooms at Southbank Centre
Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 (and every Wednesday–Sunday until 8 September)
Riverside Terrace, Level 2, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
FREE

Even though this annual Southbank favourite has been visitable for over a month already, I’ve held off mentioning it: the weather has been so stubbornly insistent on denying us summer that I didn't think there was much point in bringing it up. We’ve all been too busy shaking our frostbitten fists at the sky to enjoy anything warm-weather-adjacent. 

Now, though, London is getting hotter and sunnier. At the time of writing, that’s a blatant lie. By the time you read this sentence, I’m hoping it’ll be at least partially true – because the Appearing Rooms are “London summer joy” epitomised. The concept and execution are really quite simple: walls of water rise to create a “room”, but then disappear randomly and rise again somewhere else to create another “room”. The challenge is to run around and change rooms without getting soaked – or to do the exact opposite if you’re an adventurous family and you have a spare set of clothes. 

It’s joy-inducing in a way I can’t describe. And it can form part of an exciting day of Southbank fun, as there’s a lot more to do in the area this weekend (see below). 

Find out more: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/art-exhibitions/jeppe-heins-appearing-rooms 

While you’re there… 

Like I was saying… lots more to do in the area this weekend. Here’s what’s also at Southbank Centre: 

👍️ There’s an organisation called Jazz re:freshed, which organises an annual “celebration of all things jazz” called JAZZ RE:FEST. (The jazz tradition of improvisation is on full display with those bonkersly inconsistent names. Jesus.) JAZZ RE:FEST features a mix of international and up-and-coming artists, who’ll perform live across multiple stages in both The Clore Ballroom and the Riverside Terrace. It’s on Saturday only and is free to attend. 

👍️ The Dance Exchange is a free afternoon event on Sunday only, which celebrates street dance across generations and cultures. There are activities throughout the day, including the “All-Style Exhibition Battle” (a battle of different dance styles) and a “hustle workshop”, which apparently is not about conning people out of money in this context. 

👍️ The Southbank Centre Food Market is held on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, and it’s where you’ll find food from Ethiopia, Thailand, Venezuela and more. The market has its own Instagram account because of course it does, and it’s where you can look at some delicious-looking meals in advance. 

2: Dance the day away at a family event in the park

Family Dance Day
Saturday 20 July, 11:00–16:00
Coram’s Fields, 93 Guilford Street, WC1N 1DN
FREE

I didn’t think three words could ever excite me more than “Free kombucha delivered” (because I’m that kind of London dad), but “Family Dance Day” is a decent contender. And while I’m no closer to experiencing the former – despite submitting myriad haikus to win a lifetime supply – I’m less than a week away from enjoying the latter. 

Family Dance Day is being organised by The Place – an organisation that provides dance classes, workshops and genuinely original performances in its venue near King’s Cross. For Family Dance Day, they’re moving to Coram’s Fields nearby – which provides much more space for the theatre shows, interactive storytelling, dance classes and arts and crafts activities scheduled throughout the day. As the title emphasises the dance aspect of the event, I’m expecting there to be multiple opportunities to embarrass my children (and everyone else in attendance) with my moves. 

Find out more: https://theplace.org.uk/events/family-dance-day 

While you’re there… 

👍️ Lamb’s Conduit Street has a large supply of restaurants and cafes at all price ranges. 

3: Remember why science is so much fun at a Discovery Day

Discovery Day at The Francis Crick Institute
Saturday 20 July, 11:00–16:00 (but you must book a time slot)
1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT
FREE

This seems like the sort of enjoyable, low-key kind of outing I like to do with my children on a Saturday morning. It’s something where we can just turn up on the day, and it’s fine if the spectacular-sounding activities (like “Become an immune cell avenger and discover the superpower inside different immune cells”) under-deliver because we weren’t planning our lives around them anyway.

Unfortunately, though, the Crick has gone all “Dishoom at brunch” on us. There are timed entry slots with set visitor capacities – which would be fine, but you can’t book your bloomin’ slot. Worse still, “you might need to queue and entry is not guaranteed”. Oh yes: and you’ll be chucked out after an hour and a half. 

My optimistic take on all this? That the Crick’s Discovery Day is actually fantastic – just like a Dishoom bacon naan roll – and its overzealous entry system is needed due to the event’s popularity. I hope so, because I’m dying for my son to “Grab the mic and interview a scientist” so he can finally ask a real expert why spiders don’t get stuck in their own webs. 

Find out more: https://www.crick.ac.uk/whats-on/discovery-day-1

While you’re there… 

👍️ The Somers Town Coffee House isn’t a coffee house. It’s a pub. Which is good or bad news depending on whether you want coffee or beer. It’s a lovely cosy place that welcomes dogs and has great food (and also coffee, if you’re still irked about being misled by the name). It bills itself as being “a real country pub in London”, which should help you understand the vibe they’re going for– even if (in my opinion), they haven’t quite achieved it yet. 

👍️ If it’s hot (🤞) and you have suncream with you (the lack of shade is insane), just head to Granary Square Fountains and you’ll need to provide no further entertainment for the day. 

👍️ Samsung KX is basically a juiced-up Apple Store. In addition to loads of devices to try out, there’s a free Gaming Zone (which uses “the most advanced Samsung gaming technology”), a cafe, an area for coworking and a “Support Lounge” (essentially a modestly named Genius Bar). It’s a fab space that’s never too busy, but – even with all the gaming opportunities – it’s only really going to entertain everyone for about an hour or so. 

4: Go on a family adventure and discover a monster funfair

Monster Funfair at Discover Children’s Story Centre
Saturday and Sunday, various time slots throughout the day (note: slots are being booked up fast!), and then other dates throughout the year
383–387 High Street, E15 4QZ
Various and confusing entry prices, but it’s about £15 per person for general entry and a ticket to the Monster Funfair; check the website for all prices

The Monster Funfair is, according to the website, an “immersive family adventure” that “will take visitors through a fantastical circus tent and into the woods.” Among the trees will be “an amazing, marvellous, EXTRAORDINARY… Monster Funfair!” 

As is often the case with Discover events, there’s also a fun mystery to solve: “Who has stolen ALL the candyfloss?” Will you get to eat the candyfloss if you solve the mystery? You’ll need to wait and see! (That’s code for: I have no idea but probably not.)

Discover Children’s Story Centre also has a huge creative play space for children aged 0–11, so be sure to set aside enough time for that too. 

Find out more: https://discover.org.uk/event/monster-funfair/ 

5: Give some crazy Olympic sports a try at Woolympics: the silliest event of the summer 

Woolympics
Saturday 20 July, 11:30
Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No. 1 Street, SE18 6HD
FREE

Believe it or not, Woolympics is not a sporting event for sheep: somehow it manages to be way more fun than that. Taking inspiration from both the early days of the Olympics and some more recently introduced sports, it’s a day-long thing that allows you to find out if you have the skills to be an Olympian. 

Now, apparently, pie-throwing was an ancient Olympic sport. But having extensively-ish researched Olympic history just now, I’m thinking the organisers made that one up because they have a job lot of pies that are about to go off. 

They’re not fibbing about breakdancing (officially known as “breaking”), at least: it became an Olympic sport this year, and you’ll get to practise your toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes with the help of some breaking experts. I imagine this activity has the potential to be fun, painful, or both, depending on how enthusiastically you tend to take on new challenges. 

There’s so much more to do on the day – including workshops, community tug of war, rowing races, face painting, garden games and all-day dancing ​​– and it all sounds fun, silly, and a perfect way to get into the spirit of the 2024 Olympics. 

Find out more: https://www.woolwich.works/events/woolympics?dm_i=6KPY,11QN2,5LCUQF,4RLV0,1

While you’re there… 

👍️ Maryon Wilson Animal Park is a happy home to ducks, geese, chickens, sheep, goats, pigs, ponies and deer. It's found inside Maryon Wilson Park – a beautiful wooded area with streams and open grassland and all the idyllic things you miss about the countryside (until you remember that the countryside is mostly boring). It’s about a 15-minute drive or 20-minute bus ride from Woolwich Works. 

👍️The Royal Arsenal has been around since the late 1600s, as the place where armaments and ammunition were manufactured for the British Armed Forces. These days, however, it’s all green open spaces, creative places, and restaurants, cafes and bars.

Bonuses! More things to do this weekend 

There are SO many incredible activities this weekend, so I have to list a few more of the best ones here: 

👍️ RE:DANCE (what is it with colons and uppercasing this weekend?) is a free, all-day event showcasing “raw” youth dance performances: no tech or lighting involved. There’ll be various dance styles from various dance groups, and you’re invited to go along and watch them perform this Saturday at The Scoop (London Bridge area). 

👍️ Same place, different date, different gist. Return to The Scoop on Sunday for Funky Voices – a choir group with members aged 16 to 100 who perform fun, feel-good tracks. Check out their stuff on YouTube for a better idea of what they’re about. 

👍️ Experience the classic seaside vibe at Walthamstow-on-Sea at Big Penny Social (Saturday and Sunday). There’ll be beach huts, a beach bar serving drinks and ice cream, penny sweets and “Wish You Were Here!” postcards to send to loved ones. That last one seems random, but heyho. 

👍️ If you’re planning to go to Walthamstow-on-Sea on Sunday, you could combine it with a 50-minute concert at the same venue. Britten Sinfonia’s musicians will be at Big Penny Social to perform a brand new musical version of the children’s book The Robot and the Bluebird, and there’ll be specially created animations to accompany the music.