12 min read

TOP 30 THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS THIS MAY 2023

Best Children's Events to See You Though the Bank Holiday, Half Term and Beyond

May has bank holidays and half terms coming out of its ears, so we've dispatched our SWAT team of fun-foragers to cherrypick the top 30 things to do with children this month.

From adventures in Jumanji or secret London tunnels to Mrs Doubtfire, Winnie the Pooh and Hey Duggee theatrical juggernauts. Meet the world's biggest dinosaur and then travel the world and its seven continents with Sir David Attenborough.

Mrs Doubtfire Heads to the West End

Hellooooo London, dear! Everybody's favourite out-of-work actor and divorcee is heading to the West End this May.

Daniel loses custody of his kids during a messy divorce, so creates Scottish nanny alter ego, Euphegenia Doubtfire in a desperate bid to stay in their lives. As his new character takes on a life of her own, Mrs Doubtfire teaches Daniel more than he bargained about how to be a father.

Created by a transatlantic team of award-winning artists, this warm-hearted, comedy musical comes to London following a sold-out run in Manchester.

Shaftesbury Theatre, 210 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8DP from 12 May.

Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur

For the first time ever, the colossal Patagotitan mayorum titanosaur - one of the largest known creatures to have ever walked our planet - will go on display at Natural History Museum. Four times heavier than Dippy the Diplodocus and 12 metres longer than Hope, the museum’s legendary blue whale, this gigantic creature is a spectacular sight. You can view this gargantuan dinosaur skeleton up close at this fun, interactive family exhibition. You'll follow the life of a titanosaur, from a football-sized egg plucked from its nest to a fully grown adult, bearing the marks of an encounter with a ferocious predator that took a bite out of its tail. As you weave your way around the gallery, you'll handle specimens, stare into its gigantic sauropod skull and even smell its poo. Natural History Museum, Waterhouse Gallery, South Kensington, London. Under 3s are free. 4-16 are £9. Adults £16.

BBC Earth Experience

Travel the world and seven continents in one, visually delicious immersive experience through the hit BBC series, Seven Worlds, One Planet. With bespoke narration from Sir David Attenborough himself and hosted at Earl’s Court's purpose-built Daikin Centre, you will experience the incredible diversity of the seven continents through multiple, multi-angle, 360-degree screens, meeting the extraordinary animals which inhabit them. The event - suitable for all age groups - also boasts breakout zones where you can dive into the depths of Water World, marvel at the sweeping landscapes of the Vista Stage, and test your bravery by getting close to creepy crawlies in the Micro Life zone.

BBC Earth Experience. The Daikin Centre, Earl’s Court, Hammersmith, London SW6 1TR. Until 31 July. Adult £28.50 children under three go FREE

The World's First Jumanji Themepark Opens

Follow the footsteps of Dr Bravestone and leap through the boardgame into the World of Jumanji, which opens this May at Chessington World of Adventures. Locate the Jaguar’s Eye Jewel, lift the curse and save Jumanji. Brave adventurers will discover three new theme park rides, including the world’s only Jumanji rollercoaster, Mandrill Mayhem.

Chessington World of Adventures, Chessington KT9 2NE

Avora Family Experience

Up an unassuming, Shoreditch street is a secret portal to another planet. And on school holidays and Sundays, you can take your kids for a well-deserved break from Earth, on planet Avora.

Head here for our full review of this worthy and otherworldly adventure, encountering scientists, mocktails, aliens, army villains and closing with a child-pleasing, farty finale.

Avora: Family Immersive Adventure 5C, 127 Hackney Road, London, E2 8GY. Sundays, 12pm – 3:30pm. School Holiday weekdays. £24.50 per child (6-13) £29.50 per adult.

Hey Duggee Live Theatre Show

Squirrels, are you ready? Hey Duggee Live kicks off its first ever interactive UK theatre tour this May. Betty wants to make costumes, Happy wants to sing, Tag wants to make music, Norrie wants to dance, Roly wants jelly and they all want your sprogs to join them at the Clubhouse. There is so much to do, but luckily Duggee has his Theatre Badge. A-Woof!

Hey Duggee Theatre Show. UK Tour runs until Aug 23

Postal Museum's Secret Tunnel Walks

Kids 12 and over can head beneath London's streets for an exclusive, underground adventure along the 100 year old Mail Rail tunnels. Once they have donned their high vis jackets and hard hats, kids can join their expert guide for a fascinating tour through secret platforms, tunnels and tracks.

Postal Museum 15-20 Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DA. 16 and 23 May

Winnie the Pooh the Musical

Entertainment juggernauts, Disney and Rockerfeller Productions have created this theatrical lovechild, which has already bagged five-star reviews in New York and Chicago.

Life-sized Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and Kanga puppets hit the London stage this Spring for a musical honey quest with Christopher Robin. AA Milne’s original songs have had the Sherman Brothers' treatment, for a Grammy-winning score, introducing the next generation to the much-loved inhabitants of The Hundred Acre Wood. This engaging,, 65-minute show is aimed at children from 3+ and is already proving to be a sweet and sticky hit.

Riverside Studios, 101 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London, W6 9NB. Until 29 May. Tickets from £29.50

The Gunpowder Plot at Tower of London Vaults

Older children (12+) will be catapulted into the most exciting history lesson of their lives, in this explosive new, immersive experience, starring Harry Potter’s Tom Felton. Your mission is to go undercover and unmask the mysterious figures behind history’s most infamous plot. But when you’re surrounded by traitors, who can you trust? With surprises around every turn, descend into the vaults and experience a combination of live and digital actors, virtual reality and fancy pants technology like motion simulators and special effects, transporting you back to London 1605 in the heart of the Gunpowder plot.

The Gunpowder Plot, 8-12 Tower Hill Vaults, London, EC3N 4EE

Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination

Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination invites visitors into a unique, story-led exhibition through the world of science fiction. Visitors will be guided through this ambitious exhibition aboard an alien spacecraft by an artificial intelligence of unknown origin, and will encounter authentic items from celebrated sci-fi films, television series and literature, as well as significant scientific objects that have shaped modern life. Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD. Until 4 May. £15pp

Play Captain on a GoBoat River Picnic

If you’re looking for somewhere to spend a genuinely relaxing few hours for parents and children (plus dogs, if you have one) we recommend a GoBoat trip.

You can enjoy a picnic as captain of your own, electric boat through Canary Wharf, Paddington, Kingston, Thames Ditton or Birmingham.

Check out our review of the GoBoat Canary Wharf experience HERE GoBoat UK, Open 7 days a week from 9am - dusk. Prices start from £85 for 1 hour and £125 for two hours on the 8-person boats. GoBoat Canary Wharf, 22 Churchill Place, London, E14 5RE

Paddington Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

Brigit's Bakery has launched the first, official Paddington Bear afternoon tea bus tour, celebrating the capital.The double-decker has built-in screens, so that Paddington and Mrs Bird can provide an animated guide to the tour, which includes some of Paddington's favourite landmarks, like Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Nelson’s Column, Downing Street, St. Paul's Cathedral, Borough Market, Green Park and Piccadilly Circus. The tour takes just under two hours, while you scoff treats including glittering shortbreads, designed to look like nibbled marmalade sandwiches, mini pizzas, smoked salmon and cucumber pretzels, turkey ham and cheddar or cream cheese and cucumber finger sandwiches and naturally, marmalade sandwiches. And for those who share the bear’s sweet tooth, the homemade sweet treats included a rice pudding studded with chocolate honeycomb, chocolate cupcakes crowned with Paddington’s chocolate paws, lemon meringue tarts, chocolate macarons and freshly baked scones with cream and jam. Brigit’s Bakery also provide vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal afternoon teas. Check out our review, HERE

Paddington Afternoon Tea Bus tour Departs from Trafalgar Square, Wednesdays to Sundays. Prices from £45 adult, £35 child.

Shakespeare's Globe Bankside

Banish the bored with the Bard at Shakespeare’s Globe. With interactive theatre shows, tailored to a young audience, Elizabethan dress-up, sword fighting demos and storytelling, Shakespeare will keep little ones entertained.

Shakespeare's Globe: 21 New Globe Walk SE1 9DT. Dates, times and ticket prices vary.

Discover Children’s Story Centre

Stratford's immersive, sprog-storytelling Mecca is brimming with entertainment across three floors, plus a wonderfully imaginative Story Garden. Creep through caves, find fairy worlds within magical trees, explore hidden ships, perform in a puppet castle, leap over alligators and man your own spaceships and rockets across two floors, which also host art and craft stations, beautiful reading corners, storytelling sessions, immersive events and installations. Or head outside to the magical new play area to discover Baba Yaga’s hut held up by chicken legs, climb Hootah’s castle and slide out of the Stratford Sputnik. Check out our review here

Discover Children's Story Centre 383-387 High St, London E15 4QZ

Whizz Down The ArcelorMittal Orbit

How about hurling your children down the world’s tallest slide? The 178m long ArcelorMittal Orbit was the iconic landmark of the 2012 London Olympics and is now an attraction with three adventure experiences. Families can speed down the winding slide, abseil, or walk around the glass orbit at the top. You can also pretend it's a high-brow, cultural experience, because the orbit is also a sculpture by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond. And it beats the usual views of grubby swings and bins, because here you can check out the stunning views of Queen Elizabeth Park. To ride the slide, children must be at least eight years old and over 1.3m. ArcelorMittal Orbit, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, 5 Thornton St, London E20 2AD. From £10.75.

Cutty Sark Rig Climb Experience

Originally climbed when the ship first arrived to Greenwich in 1954, visitors can now recreate this, by clambering up the famous masts of the Cutty Sark.The Rig Climb Experience invites kids and brave parents to step up from the main deck onto the ship’s ratlines and climb up its top mast, as hundreds of sailors did during the Cutty Sark’s heyday. Once at the top, climbers will experience a controlled descent from the rigging. Participants will be rewarded with some of the best views in London, overlooking St Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard and Tower Bridge.

Cutty Sark King William Walk, London SE10 9H

Royal Albert Hall's Storytelling and Music Sessions

Seasoned storytellers Paul Rubinstein, and Becky Dixon deliver a series of sessions for babies and toddlers, aiming to engage and encourage interaction between parents/carers and their little ones using musical instruments, singing, movement and stories. Developing coordination, self-confidence and awareness using songs, sounds, rhythms and rhymes, we explore the Hall’s story of diverse musical history.

Royal Albert Hall, Elgar Room. Until 30 August £5

KidZania

Ambulances and fire engines hurtle through the streets and emergency workers tumble out to jet hoses at the Grand Flamingo Hotel fire or treat the wounded, while police cordon off the area and Metro journalists interview witnesses.It might not sound like your typical half-term trip, but the kids will love every second, because they are the firefighters, paramedics, press and police role-playing in KidZania, London's extraordinary, 75,000 sqft indoor city for children. Check out our review, here

KidZania: Westfield London Shopping Centre Ariel Way W12 7GA. For 4-14 year olds

Snot, Sick and Scabs at the Centre of the Cell

Deliciously disgusting and sneakily educational centre in a futuristic, light-studded pod suspended above the laboratories of the Blizard Institute in Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Children can learn about the heart, teeth or senses, see scientists at work and enjoy their delightfully vile ‘Snot, Sick and Scabs’ session. Centre of the Cell, 4 Newark St, London E1 2AT

Wookey Hole

Deep within Somerset’s belly lurks Wookey Hole, a magical, subterranean attraction with world-famous caves and eight unique chambers for kids to explore. There is something for every flavour of child, from a cave-diving museum, enchanted valley, 4D cinema, adventure golf, dinosaur grove, play zones and magic and circus shows all included in the ticket price. The more adventurous can even brave the Wild Wookey Experience, climbing, crawling or abseiling through caves.

Wookey Hole Caves, The Mill, High St, Wookey Hole, Wells BA5 1BB. Under 3s go free. Children (3-14) £17.65. Adults £21.45

Out-of-Hours at the British Museum

Your little ones can walk in the footsteps of the ancient Greeks, Pharoahs or journey through the cultures of China at The British Museum's family-friendly, out-of-hours tours. Taking place between 8.50 – 10am, before the galleries are open to the public, you can beat the unsavoury crowds. And from 4 - 25 March, children can explore Roman history through Minecraft, create a Japan-themed family photo (11 March) and make mosaic masks inspired by the Aztec gods on 18 March. The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG. Under fives go free. £16.50 for 5-15 year olds. £33 Adults

Lord of the Rings Quest

Take part in the Lord of the Rings, family challenge at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village to save Middle Earth and explore Tolkien's world Visit the Hobbit Hole and Mirkwood, where there are huge spiders awaiting you. See the enormous dragon guarding its treasure. Meet Halbarad the Ranger of the North, try your hand at archery and you might even meet a friendly Orc. Suitable for adults and children aged 3+ years, there are two parts to the Ring Quest trail, each lasting about 45 minutes. Lord of the Rings Quest West Stow Anglo Saxon Village, Icklingham Rd, West Stow, Bury Saint Edmunds IP28 6HG. Tickets £7 adults, £4 children 5-16 years. £21 for a family (two adults and up to three children).

Shrek's Adventure

Rumpelstiltskin is on the loose, and he’s causing all kinds of mischief for the characters of Far Far Away and beyond.

Luckily, Donkey is on hand to give you a ride on his flying bus and Shrek and Fiona will join up with you as soon as they get the chance. Shrek’s adventure is a wild adventure through the land of children’s favourite ogre and actors, technology and immaculately created sets will make sure your children are engrossed from start to finish.

Check out our Shrek’s Adventure review to find out more.

Shrek’s Adventure tickets. Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1

Monopoly Lifesized

Go big or go home… or straight to jail at Monopoly Lifesized, an immersive, on-your-feet version of the classic, family game, played on a 15m x 15m lifesized Monopoly board. Enter the 4D experience and compete in challenges for your chance to buy properties. Stage a heist in Mayfair, compete against a clock to build some of London’s iconic buildings, solve a baffling murder mystery or step into the world of codebreakers. The 80-minute experience is suitable for kids from 9 and older and is open every day except Mondays.

Monopoly Lifesized, 213-215 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7PS. Tickets £49 pp

Crystal Maze LIVE Experience

Older children (from 8 onwards) can take on this immersive adventure, which brings the hit 90s TV show to life.Run around like mentalists, yell, complete a host of difficult challenges and end the game in a fetching, satin bomber jacket. Crystal Maze Live Experience, 22 - 32 Shaftesbury Avenue W1D 7EU

Flip Out Hounslow

If your children are of the ‘charmingly indecisive’ type, then a trip to Hounslow’s newly-opened Flip Out might be the answer to your prayers. Cramming mini-golf, arcades, laser quest, bumper cars, inflatables, a ninja assault course and soft play under a single, cavernous roof, the beauty of Flip Out is that you pay for entry to the venue and not for individual activities. We’re yet to discover whether you can drive a bumper car around the laser quest arena, performing drive-by shootings with a slushy in your hand, but there’s only one way to find out.Entry is a very reasonable £19pp (dropping to £14 for children under 1.1m tall) for three hours in the ‘Arena’ and if you’re not local to the newest venue in Hounslow, Flip Out has similar offerings all over the country. BUY TICKETS Flip Out Hounslow, Units 3, 4 & 5 High Street Quarter, 8 Smithy Ln, Hounslow TW3 1EH

Thomas and Friends at Whistlestop Valley

Take unlimited train rides on Thomas, Toby and Mavis, meet Sir Topham Hatt and Sodor Station Sweepers Rusty and Dusty for singalongs and performances at Huddersfield’s Whistlestop Valley.Kids can also enjoy an Imagination Station play zone with Thomas and Friends activities, jumping pillow, bubble zone, storytelling sessions, giveaways for every child and themed activities. Thomas at Whistlestop Valley Park Mill Way, Clayton West, Huddersfield HD8 9XJ

Birdies, Angel

Birdies’ crazy golf in Angel and Battersea Power Station provide an Insta-worthy, nine hole course featuring three completely new holes - Wing it, Green and Bunker 2.0 - as well as tried and tested fan favourites Hazard, Kinetic, Steps, Infinity and Roulette. Cheeky Burger will keep the kid’s happy, while the coral pink cocktail bar will please the parents.

Birdies Level 1, Angel Central, 31-32 Parkfield Street, N1 0PZ

Wembley Park

Kids can take part in a host of free and paid events at Wembley Park, from stadium tours to acting classes, Wonderkids football sessions and movies.Teens and bigger children can take on the zombie apocalypse at meetspace VR or have a round on neon crazy golf course at Pop Golf. And Union Park has a kids’ splash par (bit nippy in March, though) games court and a bee hotel to keep them entertained. Wembley Park London

Holiday to Space at Royal Observatory Greenwich

Join Ted and Plant as they explore the Solar System in search of the best place to take a holiday in an intergalactic morning adventure, including a planetarium show and interactive workshop.Recommended Age: 3 - 6 yrs. Open 10am-5pm daily Royal Observatory Greenwich Park, Blackheath Avenue SE10 8XJ

Wizard Exploratorium

Soho's magic-themed Wizard Exploratorium is a five-storey, geek wonderland, offering a 4D wand-making workshop, immersive trick shop and suitably magical afternoon tea encompassing tea brewing, molecular gastronomy, and technology. Check out our review, here. Wizard Exploratorium, 26 Greek St, London W1D 5DE