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The Capital's Unmissable Art Shows this January 2025 The January gloom has been illuminated with brilliant art this month, from Luke Jerram's new (much-needed) Sun to Battersea and Canary Wharf's light artists and Anthony McCall's Lost in Light. There are also pierced nethers and wonderful characters from Alice Neel, a colourful exploration of the birth of Modernism in Brazil and a gaggle of shows to brighten up this otherwise grey month, among our guide to this month's top 18 exhibitions in London. __________________________ At Home: Alice Neel in the Queer World One of our favourite, and most radical American painters of the 20th Century, Alice Neel’s legacy is further explored in Victoria Miro’s ninth exhibition of the late artist’s work. This show focuses on her role within the LGBTQ community and highlights the her career-long commitment to depicting the human condition and painting people from many walks of life, with subjects in the show including friends, politicians, writers, artists and performers. Victoria Miro , 16 Wharf Road, London N1 7RW. 30 January - 8 March London Premiere of Luke Jerram’s NEW Helios Installation Move over Mars, there’s a new star in town, in the extraordinary shape of Luke Jerram’s brand new Helios installation, which will make its London premiere at Old Royal Naval College. The artist’s equally jaw-dropping Mars artwork will be replaced by the seven-meter celestial artwork of our largest star, to bring its vibrancy within touching distance in this cold winter. Co-commissioned by the Old Royal Naval College, Helios promises a ‘winter sun’ escape in a stunning setting, complemented by a programme of events celebrating wellbeing and culture. It offers a rare opportunity to closely examine the star’s surface in astonishing detail. At a scale of 1:200 million, every centimetre of the illuminated masterpiece represents 200km of the Sun’s fiery expanse. Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, London SE10 9NN, 25 January - 25 March. £16.50 FREE Battersea Power Station Light Festival The Power Station’s FREE annual light show returns, bigger, better and more interactive than ever, to shine some light into the January gloom. Many of the eight spectacular installations include soundscapes and interactive elements which respond to people’s movements, like the LightPiano, which invites people to play with music and light; or Lightbattle III, for a cycling competition inside arches of light, with the ultimate winner awarded with a flood of colourful light. Battersea Power Station , Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8DD. 23 January - 23 February. FREE FREE Winter Lights, Canary Wharf This gorgeous, free light trail returns for its ninth year, with 12 installations, including a towering stack of bath tubs, pulsating with light and music, portals, mirages, a 20m wide black hole. There are also sweet treats and hot drinks to fuel you on the adventure. Winter Lights.  Throughout Canary Wharf. 21 January - 1 February 2025. FREE Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism In the early 20th century a new modern art was emerging in Brazil, informed by the vibrant cultures, identities and landscapes of Brazil. This major exhibition features more than 130 works by ten important Brazilian artists from the twentieth century - with many on show for the first time - capturing the diversity of Brazilian art its birth and colourful evolution. Royal Academy , Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. 28 Jan - 28 April.Tickets from £23.50 pp The World of Tim Burton We whispered Beetlejuice three times, and the UK premiere of The World of Tim Burton has been announced at London's Design Museum. Fittingly, the alchemist of whimsical goth horror’s exhibition launches just before Halloween, on 25 October, riding the crest of the hype-tsunami around the freshly released Beetlejuice 2 movie. The show will showcase his work beyond the silver-screen, as an illustrator, painter, photographer and author, as well as key collaborations with designers. Drawing from Burton’s personal archive and representing his creative output from childhood to the present day, this collection of drawings, paintings, photographs, sketchbooks, moving-image works, sculptural installations, set and costume design focuses on the recurrent visual themes and motifs found in Burton’s art and film worlds. This will be the final stop in a decade-long world tour for this exhibition and will be its only ever showing in the UK. The World of Tim Burton , Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High St, W8 6AG. 25 October 25 2024 - 21 April 2025. Tickets from £19.69 pp, Kid’s £9.85 Marilyn: The Exhibition Read our review This UK premiere offers a rare and unprecedented glimpse into the private world of the silverscreen icon. From love letters, satin robes and timeless outfits to vintage shoes, make-up and accessories, this meticulously curated collection features 250 extraordinary objects from the exclusive private collection of Ted Stampfer, the world's largest collector of Marilyn's historical objects. The eternally fascinating, Hollywood superstar's most personal belongings were locked in storage for almost 40 years before being dispersed across the globe, after being released to the world’s biggest auction houses. Finally, this vast and extraordinary collection has been reunited for this show, revealing the woman behind the world’s most famous smile. Marilyn: The Exhibition . Arches, London Bridge,  8 Bermondsey St, London SE1 2ER. Until 23 February 2025   Looks Delicious! S hokuhin sanpuru  – the Japanese concept of placing unexpectedly realistic food replicas in restaurant windows - has been celebrated, in this feast for the eyes. Audiences can admire 47 of these skilfully-created models up close, with dishes ranging from Okinawan goya chanpuru  (bitter melon stir fry) to the indigenous Ainu ohaw (soup with salmon) from the northern island of Hokkaido. The free show explores the history, materials, processes and future potential of the craft. Japan House , 101-111 Kensington High St, London W8 5SA. Until 16 February. FREE Turner Prize 2024 Work by the four shortlisted Turner Prize artists will go on display from 25 September , ahead of the 40th year of the awards ceremony, which has made stars of everybody from Damien Hirst to Grayson Perry. Delaine le Bas and Jasleen Kaur explore their Glaswegian Sikh and Roma heritages via immersive installations; Claudette Johnson examines the marginalisation of Black people in Western art, through striking figurative portraits, and Pio Abad reflects on colonialism, with drawings and sculptures of artefacts from Oxford museums. Tate Britain , Millbank, London SW1P 4RG. 25 September - 16 February 2025 Barbie: The Exhibition The wonder doll (and society’s) evolution is charted in this luminous exhibition, which opened this month, to coincide with Barbie’s 65th birthday. Exploring her story through a design lens including fashion, architecture, furniture and vehicle design, her plastic-fantastic universe has engulfed the Design Museum, showing changing attitudes to women’s careers - Barbie has had more than 250 jobs -  race, sexuality, fashion and body image. Highlights include a rare first edition of the very first doll released by Mattel in 1959, the first Black, Hispanic and Asian dolls to bear the Barbie name, as well as dolls that reflect today’s diverse, multicultural society, including the first Barbie with Down Syndrome, the first to use a wheelchair, and the first to be designed with a curvy body shape. Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 6AG. Until 23 February 2025. Adult from £14.38. Children from £7.19 Anthony McCall - Solid Light at Tate Modern The Godfather of immersive exhibitions, Anthony McCall brings his extraordinary, Solid Light show to Tate Modern on 27 June, inviting visitors to bring artworks to life through movements and interactions. Beams of light projected through a thin mist create large, three-dimensional forms in space, which slowly shift and change. As you move through these translucent light sculptures, you’ll create new, airy sculptures. Occupying a space between sculpture, cinema, drawing, and performance, McCall is known for his innovative installations of light. In 1973, his seminal work Line Describing a Cone redefined the possibilities of sculpture and this show is set to be the Tate’s next big blockbuster. Anthony McCall: Solid Light. Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Until 27 April 2025. Tickets £10 pp. Entheon at Illusionaries  Illusionaries , Canary Wharf's new multi-sensory art space, invites us on a journey through three immersive rooms and installations, designed to engage the senses through soundscapes, animation, projection and colour. The UK premiere of the Entheon show sees international artists Alex and Allyson Grey explore the human condition, with kaleidoscopic pieces, showing the interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual worlds. Alex and Allyson are also the co-founders of Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM), a non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering creativity, spirituality and contemplation through art.  Entheon . Illusionaries, Crossrail Pl, London E14 5AR. Until 21 February NAOMI in Fashion at V&A The V&A will transform into the ultimate catwalk for a celebration of supermodel Naomi Campbell’s 40 year career, from 22 June. The show features more than 100 stunning outfits as well as iconic shots by some of the world’s biggest photographers, telling her extraordinary story and celebrating her creative collaborations, activism and far-reaching cultural impact. Victoria & Albert Museum , Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL. Until 6 April 2025 Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter?

Middle Eastern Juggernaut Crowns Harrods with First UK Restaurant Somewhere  over the Harrods , way up high, there’s some food that we dreamed of in London from Dubai. We head to the suitably opulent launch of the Middle Eastern destination’s first UK outpost, on the fourth floor of the capital’s most exclusive department store. Its deliberately ambiguous name reflects the melting pot of cultures in its wonderfully diverse and colourful dishes and interiors. We leave Harrods ’ endless warrens of sparkle and luxury, and enter a warmly lit new world, where sandy, burnt orange and earthy tones are splashed with hints of verdant green, evoking the Middle Eastern landscape. The tone is set by a musician, playing soothing Arabic music on an oud. The restaurant’s themes of luxury and travel are celebrated by the event’s partner, Aspinal of London , which customises leather luggage tags for us, and presents us with prints of their scarf designs to paint, with three of the best winning the brand’s beautiful designer handbags - I will kick myself for eternity for chatting too long to finish my doodles. In keeping with its UAE and Saudi roots, the restaurant is proudly no/low alcohol, which is very welcome this Dry January. And their excellent Somewhere Cocktail (available in passionfruit, watermelon and lemon) makes it easy to swerve the booze. We take our seats and the endless succession of artfully presented mezze dishes arrive for our tables to share, taking us on a foodie journey across the Middle East. Colourful bowls of creamy, dreamy beetroot, guacamole and Black Angus Beef hummus stud the table, in Farrow & Ball pink, green and cream. We devour giant bowls of kale tabbouleh with fresh tomato and pomegranate, crowned with ribbons of crispy Lebanese markouk bread. And we dollop our plates with moreish spoonfuls of their soft green lentil salad with tomato, spring onions and crispy bread. Highlights include their short rib kebba - Middle Eastern croquettes, which are light and crispy on the outside and stuffed with juicy meat and yoghurt - and their fluffy bao buns, filled with grilled Wagyu, cranberry sriracha and zesty, crispy onions. Our table’s mobile phone’s are aloft, when our charming waiter presents their teetering pyramid of beetroot rice and beef tenderloin shawarma, and tops it with creamy tahini sauce, which flows, sexily down the violet volcano like lava. There are too many delicious dishes to name, from chicken musakhan rolls - tender as a baby in tangy sumac - to spiced wagyu or chicken shawarma in crispy pita pockets, and the Somewhere Fatteh - which neatly describes myself, at this point, and is filled with aubergine, crispy potato, pine nuts, yoghurt and shoestring fries. But a moment of silence is needed for the Japanese shrimp, rolled in kunafa - a crunchy and buttery shredded filo. Phwoar. Top trouser buttons are loosened, but our table cannot refuse the show-stopping desserts, when they arrive. The Cerelac Umm Ali would provide comfort through an apocalypse - a warm, sweet and creamy oven-baked bread pudding, gurgling with Cerelac milk. There are also enormous, sharing Kunafa Croissants, which ooze with gooey, creamy cheese as they are torn apart and are topped with syrup and sugar. Before we leave, we rummage through our Harrods ’ goodie bag and discover beautiful, golden compasses, engraved with Somewhere . We decide that this will be helpful to find our way out of Harrods ’ opulent labyrinth, and that we would also be very happy if all compasses led us Somewhere . Somewhere Cafe, Fourth Floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL Like what you've read? Why not follow us on Insta?

Ultimate guide to the capital's top events, dinners, and unique experiences to celebrate love London is one of the world’s most romantic cities, but with so many sexy events exploding all over the capital, it’s tricky to know where to fire Cupid’s arrow. Fear not, our intrepid Aphrodites have sought out the ultimate experiences for all budgets, from neon naked life drawing, fine dining beneath a giant sun and saucy comedy to aphrodisiac menus with private butlers, and cocktails with personalised poetry. _____________________________ Up at the O2 Valentine’s Climb Scale new heights in your relationship, by climbing the O2 Arena this Valentine’s. The 90-minute guided climb welcomes adventurous couples to scale the iconic landmark and enjoy a glass of bubbly together at its summit, while taking in extraordinary 360 panoramic views of the London skyline. There are sunset and twilight climbs, if you’re feeling particularly romantic, as well as daytime experiences. Swit swoo. Valentine’s Climb. The O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX. From £37pp Neon Naked Life Drawing, Valentine’s Special Get your creative juices going at this colourful life drawing experience at The Ministry. UV lights will illuminate life models beautifully adorned in glowing body paints and flamboyant accessories, while you and your partner experiment with techniques like continuous line drawing and pointillism. All materials are supplied. The Ministry, 79-81 Borough Rd, London SE1 1DN. From £17pp. 14 February. 7pm - 8.30pm Valentine’s Dinner Beneath Luke Jerram’s Helios A fine dining Valentine’s Day experience, beneath Luke Jerram’s new seven-metre Helios installation, surrounded by the Baroque romance of the Painted Hall? Marry me now. This extraordinary celebration of love will begin with a welcome glass of champagne on arrival, followed by a three course, specially curated fine dining menu, live music, and a red rose to take home.  Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, London SE10 9NN. 14 February, 7pm - 10.30pm. £125 pp. With Love Marilyn The glamour and sensuality of Hollywood’s Golden Age heads to Arches London Bridge this Valentine’s weekend, with a musical cabaret tribute to Marilyn Monroe. The award-winning show stars American actress Sydney Smith Martin, fresh from her sold out USA performances, telling the icon’s story alongside hits including Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend. While there, you can also experience Marilyn The Exhibition, a rare glimpse into the private world of Marilyn Monroe - read our review of that, here. Arches London Bridge, 8 Bermondsey St, SE1 2ER. 13 – 15 February at 7pm. £35 pp (plus booking fee) Exclusive Balcony, Private Butlers and Aphrodisiac Menu at HERA For one night only, Greek restaurant HERA will open its balcony to four lucky couples to enjoy an exclusive aphrodisiac meal, cocktails, champagne and private butler. On February 14, couples can experience a Greek aphrodisiac menu, featuring dishes including grilled octopus, a Bone-In Sirloin and Basque Cheesecake topped with figs. And they can celebrate their love with a bottle of champagne and libido-boosting cocktail, served by a private butler in a setting never before open to the public. Ding and very much, dong. HERA , 4 Arber Way, Stratford, London, E20 1JS. 14 February. Two tables for two are available per sitting at 6pm and 8pm. £250 pp   Shaggers, Valentine’s Special Following sell-out shows around the world, hit comedy show Shaggers returns to its beloved Leicester Square theatre for a Valentine's Day special.  Enjoy a gaggle of comedians of all sexes, genders and sexual orientations sharing their best material on sex. Leicester Square Theatre , 6 Leicester Pl, London WC2H 7BX Bespoke couple’s portrait and art of afternoon tea at The Kensington Read our review This Valentine’s Day, romance and creativity come together at The Kensington hotel, with the hotel launching the first in its Live Illustrator Afternoon Tea Series with celebrated artist Niki Groom. Guests can enjoy The Art of Afternoon Tea while Niki immortalises the romantic occasion with a bespoke, hand sketched portrait of you and your loved one.  The Kensington,  109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London, SW7 5LP.  The Art of Afternoon Tea is available daily from 12pm - 4.30pm for £58 per person or £70 per person including a glass of Champagne Personalised Poetry and Valentine’s Cocktails at The Coral Room This Valentine’s, head to the heart of London's literary quarter at The Coral Room, where much-loved poet, Luke Davis will be crafting bespoke poems, tailored to the individual, on a vintage typewriter. Then sample a special, Valentine’s cocktail or three, like the Botticelli - a blend of Altamura vodka, Acqua Bianca, and vermouth, or the Nuage - a dreamy mix of Palmaráe gin, fig, sahara, and almond milk. The Coral Room , 16-22 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3NN. Luke will be creating poems from 11:30pm to 7:30pm on 14 February Valentine’s Candlelit Chopin & Champagne Concert Toast your lover with complimentary Champagne, in the stunning candlelit setting of St Mary le Strand, while enjoying celebrated concert pianist, Daniel Grimwood performing a selection of Chopin's most passionate piano masterpieces. St Mary Le Strand Church , West Central London. 14 February. From £27.50 pp Share LAVO’s 20-Layer Valentine’s Red Velvet From 12 - 16 February, lovers can share luxury Italian restaurant LAVO’s teetering lover’s cake. The towering Red Velvet creation is the big climax to their romantic meal, with the option of adding on their Sip & Shuck happy hour, with two martinis and two oysters for a tenner. LAVO, The BoTree, 34 Marylebone Ln, London W1U 2DR. CORD Restaurant’s Opulent Valentine’s Experience The first fine dining restaurant by Le Cordon Bleu has curated a suitably wowsome Valentine’s menu for one night only. On 14 February, they will offer a four-course set menu, priced at £129 per person, featuring dishes like Beetroot Pasta with black garlic, pine nuts, and Brin d'Amour, followed by Scottish Langoustines with white miso, pomelo, and radish. The main course features BBQ Angus Beef Fillet with kombu, pak choi, peppers, and jus, and guests finish with an indulgent Ivory White Chocolate dessert with mandarin, tonka bean and gold leaf, complemented by delicate petit fours. CORD Restaurant, 85 Fleet St, City of London, London EC4Y 1AE. £129 pp. 14 February.   Love Is in The Air at Sky Garden  Treat your lover to a night among the stars, with live music performances, fizz and stunning views, at London’s Sky Garden. Those seeking a more intimate evening can choose between Sky Garden’s two beautiful restaurants: a three-course menu at Darwin Brasserie or Kerth Gumbs’ five-course tasting menu at Fenchurch. Sky Garden, 1 Sky Garden Walk, City of London, London EC3M 8AF. 14-15 February. Sky Garden and Champagne, £21 pp. Valentine’s Window for Two, from £170. Darwin Brasserie menu, from £135 pp. Fenchurch Restaurant menu, from £175 pp Like what you've read? Why not follow us on Instagram?

The best family fireworks, light shows, theatre, events, ice rinks & festive fun this November 2024 You know the November drill. Warm up with fireworks, move onto the light shows and then nose-dive unashamedly into premature Christmas events. So we have cherry-picked the top things to do with kids to bring an explosion of Hygge this November, from banging fireworks (with tantrum-friendly, early displays) to magical elf and Santa experiences, snowy Hogwarts adventures, light trails, the best ice rinks and festive theatre to get you in the mood. And for the Bah Humbuggers among you, not yet ready to step into Christmas, there’s a gaggle of festive-free entertainment, plus some spooky fun for those still not over Halloween. _________________________ Battersea Park Fireworks Family Night Fireworks = Good. Tired, grumpy children after an 8pm display = Bad. Enter stage left, Battersea Park Fireworks with their special Family Night on 3 November . The event kicks off at a much more tantrum-friendly 5pm, with fireworks at 7pm. And as well as food and drinks, there will be an Octonauts adventure, a kid's disco in the Big Top, rides in Whizzbang Wonderland; face-painting performers and an extraordinary show, set to music, by the team behind London's annual NYE show. Battersea Park Fireworks , London SW11 4NJ. 3 November. 5pm. £13.10 per adult. £8.80 per child. Under 5s go free Coram’s Field, Bloomsbury Not only is this fireworks show brilliantly early - the event kicks off at 3.30pm with fireworks at 6pm - it is also free . The seven-acre Bloomsbury spot hosts its annual, family fireworks event on 5 November,  with food stalls, dance and musical performances, and a mini funfair alongside the sky sparkles. Coram’s Fields , Guildford Street, 5 November. Free The Elf on the Shelf® Christmas Adventure The interactive Christmas adventure from The Lumistella Company’s The Elf on the Shelf® Santaverse™ will make its global debut at Bluewater in Kent from 16 November. Visitors will step through the Elf Door to the North Pole, where they will embark on an interactive, 25-minute adventure, to help the Scout Elves spread Christmas cheer. As well as making a wish at the wish-gatherer, challenges will include Christmas tree decorating and snowball throwing. Meanwhile Santa will be watching over the ‘Christmas Spiritmeter,’ a magical machine monitoring Christmas Spirit levels. Santa plans to drop into some sessions to encourage the children to complete all the challenges on their Christmas Spirit Checklists. Budding elves will collect stamps on their Christmas Spirit Checklist as they complete games and challenge, and each child will receive a gift. While there, guests can also visit Bluewater’s Ice Rink, the Winterland experience and The Giving Tree. The Elf on the Shelf Christmas Adventure , Upper Rose Gallery, Bluewater, Dartford, Greenhithe DA9 9ST. 16 November - 24 December Christmas at Kent Life This award-winning Christmas experience invites children to graduate from elf school, hop on the Jingle Express for a ride around the festive farm, visit the Candy Cane Cottage sweet shop, build their own teddy bear, decorate gingerbread or make reindeer food. The highlight of the event will be visiting Father Christmas in his magical grotto where little ones can choose a gift from the well-stocked toy shop. The Snow Inn will also be filled with mulled wine and festive food and drinks. All tickets include all day access to Kent Life, which is brimming with activities and animals. And from 30 November - 1 December, the Santa Paws experience invites dogs along for a photo with the Big FC. Kent Life , Lock Ln, Maidstone ME14 3AU. 30 November – 24 December, Adult: £13.95, Child (aged 1-15): £18.95, Child (under 1): £8, Concession: £12.95, Family (2+2): £65 A Nutcracker Christmas at The Castle Rescue the Sugar Plum Fairy in Leeds Castle's reimagining of The Nutcracker festive classic, where toys come to life. In this festive journey through beautifully festive rooms, discover a whimsical doll house, and a rocking horse which awaken the mischievous Mouse King. The event culminates in a  showdown between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King, with live performers on weekends and during the school holidays. A Nutcracker Christmas , Leeds Castle, Broomfield, Maidstone ME17 1PL. 23 November to 5 January. Included with admission ticket, which also gives you access to Leeds Castle for a year. Hogwarts in the Snow Have a very Harry Christmas at the Hogwarts in the Snow studio tour, when the iconic Harry Potter sets are twinkling with Christmas lights and covered in a blanket of snow. The Great Hall will be decked in golden decorations from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and you’ll find a banquet of turkeys and flaming puddings for the end-of-term Hogwarts feast. Learn the dance moves studied by Neville Longbottom ahead of the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , or how the invisibility cloak Harry Potter receives as a Christmas present was used to create the illusion on-screen. Then step into the Forbidden Forest , where the woodlands will be covered in snow, or stroll down Diagon Alley   with its snowy shop fronts and cobbled stones. Stop by the Christmas shop which has returned this year to provide you with a premium and exclusive selection of Christmas gifts, souvenirs, and stocking fillers. The experience ends with a walk around the Hogwarts Castle model, which is blanketed with snow. Hogwarts in the Snow , Warner Bros Studios, Studio Tour Dr, Leavesden, Watford WD25 7LR. 16 November - 19 January. Tickets from £56. Under 4s go free. Christmas at Kew The most festive botanical event this side of the moon kicks off on 13 November,  with Kew’s annual light behemoth. Discover glittering tunnels of light, dancing lakeside reflections and trees drenched in jewel-like colours. Warm up with flickering flames in the fire garden, wander beneath larger-than-life illuminations and keep your eyes peeled for Father Christmas along the way. Kew Gardens  has four entrance gates: Victoria Gate (TW9 3JR) Elizabeth Gate (TW9 3AB) Brentford Gate (TW9 3AF)13 November - 5 January. From £25.50 per adult. £16 per child. Children under 4 go free. Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park The capital’s annual, Christmas mecca returns for its 17th year on 21 November. The event includes a Magical Ice Kingdom made from more than 500 tonnes of ice and snow, plus an apres ski ice bar; ice rink, a real ice slide; wintry Cirque Berserk circus show; Zippos Christmas Circus Show, ice sculpting workshop; open air Christmas markets and a Bavarian Village. There are rides for all ages, from Ice Mountain to a ride around a Christmas tree in giant baubles, plus Santaland with more rides, the Santa Express Train and the chance to meet the Big Guy himself; firepits for marshmallow toasting, the apline, Explorer’s Rest and a Santaland Chill Out area for little ones.   Hyde Park Winter Wonderland , Hyde Park, London. 21 November - 5 January. Off peak tickets are free and peak tickets are £7.50 Glide at Battersea Power Station Set against the backdrop of one of London’s most iconic buildings, this Insta-perfect rink offers stunning views of the Thames, while you skate around three interconnecting rinks surrounded by twinkling lights and a giant, 30ft Christmas tree. Afterwards, you can warm up with a hot chocolate - or something stronger - at the Glass House Nine Elms , London SW11 8EF. 8 November - 5 January. tickets from £14. Skate at Somerset House It’s not Christmas until Somerset House opens its iconic ice rink. Expect gourmet dining at The Chalet, a rink-side view Skate lounge by Whispering Angel; Skate School lessons, and a pop-up Shelter Boutique store.   Somerset House , Strand, London WC2R 1LA. 13 Nov - 12 Jan. Tickets from £11 Ice Rink Canary Wharf London’s longest running seasonal ice rink, Ice Rink Canary Wharf offers visitors a magical skate session in the heart of Canary Wharf. This year’s ice rink will be putting on themed skating sessions, including 80’s, 90’s and Soul Classics nights to get skaters in the festive spirit. There’s a transparent roof, to thwart Blighty’s pesky weather, plus an apres-skate alpine bar serving winter warmers for skaters and spectators. And the centre piece this year is a glorious Christmas tree, beneath a suspended giant mirrored ball, casting disco reflections across the rink. Ice Rink Canary Wharf.  Canada Square, London E14 5AB. 26 Oct - 23 February Hamleys FREE Halloween Celebrations Hamleys Regent Street has a spooktaclar line-up of free entertainment this Halloween and half-term, from puppet shows, games and competitions to creepy crafting sessions. Take a spooky selfie inside the brand-new Giant Pumpkin, then join Ragdoll Witch, Werewolf Racer, Beetlejuice Bubbles, and more of the terror-ific friends for energetic entertainment and hair-raising fun.  The Opening Ceremony will be followed by the Pumpkin Festival Parade as children search for the Pumpkin Ghoul lurking around the store.   Keep your eyes peeled for the Hamleys Pumpkin Trickster, learn some pranks in The Tales of Trickster Puppet Show or make a Pumpkin Mask and take part in the Little Monsters Costume Competition. A Trick or Treat Treasure Hunt will take place in all Hamleys stores. Hamleys Regent Street , 188-196 Regent St., London W1B 5BT.  Until 3 November. FREE. Hobbledown Heath’s NEW Pumpkin Picking Experience Whimsical kid’s mecca, Hobbledown Heath launches its first pumpkin experience this month, for spooky photos and gourd-grabbing, followed by fun in its four themed villages with West London's ultimate adventure playground and zoo. Hobbledown Heath , Staines Road, Hounslow, TW14 0HH.  Thurs-Sun until 3 November. Off peak £17. Peak £23. Under 2s go free Haunted Halloween Quest at Leeds Castle This Halloween, head to the beautiful Leeds Castle  for a spell-seeking family adventure across its sprawling grounds, to save Rocky, the Stone Monster, from being banished back into the castle's stone walls. Armed with a quest sheet, children will meet six magical beings along the way, uncovering clues and solving riddles,  from witches, to goblins, the mysterious Keeper of the Castle, the Cursed Castle Hound, to Talon the Hawkman and finally, Rocky himself. Once all the missing pieces of the spell have been found, they will gather at the Halloween Ball to help Ember the Autumnal Witch break the spell and stop Rocky from being trapped in the stone walls for another 100 years. Leeds Castle , Penfold Hill, Kent ME17 1RG. Tickets for Halloween event & annual pass: Adult £31.50, Child £22.50 (Age 3-16); Family £79 (2 + 2). Must be booked in advance.         Half Term Wicked Witches Spa The impossibly sweet Bexleyheath kid's spa will have a witchy make-over this half-term, to trick and treat little ones with a spooky spa session. Little monsters are invited to don their spookiest outfits to sip bubbly green drinks while enjoying a slimy spider foot soak, dark potion making, glitter face magic, black nail polish and creepy tattoos. The venue is best known for its children’s party pampering sessions, which you can find more about here . Sweet Spa Party , 44 Pickford Ln, Bexleyheath DA7 4QT. 29 October - 1 November. £55 for two children. SEA LIFE London "Ascarium" SEA LIFE London Aquarium resurrects its spook-splash-tic 'Ascarium,' for tricks and treats. Visitors can meet Serafina the Sea Witch and help her solve magical challenges to keep her fellow sea creatures safe. Little sea monsters will complete activity sheets as they go, while learning about the tricks of the amazing, ‘scary-not scary’ sea creatures and earning SEA LIFE Halloween treats along the way. SEA LIFE London Aquarium , Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB. 19 October - 3 November. Kids Go FREE at Howletts Wild Animal Park This Half Term Read our review ALL kids under 15 can enter Howletts for FREE this October half-term, for fang-tastic treats, including a ghostly trail, pumpkins finding puzzles, and an indoor Craft Mine to get up close and personal with some creepy crawlies, beastly bugs and reptiles - and handle them, if you dare.   Kent’s original wildlife park, is houses some of the world’s most endangered and rare animals. With over 390 animals, including Kent’s only giant anteaters, the largest herd of African elephants in the UK, more gorillas and their new babies than any other zoo in the country. Howlett's Wild Animal Park , Bekesbourne Ln, Bekesbourne, Littlebourne, Canterbury CT4 5EL.  Kids FREE. Adults, £25 from 19 October - 3 November.    Kent Life Halloween Spooktacular Kent Life never disappoints at Halloween. Little monsters can trick or treat at its historic houses - but beware, you never know who lurks behind the doors. The sprawling, 28 acre destination is transformed for spooky season, and guests can enjoy pumpkin carving, creepy bugs, farm rides and fancy-dress competitions.  Kent Life , Lock Lane, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3AU. Saturday 26 October – 3 November, 10am – 5pm. Adults £12.50, Children (2-15) £12.50, Members Free. Halloween at the Tower of London Meet the spirits from thousands of years of the landmark’s history, on a family-friendly adventure through the Tower of London's haunted past. Children will come face-to-face with ghosts who spent their final moments here, from Medieval queens, to Wizard Earl concocting potions. You will explore some of the most eerie locations of the historic fortress, from The White Tower and Traitors’ Gate to the Bloody Tower. The Halloween Tower Tour is designed to spook not terrify, so is suitable for kids. The Tower of London , London, England EC3N 4AB. 26 Oct - 3 November Halloween at Hampton Court Palace Explore Henry VIII's haunted palace, tiptoeing through the corridors and courtyards and disovering ghosts who are best kept to the past. Witches and alchemists have taken over parts of the palace. And in the Gallery of the Damned, you can witness eerie portraits coming to life, stop by the Council Chamber for a seance and check out the pumpkin art in the Haunted Garden, before enjoying a spooky treat and a ghost story in the cafe. Hampton Court Palace , Hampton Ct Way, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU. 26 Oct - 3 November Brick or Treat at Lego Land The Lego Monsters are taking over with the return of its hit Brick or Treat. Highlights include Monster  Street, haunted by ghoulish LEGO® creatures, featuring trick-or-treat crypts and the fang-tastic Monster Jam Harbour Show. Little Monsters can throw shapes at Lord Vampyre’s Disco, with interactive shows and meet and greets with spooky Halloween LEGO characters like Skeleton Guy and Tiger Woman. Supersized LEGO Pumpkin and skeleton heads, LEGO® inspired bats, mini pumpkins and spiders will decorate the spookified resort, which will also feature a Haunted House Monster Party Ride and Knights Kingdom's transformation into the Creepy Cobweb Castle, Legoland , Winkfield Rd, Windsor SL4 4AY. 27 September - 3 November. Tickets from £29 pp. Kids under 90cm go free The Elmer Adventure Tall Stories are masterful adaptors of much-loved children’s books, so the holy grail - Elmer - is in safe hands, in this eagerly anticipated production. The show follows three adventurers who have loved the story of Elmer since they were childhood friends, and celebrate Elmer Day annually. They set off on a quest to find the real-life patchwork elephant in the jungle, and instead encounter the theatre audience, who also seem to be looking for the iconic elephant. They decide to work together, while telling three Elmer stories around the jungle campfire celebrating friendship, empathy and the celebration of being yourself. Southbank Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX. 30 October - 3 November. Tickets from £16 pp Kids Go for a TENNER to Port Lympne this Half-Term Read our review This half-term, kids can go to Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve for £10, eat for £10 and enjoy an animal encounter or ranger safari for £10. Home to over 900 rare and endangered species, the unique reserve is set against hundreds of acres of stunning Kentish savannah. Kids can go behind the scenes with the gorillas, meet rhinos, feed wolves, lions and tigers, and as a special treat this half term, they can even join the baboon and bison scatter feeds for just £10, too.  Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve , Aldington Rd, Lympne, Hythe CT21 4LR. Kids £10 from 19 October - 3 November. Adults £35 F1 Driving, Skywalks and Tours at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Little adrenaline junkies can get their kicks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with a hat trick of high octane tours, from The Dare Skywalk - climbing to the top of the stadium, 46.8m above the pitch - to the UK’s first controlled descent from a stadium, once at the top. Plus a Stadium Tour for those who want to keep their feet on the ground. They can also experience a high tech Formula 1 driving experience, with an exciting track layout and LED steering wheels. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium , 782 High Rd, London N17 0BX Michelin-Star Cookery School for Little Chefs Michelin restaurant Pavyllon London will partner with the popular En Petit Pavilion on a series of 90-minute, kid’s cookery experiences, while parents enjoy lunch dishes from multi-Michelin-starred Chef Yannick Alléno.  Starting on 15 September and running on the third Sunday of each month until January 2025, children will learn to craft from a range of cuisines, including French gastronomy, creating a main course and a dessert alongside En Cuisine’s passionate team. The pièce de résistance? Mini master chefs will proudly present their fine dining creations to their loved ones at the iconic Pavyllon counter at the end of the class, dressed in their very own chef’s hat and apron, standing alongside the Pavyllon team. Pavyllon London, Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane Hamilton Pl, London, W1J 7DR . Every third Sunday of the month with sessions at 12pm & 1:30pm until 19 January 2025. Ages 6-12. Price: £350: includes four-course set lunch menu for two adults and 1x children’s cooking class, plus a chef’s hat and apron. Additional children are priced at £50 each The Paddington Bear Immersive Experience Read Review Everybody’s favourite, Peruvian bear has had the immersive treatment, with The Paddington Bear™ Experience. The marmalade-addled, interactive adventure across more than 26,000 square feet of Southbank’s London County Hall  invites guests into a series of themed rooms, inspired by iconic locations from the Paddington stories. Fittingly, it kicks off at Paddington Station, where guests will be greeted by a friendly Station Master and taken on a colourful train journey through London’s most famous landmarks, to the Browns’ charming, No. 32 Windsor Gardens home. Once inside the famous, tree-adorned hallway, guests will embark on a multi-sensory adventure to help the Brown family and Paddington prepare for the all-important Marmalade Day Festival. The Paddington Bear™ Experience , London County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB. Adult tickets £34pp. Children (2-15) £24. Under 2s go FREE Mrs Doubtfire Dining Experience Hellooo poppets! Hit West End musical Mrs Doubtfire has put the eat into theatre for a delicious new partnership with luxury London restaurant, Colonel Saab . The award-winning Indian dining concept gives fans a multi-sensory, pre-theatre dining experience, featuring cocktails and dishes inspired by famous scenes, which transform before your eyes and are not what they seem - just like the title character of Shaftesbury Theatre’s comedy show. Expect a "Run-By Fruiting" and a grand finale involving liquid nitrogen, in a cheeky nod to the famous kitchen fire scene, before heading around the corner to watch the show itself at Shaftesbury Theatre. Colonel Saab, 193-197 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BD. £60 course five course meal and cocktail or £35 Mrs Doubtfire Set Lunch plus theatre tickets. Shaftesbury Theatre, 210 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8DP Barbie: The Exhibition The wonder doll (and society’s) evolution is charted in this luminous exhibition, which opened this month, to coincide with Barbie’s 65th birthday. Exploring her story through a design lens including fashion, architecture, furniture and vehicle design, her plastic-fantastic universe has engulfed the Design Museum, showing changing attitudes to women’s careers - Barbie has had more than 250 jobs -  race, sexuality, fashion and body image. Highlights include a rare first edition of the very first doll released by Mattel in 1959, the first Black, Hispanic and Asian dolls to bear the Barbie name, as well as dolls that reflect today’s diverse, multicultural society, including the first Barbie with Down Syndrome, the first to use a wheelchair, and the first to be designed with a curvy body shape. Design Museum,  224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 6AG. Until 23 February 2025. Adult from £14.38. Children from £7.19 Science Museum Astronights Sleepover  Read our review Budding scientists (aged 7-11) can spend the night at The Science Museum,  exploring the museum out-of-hours,  sleeping among space rockets, a Moon rock or in the world’s largest medical galleries. Young campers will experience the ultimate sleepover, with an evening full of activities, including science shows and interactive workshops.  This year’s Astronights programme is supported by official sponsor TEMPUR®, who will gift all campers a travel pillow to help budding scientists get some rest during this exciting night.The following morning, campers can refuel at breakfast, before exploring Wonderlab , their interactive gallery, with hands-on exhibits and immersive experiences, and catch a 3D documentary on their giant IMAX screen. Science Museum,  Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD. Dates vary, £70pp standard, £100 VIP. 20 August Monster Funfair at Discover Children's Story Centre Stratford's immersive, sprog-storytelling Mecca has launched its new family adventure, taking visitors through a fantastical circus tent and into the woods. In amongst the trees you’ll find an amazing, marvellous, EXTRAORDINARY… Monster Funfair!   Created with the award-winning Nadia Shireen, this magical world also has a fairground mystery to solve – just who has stolen ALL the candyfloss?  Discover Children's Story Centre 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. Discover Children's Story Centre  383-387 High St, London E15 4QZ.  Ages 0-8 Art in the Docks - FREE There are FREE art classes every Saturday morning at Art in the Docks, which can be booked online, with 30 spots for each class. Children are encouraged to use their imagination and gain confidence in a nurturing environment, hosted by ceramic artist Mariana Alemany. The classes are suitable for all ages, and all materials and equipment will be provided. Art in the Docks , 25 Shackleton Way, London, E16 2XJ. Every Saturday. 10am-12pm. FREE. Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre Natural History Museum ’s new show will be a real tweet for the whole family, inviting us to experience birds in a whole new way. Swirl around with a murmuration, chirp along with the dawn chorus and see if you have the stomach to sniff a stinky seabird egg. From feeling their heartbeats to seeing through their eyes, get to know our feathered friends better. Meet the wonderchicken - the world’s oldest bird - find out what a pigeon has in common with a ferocious T. Rex and discover how these winged wonders managed to survive the mass extinction that wiped out all the other dinosaurs. Today there’s more than 11,000 species. From pigeons to penguins, ostriches to ospreys, birds live on every single continent on Earth, so what’s the secret to their success? From sucking blood to bathing in acid, our winged wonders have found surprising, clever and downright freaky ways to survive. Natural History Museum,  Waterhouse Gallery, Kensington, London. Until 5 January 2025. Adults £16.50pp. Children (4-16) £9.95pp Navrtar VR Arctic Expedition Take the family on an Arctic expedition, without leaving London. They’ll learn about global warming in a whole, new way during the 60-minute experience, exploring the abyss of the Arctic; its icy tundras, hidden caverns and unique wildlife hidden in an extraordinary, underwater world. Guests in teams of six can teleport 100 years into the future to compare the effects of global warming. The sessions begin with a range of multi-player mini games to enhance the senses and test skills, before embarking on the Arctic expedition, exploring marine life and shipwrecks. Navrtar , Dickens Yard, Longfield Ave W5 2UQ. Prices from £32pp. Dinosaur rEvolution South East London’s hidden gem, The Horniman Museum  launches its roarsome new dinosaur exhibition for February half-term. The show invites us to rethink everything we thought we knew about dinosaurs, exploring the relationship between dinosaurs and birds. It includes five large, animatronic models, a gaggle of fossil skeletons and skull casts, as well as touchable, detailed graphics by the acclaimed artist Luis V Rey, dress up, games, and more. It will also be your last chance to see its beloved, overstuffed, taxidermy walrus until 2026, when the Natural History Gallery  will reopen after a two-year refurbishment. Horniman Museum and Gardens , 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ. until 3 November. Tickets from £9 per adult and £7 per child. iFly Childrens’ Skydive Read our review here Anybody from the age of 3 to 103 can experience the superpower of flight at iFly , as long as they can comfortably wear a helmet. The instructors allow children to safely feel the sensation of an  exhilarating, 12,000 ft free-fall and flight,  without  jumping out of a plane. Along with watching the instructor perform a mesmerising  dance on air inside the vertical wind tunnel, your family can enjoy the extraordinary sensation of weightlessness, soaring around the glass tube and unlocking a core memory of their newfound super powers. iFLY London at The O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX. Tickets and vouchers to fly can be purchased by clicking here  and are available from £69.99 per person Wizard Exploratorium Check out our review here.   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. Wizard Exploratorium , 26 Greek St, London W1D 5DE Slimy Gootopia Sessions Slime is a gloopy rite of passage for every child - parents quickly learn the art of removing it from hair and unwitting pets and it’s up there with ice cream in the kiddie delight department. Enter stage left: Gootopia , which brings its gloopy joy to Brixton and Lewisham. The venues have shelves of ready-made slime, slime ingredients, activator, and their ‘goo-to-go’ slime vending machine. They also offer a range of activities and experiences for kids of all ages, including slime workshops, birthday parties, school science workshops, drop-in slime-making sessions and live slime-making demonstrations by goo alchemists Gootopia . Brixton and Lewisham locations. Pampering for all the family at Pan Pacific London Family activities that involve lying down and being pampered? Count us massively IN. Pan Pacific London  has partnered with luxury children’s brand Bonpoint , to create a unique offering for the hotel’s dedicated Wellbeing Floor. The first partnership of its kind in the UK, the duo have created a range of unisex skincare treatments and packages for children aged 6 – 16 years old, that provide an opportunity for parents to spend quality time with their children and teens and enjoy a spot of pampering. Pan Pacific Family Pampering , 80 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7AB. Treatments start from £100. Power Up at the Science Museum Following five successful runs, Power Up will make its permanent home at the Science Museum from July, allowing visitors to try over 160 consoles and hundreds of the very best video games, all year long. With the new Power Up annual passes, visitors can return whenever they fancy, to journey through the world of gaming. Experience the evolution of gaming – from classics such as Pong and Street Fighter to the latest PlayStation and Xbox – while discovering the science and history behind gaming’s most iconic developments. Power Up  Ticketed, daily passes: £10, annual passes: £15   . Age: 5+. Science Museum, Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD Get the Kids Climbing the Walls Get the kids climbing the walls at London’s Parthian Climbing centre in Wandsworth. The 25,000 square foot beast combines climbing with lifestyle, thanks to its café, bar, gym, retail and co-working space. And it is the first indoor climbing facility in the UK to feature an exact replica of  The Titan  Olympic bouldering wall, which will be used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. They offer a range of kids’ sessions and courses for ages 3 and up. There are instructors for little ones taking on their first climbing experience, as well as the National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) for a progressive syllabus. They also host kids’ parties, for 1.5 hours of climbing activities and games which are the perfect antidote to ‘Fun Freddie’ wrestling a balloon into a drooping sausage dog. Parthian Climbing Centre , 52 - 58 Garratt Ln, Wandsworth, London SW18 4TF Avora Family Experience Read our review 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. This  otherworldly adventure will see you encounter scientists, mocktails, aliens, army villains and closes 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. 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 Play Captain on a GoBoat River Picnic Read our review 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. 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 Read our review Brigit's Bakery  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. Paddington Afternoon Tea Bus tour  Departs from Trafalgar Square, Wednesdays to Sundays. Prices from £45 adult, £35 child. 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 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 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 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 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 Observator y Greenwich Park, Blackheath Avenue SE10 8XJ Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter?

The best family fireworks, light shows, theatre, events, ice rinks & festive fun this November 2024 You know the November drill. Warm up with fireworks, move onto the light shows and then nose-dive unashamedly into premature Christmas events. So we have cherry-picked the top things to do with kids to bring an explosion of Hygge this November, from banging fireworks (with tantrum-friendly, early displays) to magical elf and Santa experiences, snowy Hogwarts adventures, light trails, the best ice rinks and festive theatre to get you in the mood. And for the Bah Humbuggers among you, not yet ready to step into Christmas, there’s a gaggle of festive-free entertainment, plus some spooky fun for those still not over Halloween. _________________________ Battersea Park Fireworks Family Night Fireworks = Good. Tired, grumpy children after an 8pm display = Bad. Enter stage left, Battersea Park Fireworks with their special Family Night on 3 November . The event kicks off at a much more tantrum-friendly 5pm, with fireworks at 7pm. And as well as food and drinks, there will be an Octonauts adventure, a kid's disco in the Big Top, rides in Whizzbang Wonderland; face-painting performers and an extraordinary show, set to music, by the team behind London's annual NYE show. Battersea Park Fireworks , London SW11 4NJ. 3 November. 5pm. £13.10 per adult. £8.80 per child. Under 5s go free Coram’s Field, Bloomsbury Not only is this fireworks show brilliantly early - the event kicks off at 3.30pm with fireworks at 6pm - it is also free . The seven-acre Bloomsbury spot hosts its annual, family fireworks event on 5 November,  with food stalls, dance and musical performances, and a mini funfair alongside the sky sparkles. Coram’s Fields , Guildford Street, 5 November. Free The Elf on the Shelf® Christmas Adventure The interactive Christmas adventure from The Lumistella Company’s The Elf on the Shelf® Santaverse™ will make its global debut at Bluewater in Kent from 16 November. Visitors will step through the Elf Door to the North Pole, where they will embark on an interactive, 25-minute adventure, to help the Scout Elves spread Christmas cheer. As well as making a wish at the wish-gatherer, challenges will include Christmas tree decorating and snowball throwing. Meanwhile Santa will be watching over the ‘Christmas Spiritmeter,’ a magical machine monitoring Christmas Spirit levels. Santa plans to drop into some sessions to encourage the children to complete all the challenges on their Christmas Spirit Checklists. Budding elves will collect stamps on their Christmas Spirit Checklist as they complete games and challenge, and each child will receive a gift. While there, guests can also visit Bluewater’s Ice Rink, the Winterland experience and The Giving Tree. The Elf on the Shelf Christmas Adventure , Upper Rose Gallery, Bluewater, Dartford, Greenhithe DA9 9ST. 16 November - 24 December Magic of Afternoon Tea at Vintry & Mercer Read our review Five star boutique hotel, Vintry & Mercer has launched a brand new #candlelit #Magic of Afternoon Tea, for little (and big) wizards, which is full of delicious surprises. Our menu comes to life with a UV torch, there are chocolate soil-filled coffins to excavate, magical #elixirs to mix, dramatic smoking tiers brimming with edible spell books, chocolate wands, owls and a chocolate and mango Excalibur dessert stabbed with a chocolate sword. And that's before we discuss the savouries and other surprises, which you can read about in our review. Hint: It's one of our favourite new family afternoon tea experiences. Vintry & Mercer, 19-20 Garlick Hill, London EC4V 2AU. Adult's Magic of Afternoon Tea - from £49.50 pp. Kid's Wizard's Afternoon Tea - £37.50 Family Acrobatics at Young V&A Join inclusive acrobatic company, Mimbre, for a fun, family acro-balance workshop where adults and young people learn to support each other in acrobatic lifts and balances. Using the techniques of acro-balance, also known as human pyramids, Mimbre’s expert facilitators will guide you through a physical warm-up followed by different moves and balances that are inclusive and adaptable to all body types and abilities. You will then be supported to creatively devise your own unique interpretations. Young V&A, Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 9PA. 9 November. £25 pp Batman Unmasked: The Exhibition Follow the Bat Signal and explore a never-before-seen collection of the Caped Crusader's original props, vehicles, and costumes. The new Batman exhibition has nine themed rooms, including the famous Wayne Manor library (and secret bookcase door) The Joker's Room and The Batcave. Batman Unmasked . 45 Wellington Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 7BN. Until 30 December. Tickets from £24 Room on the Broom Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's classic children’s book is zooming onto the stage at the Lyric Theatre, in this Olivier Award-nominated adventure. When a witch with a plait, a hat and her cat are flying through the skies, they pick up some fantastic creatures along the way. But while there was room on the broom for two, there certainly was not room for five. And things take a turn for the worse when a fiery dragon is thrown into the mix. Lyric Theatre , Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES. 22 November - 5 January. Tickets from £12 The Snowman at Peacock Theatre Spend an evening walking in the air in the 27th year of this magical ballet adaptation of the much-loved Christmas story. Hearts (and snowmen) will melt, with the moving choreography, enchanting set, fake snow, and famous soundtrack for big and little kids. Peacock Theatre , Portugal St, London WC2A 2HT. 23 November-4 January 2025. Hansel and Gretel at The Globe Follow the trail of breadcrumbs all the way to Shakespeare's Globe this Christmas, for their beautiful production of Hansel and Gretel, returning for its second year. Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage transforms the Globe Theatre into the gingerbread and lollipop festooned sphere of the world's most famous witch-conquering siblings, for this classic Brother Grimm fairytale. In this timely retelling, a woodcutting dad and bread-making mum leave their children in the woods to protect them from their war-torn village, where they meet a strange old lady with a plan of her own. The Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT. 29 November - 5 January Christmas at Kent Life This award-winning Christmas experience invites children to graduate from elf school, hop on the Jingle Express for a ride around the festive farm, visit the Candy Cane Cottage sweet shop, build their own teddy bear, decorate gingerbread or make reindeer food. The highlight of the event will be visiting Father Christmas in his magical grotto where little ones can choose a gift from the well-stocked toy shop. The Snow Inn will also be filled with mulled wine and festive food and drinks. All tickets include all day access to Kent Life, which is brimming with activities and animals. And from 30 November - 1 December, the Santa Paws experience invites dogs along for a photo with the Big FC. Kent Life , Lock Ln, Maidstone ME14 3AU. 30 November – 24 December, Adult: £13.95, Child (aged 1-15): £18.95, Child (under 1): £8, Concession: £12.95, Family (2+2): £65 A Nutcracker Christmas at The Castle Rescue the Sugar Plum Fairy in Leeds Castle's reimagining of The Nutcracker festive classic, where toys come to life. In this festive journey through beautifully festive rooms, discover a whimsical doll house, and a rocking horse which awaken the mischievous Mouse King. The event culminates in a showdown between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King, with live performers on weekends and during the school holidays. A Nutcracker Christmas , Leeds Castle, Broomfield, Maidstone ME17 1PL. 23 November to 5 January. Included with admission ticket, which also gives you access to Leeds Castle for a year. Hogwarts in the Snow Have a very Harry Christmas at the Hogwarts in the Snow studio tour, when the iconic Harry Potter sets are twinkling with Christmas lights and covered in a blanket of snow. The Great Hall will be decked in golden decorations from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and you’ll find a banquet of turkeys and flaming puddings for the end-of-term Hogwarts feast. Learn the dance moves studied by Neville Longbottom ahead of the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , or how the invisibility cloak Harry Potter receives as a Christmas present was used to create the illusion on-screen. Then step into the Forbidden Forest , where the woodlands will be covered in snow, or stroll down Diagon Alley   with its snowy shop fronts and cobbled stones. Stop by the Christmas shop which has returned this year to provide you with a premium and exclusive selection of Christmas gifts, souvenirs, and stocking fillers. The experience ends with a walk around the Hogwarts Castle model, which is blanketed with snow. Hogwarts in the Snow , Warner Bros Studios, Studio Tour Dr, Leavesden, Watford WD25 7LR. 16 November - 19 January. Tickets from £56. Under 4s go free. Christmas at Kew The most festive botanical event this side of the moon kicks off on 13 November,  with Kew’s annual light behemoth. Discover glittering tunnels of light, dancing lakeside reflections and trees drenched in jewel-like colours. Warm up with flickering flames in the fire garden, wander beneath larger-than-life illuminations and keep your eyes peeled for Father Christmas along the way. Kew Gardens  has four entrance gates: Victoria Gate (TW9 3JR) Elizabeth Gate (TW9 3AB) Brentford Gate (TW9 3AF)13 November - 5 January. From £25.50 per adult. £16 per child. Children under 4 go free. Odd and the Frost Giants Children aged 7+ can enter the enchanting realm of Norse mythology this winter, in a magical and humorous adaptation about unlikely hero Odd, who is on a daring quest to save the mighty Gods - Odin, Loki, and Thor - who have been transformed into animals and stranded in the human world. With the Frost Giants threatening to envelop the world in an endless winter, this powerful new production tells a story about finding unexpected friends and courage. Unicorn Theatre , 147 Tooley St, London SE1 2HZ. 19 November - 31 December. From £16.50 Winter Festival - Museum of the Home Winter traditions are explored through a gaggle of colourful events for all ages, celebrating cultures spanning from Diwali and Hanukkah to Christmas and Lunar New Year. Highlights include the Winter Past Exhibition, looking back on festive traditions from 1630 to the future and Christmas events from live toy theatres, to gift making workshops. Museum of the Home , 136 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8EA. 19 November - 12 January Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park The capital’s annual, Christmas mecca returns for its 17th year on 21 November. The event includes a Magical Ice Kingdom made from more than 500 tonnes of ice and snow, plus an apres ski ice bar; ice rink, a real ice slide; wintry Cirque Berserk circus show; Zippos Christmas Circus Show, ice sculpting workshop; open air Christmas markets and a Bavarian Village. There are rides for all ages, from Ice Mountain to a ride around a Christmas tree in giant baubles, plus Santaland with more rides, the Santa Express Train and the chance to meet the Big Guy himself; firepits for marshmallow toasting, the apline, Explorer’s Rest and a Santaland Chill Out area for little ones. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland , Hyde Park, London. 21 November - 5 January. Off peak tickets are free and peak tickets are £7.50 Glide at Battersea Power Station Set against the backdrop of one of London’s most iconic buildings, this Insta-perfect rink offers stunning views of the Thames, while you skate around three interconnecting rinks surrounded by twinkling lights and a giant, 30ft Christmas tree. Afterwards, you can warm up with a hot chocolate - or something stronger - at the Glass House Nine Elms , London SW11 8EF. 8 November - 5 January. tickets from £14. Skate at Somerset House It’s not Christmas until Somerset House opens its iconic ice rink. Expect gourmet dining at The Chalet, a rink-side view Skate lounge by Whispering Angel; Skate School lessons, and a pop-up Shelter Boutique store. Somerset House , Strand, London WC2R 1LA. 13 Nov - 12 Jan. Tickets from £11 Ice Rink Canary Wharf London’s longest running seasonal ice rink, Ice Rink Canary Wharf offers visitors a magical skate session in the heart of Canary Wharf. This year’s ice rink will be putting on themed skating sessions, including 80’s, 90’s and Soul Classics nights to get skaters in the festive spirit. There’s a transparent roof, to thwart Blighty’s pesky weather, plus an apres-skate alpine bar serving winter warmers for skaters and spectators. And the centre piece this year is a glorious Christmas tree, beneath a suspended giant mirrored ball, casting disco reflections across the rink. Ice Rink Canary Wharf.  Canada Square, London E14 5AB. 26 Oct - 23 February Christmas at Old Royal Naval College Old Royal Naval College is bulging with festive family events, including storytellings with Father Christmas, the return of family favourite, immersive show The Elves and The Magic Bear, Christmas carols, and a unique festive dining experience beneath Luke Jerram’s astonishing Mars installation. Old Royal Naval College , London SE10 9NN. From 30 November The Fir Tree How it Ended and artsdepot present a playful re-telling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic Christmas tale, The Fir Tree . Fusing movement, live music, song, and puppetry, this meaningful and playful production explores mental health and environmental responsibility and made with neurodiverse audiences in mind. Artsdepot, 5 Nether St, London N12 0GA. 12-31 December F1 Driving, Skywalks and Tours at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Little adrenaline junkies can get their kicks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with a hat trick of high octane tours, from The Dare Skywalk - climbing to the top of the stadium, 46.8m above the pitch - to the UK’s first controlled descent from a stadium, once at the top. Plus a Stadium Tour for those who want to keep their feet on the ground. They can also experience a high tech Formula 1 driving experience, with an exciting track layout and LED steering wheels. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium , 782 High Rd, London N17 0BX Michelin-Star Cookery School for Little Chefs Michelin restaurant Pavyllon London will partner with the popular En Petit Pavilion on a series of 90-minute, kid’s cookery experiences, while parents enjoy lunch dishes from multi-Michelin-starred Chef Yannick Alléno.  Starting on 15 September and running on the third Sunday of each month until January 2025, children will learn to craft from a range of cuisines, including French gastronomy, creating a main course and a dessert alongside En Cuisine’s passionate team. The pièce de résistance? Mini master chefs will proudly present their fine dining creations to their loved ones at the iconic Pavyllon counter at the end of the class, dressed in their very own chef’s hat and apron, standing alongside the Pavyllon team. Pavyllon London, Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane Hamilton Pl, London, W1J 7DR . Every third Sunday of the month with sessions at 12pm & 1:30pm until 19 January 2025. Ages 6-12. Price: £350: includes four-course set lunch menu for two adults and 1x children’s cooking class, plus a chef’s hat and apron. Additional children are priced at £50 each The Paddington Bear Immersive Experience Read Review Everybody’s favourite, Peruvian bear has had the immersive treatment, with The Paddington Bear™ Experience. The marmalade-addled, interactive adventure across more than 26,000 square feet of Southbank’s London County Hall  invites guests into a series of themed rooms, inspired by iconic locations from the Paddington stories. Fittingly, it kicks off at Paddington Station, where guests will be greeted by a friendly Station Master and taken on a colourful train journey through London’s most famous landmarks, to the Browns’ charming, No. 32 Windsor Gardens home. Once inside the famous, tree-adorned hallway, guests will embark on a multi-sensory adventure to help the Brown family and Paddington prepare for the all-important Marmalade Day Festival. The Paddington Bear™ Experience , London County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB. Adult tickets £34pp. Children (2-15) £24. Under 2s go FREE Mrs Doubtfire Dining Experience Hellooo poppets! Hit West End musical Mrs Doubtfire has put the eat into theatre for a delicious new partnership with luxury London restaurant, Colonel Saab . The award-winning Indian dining concept gives fans a multi-sensory, pre-theatre dining experience, featuring cocktails and dishes inspired by famous scenes, which transform before your eyes and are not what they seem - just like the title character of Shaftesbury Theatre’s comedy show. Expect a "Run-By Fruiting" and a grand finale involving liquid nitrogen, in a cheeky nod to the famous kitchen fire scene, before heading around the corner to watch the show itself at Shaftesbury Theatre. Colonel Saab, 193-197 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BD. £60 course five course meal and cocktail or £35 Mrs Doubtfire Set Lunch plus theatre tickets. Shaftesbury Theatre, 210 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8DP Barbie: The Exhibition The wonder doll (and society’s) evolution is charted in this luminous exhibition, which opened this month, to coincide with Barbie’s 65th birthday. Exploring her story through a design lens including fashion, architecture, furniture and vehicle design, her plastic-fantastic universe has engulfed the Design Museum, showing changing attitudes to women’s careers - Barbie has had more than 250 jobs -  race, sexuality, fashion and body image. Highlights include a rare first edition of the very first doll released by Mattel in 1959, the first Black, Hispanic and Asian dolls to bear the Barbie name, as well as dolls that reflect today’s diverse, multicultural society, including the first Barbie with Down Syndrome, the first to use a wheelchair, and the first to be designed with a curvy body shape. Design Museum,  224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 6AG. Until 23 February 2025. Adult from £14.38. Children from £7.19 Science Museum Astronights Sleepover  Read our review Budding scientists (aged 7-11) can spend the night at The Science Museum,  exploring the museum out-of-hours,  sleeping among space rockets, a Moon rock or in the world’s largest medical galleries. Young campers will experience the ultimate sleepover, with an evening full of activities, including science shows and interactive workshops.  This year’s Astronights programme is supported by official sponsor TEMPUR®, who will gift all campers a travel pillow to help budding scientists get some rest during this exciting night.The following morning, campers can refuel at breakfast, before exploring Wonderlab , their interactive gallery, with hands-on exhibits and immersive experiences, and catch a 3D documentary on their giant IMAX screen. Science Museum,  Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD. Dates vary, £70pp standard, £100 VIP. 20 August Monster Funfair at Discover Children's Story Centre Stratford's immersive, sprog-storytelling Mecca has launched its new family adventure, taking visitors through a fantastical circus tent and into the woods. In amongst the trees you’ll find an amazing, marvellous, EXTRAORDINARY… Monster Funfair!   Created with the award-winning Nadia Shireen, this magical world also has a fairground mystery to solve – just who has stolen ALL the candyfloss?  Discover Children's Story Centre 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. Discover Children's Story Centre  383-387 High St, London E15 4QZ. Ages 0-8 Art in the Docks - FREE There are FREE art classes every Saturday morning at Art in the Docks, which can be booked online, with 30 spots for each class. Children are encouraged to use their imagination and gain confidence in a nurturing environment, hosted by ceramic artist Mariana Alemany. The classes are suitable for all ages, and all materials and equipment will be provided. Art in the Docks , 25 Shackleton Way, London, E16 2XJ. Every Saturday. 10am-12pm. FREE. Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre Natural History Museum ’s new show will be a real tweet for the whole family, inviting us to experience birds in a whole new way. Swirl around with a murmuration, chirp along with the dawn chorus and see if you have the stomach to sniff a stinky seabird egg. From feeling their heartbeats to seeing through their eyes, get to know our feathered friends better. Meet the wonderchicken - the world’s oldest bird - find out what a pigeon has in common with a ferocious T. Rex and discover how these winged wonders managed to survive the mass extinction that wiped out all the other dinosaurs. Today there’s more than 11,000 species. From pigeons to penguins, ostriches to ospreys, birds live on every single continent on Earth, so what’s the secret to their success? From sucking blood to bathing in acid, our winged wonders have found surprising, clever and downright freaky ways to survive. Natural History Museum, Waterhouse Gallery, Kensington, London. Until 5 January 2025. Adults £16.50pp. Children (4-16) £9.95pp Navrtar VR Arctic Expedition Take the family on an Arctic expedition, without leaving London. They’ll learn about global warming in a whole, new way during the 60-minute experience, exploring the abyss of the Arctic; its icy tundras, hidden caverns and unique wildlife hidden in an extraordinary, underwater world. Guests in teams of six can teleport 100 years into the future to compare the effects of global warming. The sessions begin with a range of multi-player mini games to enhance the senses and test skills, before embarking on the Arctic expedition, exploring marine life and shipwrecks. Navrtar , Dickens Yard, Longfield Ave W5 2UQ. Prices from £32pp. Dinosaur rEvolution South East London’s hidden gem, The Horniman Museum  launches its roarsome new dinosaur exhibition for February half-term. The show invites us to rethink everything we thought we knew about dinosaurs, exploring the relationship between dinosaurs and birds. It includes five large, animatronic models, a gaggle of fossil skeletons and skull casts, as well as touchable, detailed graphics by the acclaimed artist Luis V Rey, dress up, games, and more. It will also be your last chance to see its beloved, overstuffed, taxidermy walrus until 2026, when the Natural History Gallery  will reopen after a two-year refurbishment. Horniman Museum and Gardens , 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ. until 3 November. Tickets from £9 per adult and £7 per child. iFly Childrens’ Skydive Read our review here Anybody from the age of 3 to 103 can experience the superpower of flight at iFly , as long as they can comfortably wear a helmet. The instructors allow children to safely feel the sensation of an  exhilarating, 12,000 ft free-fall and flight,  without  jumping out of a plane. Along with watching the instructor perform a mesmerising  dance on air inside the vertical wind tunnel, your family can enjoy the extraordinary sensation of weightlessness, soaring around the glass tube and unlocking a core memory of their newfound super powers. iFLY London at The O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX. Tickets and vouchers to fly can be purchased by clicking here  and are available from £69.99 per person Wizard Exploratorium Check out our review here.   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. Wizard Exploratorium , 26 Greek St, London W1D 5DE Slimy Gootopia Sessions Slime is a gloopy rite of passage for every child - parents quickly learn the art of removing it from hair and unwitting pets and it’s up there with ice cream in the kiddie delight department. Enter stage left: Gootopia , which brings its gloopy joy to Brixton and Lewisham. The venues have shelves of ready-made slime, slime ingredients, activator, and their ‘goo-to-go’ slime vending machine. They also offer a range of activities and experiences for kids of all ages, including slime workshops, birthday parties, school science workshops, drop-in slime-making sessions and live slime-making demonstrations by goo alchemists Gootopia . Brixton and Lewisham locations. Pampering for all the family at Pan Pacific London Family activities that involve lying down and being pampered? Count us massively IN. Pan Pacific London  has partnered with luxury children’s brand Bonpoint , to create a unique offering for the hotel’s dedicated Wellbeing Floor. The first partnership of its kind in the UK, the duo have created a range of unisex skincare treatments and packages for children aged 6 – 16 years old, that provide an opportunity for parents to spend quality time with their children and teens and enjoy a spot of pampering. Pan Pacific Family Pampering , 80 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7AB. Treatments start from £100. Power Up at the Science Museum Following five successful runs, Power Up will make its permanent home at the Science Museum from July, allowing visitors to try over 160 consoles and hundreds of the very best video games, all year long. With the new Power Up annual passes, visitors can return whenever they fancy, to journey through the world of gaming. Experience the evolution of gaming – from classics such as Pong and Street Fighter to the latest PlayStation and Xbox – while discovering the science and history behind gaming’s most iconic developments. Power Up  Ticketed, daily passes: £10, annual passes: £15   . Age: 5+. Science Museum, Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD Get the Kids Climbing the Walls Get the kids climbing the walls at London’s Parthian Climbing centre in Wandsworth. The 25,000 square foot beast combines climbing with lifestyle, thanks to its café, bar, gym, retail and co-working space. And it is the first indoor climbing facility in the UK to feature an exact replica of  The Titan  Olympic bouldering wall, which will be used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. They offer a range of kids’ sessions and courses for ages 3 and up. There are instructors for little ones taking on their first climbing experience, as well as the National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) for a progressive syllabus. They also host kids’ parties, for 1.5 hours of climbing activities and games which are the perfect antidote to ‘Fun Freddie’ wrestling a balloon into a drooping sausage dog. Parthian Climbing Centre , 52 - 58 Garratt Ln, Wandsworth, London SW18 4TF Avora Family Experience Read our review 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. This otherworldly adventure will see you encounter scientists, mocktails, aliens, army villains and closes 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. 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 Play Captain on a GoBoat River Picnic Read our review 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. 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 Read our review Brigit's Bakery  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. Paddington Afternoon Tea Bus tour  Departs from Trafalgar Square, Wednesdays to Sundays. Prices from £45 adult, £35 child. 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 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 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 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 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 Observator y Greenwich Park, Blackheath Avenue SE10 8XJ Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter?

Regency Glamour that Attracted Princesses and Movie Stars Returns after £26M Refurb A modern spin on the Regency glamour that attracted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Princess Margaret has returned to DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole , following a £26 million refurbishment. We head to Britain’s coolest coastal resort to review the palatial seafront hotel, which made such big waves when it opened in 1890 - designed by Natural History Museum architect Alfred Waterhouse - that special trains were dispatched to take Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill and other eager Londoners there. Now, 134 years later, we tug our suitcases towards the same, imperial redbrick facade, with a very different experience through its revolving doors. The revamp is chic and elegant, with deep sea blue panelling, burnt sienna furniture and bold artwork, while sympathetically celebrating its period features, from its grand, sweeping twin staircase and multi-tiered chandeliers to the ornate, 18th Century ceiling. On check-in, the friendly staff welcome us all with delicious, warm chocolate chip cookies - the offering is so legendary, we discover the hotel’s roof is emblazoned with a giant painting of The Cookie, when we ascend the Brighton i360 the following day, Much of the refurbishment budget was spent on the hotel’s 321 rooms, which could be seen in our giant, family room on the third floor.  The opulent and airy space is decorated in moody sea blues, bold tropical wallpaper, salmon and deep emerald headboards, chic, statement lighting and a marble table with welcome chocolates, Brighton Gin cocktails and water awaiting us. The sofa has been converted into a pristine, marshmallow-soft bed for our two children. Our floor-to-ceiling windows open onto our own, wrought iron balcony, with panoramic views across some of the city’s best seascapes, as well as the remains of the beautiful old West End Pier, the futuristic space age doughnut that is the Brighton i360, the Upside-Down House and unique buzz of Brighton, from boats and swimmers in the day, to nighttime revellers and drag queens. Its prime position means that you can totter across to  The Brighton Centre, Brighton Palace Pier , and Royal Pavilion within minutes while The Lanes - the city’s famous labyrinth of of unique boutiques, restaurants and pubs - is just a pebble’s throw away. There is much excitement and pillow fights before bed - eventually the children tell us to pack it in and the black out curtains and comfy beds ensure we all sleep soundly. The following morning, we head downstairs for the included breakfast at the hotel's grand ,1890 Restaurant , with high ceilings, enormous chandeliers and a sandy and blue colourway, echoing the seafront views from its vast windows.   There’s an excellent selection of food, from stalls filled with fruit, cereals and hot porridge, to fresh pastries, muffins, meats, cheeses, and a chef preparing poached, fried, or boiled eggs and delicious little omelettes. Afterwards, we take the children downstairs for a morning splash in the 14m heated pool. Children are welcome in the pool from 9am and they ensure it’s never too busy, by asking guests to book time slots. There’s also a whirlpool, steam room, sauna and gym. We return to our room for our suitcases and enjoy one last look across our balcony at the blue-skied, seaside panoramas. It’s such a perfect, Brightonian stay, that we have to use one of their cookies to bribe the children downstairs, to check out. DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole , Kings Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 2FU. Rooms from £128/night Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

Freedom, lambs, chickens, hay adventures and luxury camping on this idyllic working farm The term “glamping” was first coined to describe Feather Down Farms , but these impossibly wholesome escapes are so much more than off-grid stays in luxury tents, surrounded by bucolic views. Crucially, they offer freedom - freedom for children to safely roam working farms, without being shadowed by parents, who are then free to finish a sentence / wee / bottle of wine within peaceful, rolling countryside. For city families, this is pure gold. This was the secret to the perfect family break discovered by Luite Moraal, the former Disney exec who brought Center Parcs to the UK, and then followed it up with Feather Down Farms , 20 years ago. There are now 75 of these across Europe, and we head to their idyllic College Farm stay in the Norfolk Broads, for our own pastoral adventure. This award-winning farm retreat is run by Marcus and Lucy, who heads out of her ice cream pink farm house as our car rolls into their Beccles farm, to greet us. She’s the poster child for country living - sun-kissed, jolly and permanently relaxed. She gives us a tour of our home for the next few days. There’s a paddock of sheep she introduces us to - they’re orphan lambs, who are as playful and affectionate as puppies. With helium baas they surround us like adorable clouds, vying for attention and strokes.  There are the friendly chickens my daughter will fall in love with; gently picking them up; carefully gathering our left overs to feed them after every meal and excitedly collecting their warm eggs each morning, proudly bringing them back to our tent in her hat - a twee vision of rustic egg-bothering. Lucy tells us to feel free to jump in and out with the animals whenever we fancy, which we all enthusiastically embrace over the following days. The circumference of our childrens’ eyes grows wider, as the new world they are welcomed to wander - without pesky adult intervention - grows bigger. The Hay Barn will become their ultimate playground; climbing, leaping into holes, making castles and restaurants serving straw food. When we finally extricate them from the bales - with the straw-filled hair, mucky feet and melon wedge grins that will clothe them until we return to the city - Lucy shows them the giant trampoline, surrounded by more hay bales, within picturesque countryside dappled in honey light. This is set within a playground of charmingly rustic swings, slides and climbing frames. And beside the play area is the first of the eight tents at the farm - our home for the next few days.  It’s a sophisticated, cosy home, with wooden floors, doors and canvas roof, lit by suspended candelabras and lanterns. It’s electricity-free and modelled on the simple interior of a traditional, 19th Century farmhouse, but with luxury additions.  There’s a candelabra-lit wooden dining table with mismatched chairs opposite a sofa. The centrepiece of the room is a wood burning stove, to keep us toasty overnight and sizzle our bacon and coffee in the mornings. The kitchen has a working sink, enamel and glass crockery and there’s a cool chest and ice bricks for milk and yoghurts - plus a proper fridge-freezer by the hay barn for meats and ice creams. Rustic wooden doors lead to our ensuite, candlelit bathroom, with flushing loo and hot shower. Another section has a marshmallow soft double bed and behind a curtain, we find two wooden bunk beds. Hidden inside a cupboard, through double doors carved with heart-shaped holes, is a secret canopy bed, with another tiny door opening into our room - this proves to be the perfect nighttime solution for our three-year-old, who needs to be within bothering reach of us at nighttime. It doubles as a magical den for the day and the perfect, cosy coccoon at night. The winning combo of these beds, and leaping around in fresh air and hay all day results in us all making a new family record of nearly 10 hours sleep, on our second night. The tented cottages of this mini, hobbit village are spaced far enough apart for privacy, but close enough for our children to play with the new BFFs they immediately make and disappear off with into feathers and hay for the remainder of our trip. Each tent has its own decking area with deckchairs, picnic table and firepit, which neatly turns into a barbecue for our lunchtime sausages. And opposite our tent is a suitably cute, roofed pizza oven, which looks like a pixie house, framed by log benches. My husband has made dough and packed pizza toppings in preparation. He sets about making our dinner, before realising we’ve forgotten to pack flour.  Lucy zooms by on her golf buggy, loaded with with squealing little guests, who are begging to help with another farm chore. I explain our flour bother and she cheerfully zips back in the buggy, brandishing flour and a rolling pin, before zooming off for a glass of wine with a guest - a regular, who often rocks up with a hammock and cold beers, while her children gleefully roll about with lambs. This, we think, is the life, as we eat our pizzas before retiring for wine by candlelight in our cosy, honey-wood lounge while the children sleep. The enforced, digital detox means we are also forced to (gasp) talk to each other all evening - our phones are charging in the Hay Barn for the night - which is rather lovely. And the tranquility is broken by the occasional baa from the lambs outside.  We’re situated in one of the UK’s Dark Sky places for star-gazing, so my husband has brought his telescope, which looks strangely anachronistic, in this traditional, rustic setting. Mornings here have all the best bits of camping - flickering fires and sizzling bacon with sunshine and nature just beyond the canvas - but without aching necks from lumpy sleeping bags, or pulling on wellies to go to a shared bathroom in the morning. Here, we enjoy long, hot showers before our bacon sarnies, while our children run out to say morning to the lambs and chickens, and then nose dive into hay bales with their friends. We all enjoy these calming, simple pleasures so much, that we only briefly pop out for a pretty walk past horses and cows for dinner at Wheatacre White Lion, their gorgeous local pub. The food is excellent - I have a perfect, pan-fried sea bass, with skin like crackling, on a gooey pea and lemon risotto with radishes and crispy prosciutto. My daughter draws Lucy a picture of the farm and leaves it on our dining table as a parting gift, when we finally drag ourselves away the next morning.  Sadly, we aren’t able to say goodbye to Lucy in person, as she’s with a cow who has just delivered a calf - it is a working farm, after all, and these stays help to support British farms. This has been the first time our children have had the delicous taste of true freedom and autonomy, so we feel like jailers, reacqauainting them with shoes and locking them into car seats. But we assure them that we’ll be baa-ck for more woolly adventures. Feather Down Farms , College Farm, St Mary's Rd, Beccles NR34 0BD. Prices from £405 for 2 nights. Including wood for the wood-burning stove (1 pack per day) welcome package with bed-linen, towels, candles, matches, washing-up liquid and other basic items. Feather Down has 25 farms across the UK, each with the same accommodation and ethos, but with different country experiences, animals and options including dog-friendly farms, hot tubs and pools. Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

400 acres. 200 Weekly Activities. Three Golf Courses. Five Pools. One Perfect, Luxury Family Resort As first impressions go, Foxhills Country Club and Resort takes some beating. We approach the luxury destination via a long, winding drive, skirting along the edge of one of the resort’s three, Championship golf courses until the roof of a vast, Victorian Manor House sneaks over the horizon. Once owned by political heavyweight Charles Fox - from whom the resort takes its name - the stunning, Gothic revival house sits in the heart of a 400 acre estate, peppered with established woodlands and flower festooned, landscaped gardens. While this could easily be a stereotypical, stuffy members' club, something is happening in this leafy Surrey enclave that could transform the way we view country clubs in the UK. This is an inclusive, friendly resort that puts families front and centre, without sacrificing a single aspect of the luxury that a place of this calibre should exude. The car park is as one would expect - a mint green Lamborghini sits opposite a McLaren on either side of the red carpet, leading to the grand reception entrance, while Range Rovers and Porsches are dotted throughout. Make no mistake, this is a club where members are well versed in the finer things in life. And we wouldn’t normally rock up to a place like this with two children under six, but Foxhills promises something a little different. On arrival, we are met at reception, where doors open out to a terrace overlooking the 9-hole, Championship-standard Manor Course. Drinks and small plates are served in the Manor Lounge, which sits beside The Fox restaurant, which we’ll visit later. You can read our review of the dining experience HERE. But it’s beyond a cluster of trees to the side of the manor house where Foxhills really comes into its own. We’re shown to our luxurious, boutique room, with high end gold, chocolate and emerald green furnishings and Eco Boutique, organic toiletries. It’s set in a small development of new buildings that hide a seemingly endless array of facilities, from 11 pristine tennis courts to swimming pools (there are five in total, with our room opening directly on to one, outdoor pool), a yoga cabin, two adventure playgrounds complete with zip lines, plus a gym and health spa with stunning, Zen garden and icy, self-cleaning plunge pool. Foxhills hosts more than 200 weekly activities across its vast country estate. And there’s too much for us to explore in a single weekend, largely because our children are drawn immediately to one of the resort’s newest additions, the £7 million Pavilion - an extraordinary, purpose-built, family-friendly playground. All too often, family-friendly means a supposed absence of sneering: “We won’t tut when your children are making noise.” But here at Foxhills , children are catered for in every sense of the word. There is a packed schedule of children’s activities, from crafts, games, scavenger hunts and even mini ballet. The glorious, outdoor pool - a Godsend on a weekend like ours, when the temperature soars above 30 degrees - has an enclosed paddling area for non-swimmers; the locker rooms are kitted with baby enclosures, so that parents can shower without fear of an escape attempt; mini-sinks at child-height allow them to indulge their desire for independence; and toys and activities are to be found at every turn. There is even an OFSTED-registered crèche and babysitters for younger guests. On the immaculate lawn outside the Pavilion , a mini-playground with racetrack and ride-on, vintage cars and tractors offers a place for children to let loose, and footballs are dotted across the lawn, ready to be kicked into a variety of goals. Inside, parents follow their offspring as they excitedly dash into the resort’s soft play area, which encompasses two slides, an air-hockey table and a role play high street, themed around a veterinary surgery (with an assortment of stuffed animals to fuss over), a kitchen stacked with toy food and even a stage and dressing up box, which our daughter threw herself into with considerable gusto. Flo’s , the Pavilion ’s all-day diner, offers everything from burgers and salads to Mac ’n’ cheese, pastries, milkshakes and healthy smoothies, all of which can be eaten in the restaurant and terrace, or taken away to be enjoyed elsewhere on the resort or poolside. The children’s menu caters for even the fussiest of little eaters and they thoughtfully offer early, 11.30 kid lunches, knowing they have probably been awake since 5am. Our children delight in at least 400 Mr Whippy ice creams, carefully deliberating over marshmallow, chocolate sauce and sprinkle toppings. If there’s any complaint to be made about the Pavlion’s endless facilities, it’s that we - like most of the other weary parents - are forced to endure soft play while the gentle splashing of that beautiful pool seems to taunt us through the window. We exchange feint smiles of solidarity, before meekly suggesting that “ maybe we should go and see what’s outside? ” We are largely ignored as they launch themselves back down the twisting slide. Occasionally, a child submits and their parents jubilantly leave for the sunshine with a last, sympathetic nod to those left behind. Eventually, it is our turn to exit the soft play - with a promise to return, of course - and we are able to experience the jewel in Foxhill ’s crown: The heated, outdoor swimming pool. Enclosed on all four sides by the Pavilion and garden walls, the pool area has the feel of a Hampton’s house party, with music playing from the horse-box bar and a barbecue gently smoking on the lawn by a row of trees that separate the pool from the tennis courts. Pool toys are bounced around from family to family - we have no idea if they’re provided by the resort or just willingly shared by members and their children, but it helps the afternoon to drift by in a wonderfully relaxed manner and buys time for the parents to enjoy an ice cold, Aperol Spritz or two in the sunshine. The beauty of an overnight stay at Foxhills is the opportunity to get up and at ‘em bright and early, which is exactly what we do, having pre-booked an Aqua Tales session - an immersive, story-telling service that takes place in the Pavilion ’s beautiful, heated indoor pool. We enjoyed breakfast, from the heaving table of beautifully presented yoghurts, pastries, cereals and fruit and the buffet-style bacon, sausages, fluffy, cloud-light scrambled egg, beans, tomatoes and hash browns. There are also breakfast options available to order. Such a generous breakfast is probably ill-advised before sliding into the water, but the children joyfully splash through three, aqua-themed books about dolphins, crocodiles and mermaids in the warm water. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Foxhills is the way it seamlessly mixes luxury activities with the presence of kids in a way that impacts neither. As the children chase each other across the Pavilion ’s green between mouthfuls of pasta in Flo’s , small groups of players tee off on the glorious Longcross - consistently voted among the country’s 100 best golf courses. Close enough to hear the sharp thwack of a well-hit drive, but far enough away that our children don’t seem to bother the golfers. And it’s this clever design throughout that makes Foxhills the perfect example of relaxed luxury. It’s possible to enjoy ‘adult activities’ - golf, yoga classes, a spot of afternoon cocktail-drinking - in the knowledge that the children are happy and safe. And the focus on families means that their presence is never a problem, for the staff or fellow guests. One man generously gives up his towel when he sees our son shivering as he leaves the pool; an older couple lean over at dinner not to berate us for our children’s ‘excitement’, but to let us know that they have grandchildren of their own and love to see them playing. But while our experience has been (almost) entirely focused on our kids, don’t be fooled into thinking this is a daycare resort - there are plenty present whose experience is that of a luxury, members' club. A group of young girls in their twenties take up an area by the pool, drinking cocktails in the sunshine as if they are at a St. Tropez beach club; couples read books on sun loungers and some take advantage of the swimmer’s lane in the pool, where they breastroke their way through the afternoon. Inside, solo visitors kick back and read The Economist on the deep, leather sofas beside the reception desk. And that’s in the Pavilion alone - elsewhere, quieter pools offer a chance for serenity away from children and an entire golf complex consisting of a clubhouse, club shop, the bistro-style, Nineteen restaurant and a health spa, provide a more traditional, golf-club feel. It’s easy to see why it’s bursting at the seams with awards, including Best for Families in the Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence 2023. And the only downside is the painful thud back to Earth, when you return home. Foxhills Club & Resort , Stonehill Rd, Ottershaw, Lyne, Chertsey KT16 0EL Like what you've read? 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We take a motley crew of young children and dog on an idyllic floating holiday through Worcestershire I spice up my first narrowboat holiday adventure, by doing it with a motley crew of two small children, a bouncy Boxer and my husband. Excitement is high when we arrive at Black Prince Holidays ’ picturesque Stoke Prior base, where a fleet of immaculate narrowboats bob beneath the cloudless, blue sky and weeping willows. The friendly team introduces us to the beautiful Elsie , our floating home for the next three nights. Our Princess 4 Signature Narrowboat is a shorter length, at 52 feet - making it easier for novices/idiots (delete as appropriate) like ourselves to navigate. It comfortably sleeps four to six, and has all the luxuries you need - shower, loo, kitchen with oven, fridge-freezer, microwave, a dining area, USB ports and even a TV and radio - although screens will barely feature in our next few, action-packed days. The children excitedly don life jackets and explore their new home - my daughter accidentally locks herself in the loo before we’ve even set off, marking the first of many colourful adventures. Meanwhile, the lovely boatman jumps onboard to give us a coaching session, walking us through the controls, how to steer and stop, safe cruising and navigating tunnels. I’m in charge of the locks - and my upper lip sweats a little on learning that our route to Worcester and back will have 46 in total. We stop at the first lock for him to teach me how to open and close them, with a nifty windlass handle. He watches as I leap across canals to wench open oily locks - in my long, floaty white dress - and politely suggests I wear something more practical for the remainder of the trip. I have, however packed as though I'm off on a yacht party, so the following days will see me in a succession of wildly inappropriate, summer party frocks, edging across canals, past hissing swans guarding their cygnets; clambering between locks and heaving open gates, while more seasoned boaters (in shorts and tees) look on in confusion. He tells me to imagine each lock like a huge bath, with taps at the higher end and a plughole at the bottom, which is excellent advice. I memorise this, while muttering “lefty loose-y, righty tighty” under my breath at each lock. Happy that we understand the ropes, he jumps off and we’re on our own. And it is glorious. It kicks off with a flight of six locks, and I surprise myself with how quickly I get into the swing of them. As my confidence grows, my daughter enjoys joining to assist with some of the easier locks, picking blackberries and chatting to other friendly boaters along the picturesque route. That is one of the beauties of this holiday - everybody mucks in along the ever-changing scenery. The children even have a go at steering the boat - with great delight, varying degrees of success, and red wine spilled on my white dress along the way. Our journey features excitingly long, dark tunnels, where our children gleefully point torches to see dripping stalactites and eerie chambers above us, and enjoy their echoes as they warble out Taylor Swift songs. With a speed limit of 3.5 knots (a casual walk) it forces my gaggle of city rats to slow down - we feel our clenched, London shoulders loosen and the childrens’ mania calm as we ease into the new rhythm. The children delight in parking themselves at the front and spotting herons swooping into the water for fish; the assorted families of swans, suspiciously eyeballing our dog as they float by with fluffy cygnets; ducks and ducklings cleaning their feathers in the shade of towering bulrushes, and grazing cows, sheep and horses. It’s the sort of trip which will clog your phone with photos, because each turn and change of light, from sunrise, to the golden hour and sunset offer stunning new panoramas. We see unspoilt parts of the English countryside’s most beautiful areas, from the most tranquil and beautiful vantage point... and with the bonus of snacks and wine. Spontaneity is a rare and delicious treat for a parent, but on this boat, we have time to spot pretty pubs and ice cream stops slowly bobbing towards us, and leisurely moor up for Pimms, food and ice creams along the way. On the first night, we strap the boat right outside the Eagle and Sun pub in Droitwich, let our children and dog run around, eat dinner as the sun dips towards the green canal and roll from the pub into our cosy canalside beds. The dream. The next morning, we intend to get to Worcester to meet my family for lunch - we lost the detailed map with timings provided by Black Prince Holidays within ten minutes of setting off, so finally arrive at Worcester Marina to meet them for dinner, instead. But the journey is beautiful and fun, despite the change of weather from brain-melting sun the previous day, to apocalyptic rain, leaving today’s ill-suited dress clinging to my thighs as I open and shut the assorted locks. The change of scenery seems more dramatic by boat, from wild flowers, cobbled paths, farms and flower-festooned cottages to the city, where Worcester’s grand cathedral majestically emerges through the trees. We moor just outside Worcester’s pretty marina, where my aunt and cousin patiently await us, armed with Rosie and Jim jokes. We have a lovely dinner at the Tardis of a pub that is The Anchor - their creamy, Crispy Pancetta Linguine Carbonara is my favourite meal of the trip. We enjoy the novelty of staying right in the heart of the action, and being able to jump straight into our beds afterwards - or at least, jump into the boat. Our children are far too excited to sleep before silly o’clock, and end up bagging our double bed. But they do lie in. We can tell we’re in the city the following morning, as our propellor stops working for the first time, and we discover assorted beer cans, caught up in them. Then we head back to Stoke Prior. This time, it’s a quicker, smoother journey, as my husband has eased into his tiller duties and I’ve mastered the locks. Handily, we are also followed by seasoned boat people, so can leave some locks open. One even cycles ahead to unlock one for us. Everybody’s content. The children giggle and play together like a couple of drunk old sailors, and our boxer proudly stands at the front, chest out, letting his jowls predict oncoming storms, sniffing new smells and eyeballing the wildlife. We have a gorgeous lunch at my favourite pub of the trip, The Bridge at Tibberton. It’s a pretty, turbo dog-friendly boozer with an enormous, enclosed beer garden, where our dog leaps about off-lead with another four legged chum, while our children play with a little boy who they’re impressed to learn, lives on a boat. It is worth making the stop for the landlady alone, a legendary, Steam Punk clad character called Lynne Bisset, who mothers everybody within a pork scratching's throw, and takes enormous pride in pulling the perfect pint of Butty Bach. While chatting to narrow boaters on the way back, I even meet another journalist, who has quit city life to live on a boat. And I can’t really blame her. It shows you the best parts of Britain, the friendliest people and the most surprising parts of yourselves. And it's a unique trip for families and dogs to experience new things, and gently be nudged from comfort zones... but with all comforts included. Black Prince operates canal holidays from nine bases across the UK. We travelled from Stoke Prior, in Worcestershire, where a three-night weekend or four-night midweek short break in August starts from £1,211 for up to four sharing a Signature narrowboat. Diesel is extra and costs around £18 per day. Click here to book or call 01527 575 115. Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

A Cotswolds Castle with its own Pub, Award-winning Food, Extraordinary Views, History and a Discerning Ghost We challenge you to find a more quintessentially English stay than a castle containing its own pub, award-winning restaurant, five tower bedrooms, gin school and astonishing, rolling countryside views across the site of the first major English Civil War battle. This is what we discover as we make the ascent to the summit of Edge Hill, one of the most northerly points of The Cotswolds, where the the Medieval fortress proudly sits like a particularly fine cherry on top of a cake.  Technically a folly, The Castle at Edgehill was built from local ironstone in 1742 to mark the centenary of the Battle of Edgehill. As we leave the car, our eyes don’t know whether to gawp at the magnificent castle, or the views across the patchwork quilt of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire countryside, studded with the occasional castle or grand, honey-stoned building. The fire is crackling when we head inside the Banbury pub's cosy warren, brimming with character and original, 18th century features, from gothic arched windows and recesses, to flagstone floors and cast iron chandeliers. It’s buzzing with dogs, families and couples enjoying food and award-winning, Cotswold-brewed Hook Norton ales. It’s a crisp and blue skied winter’s day, so we take our Rioja and Espresso Martini outside to the Victorian landscaped beer gardens, where our children run around, playing kings and queens of the castle, while we sip our drinks where King Charles I had once stood to watch the battle, which paved the way for this castle to be built, 100 years later. I am much more comfortable on this side of history. The children are particularly excited about staying in a castle, so the friendly staff lead us up the winding tower staircase to the Cromwell Suite - although this vast and luxurious warren is more like an apartment. The sun-drenched lounge has high beamed ceilings, a fireplace, gothic windows, blue velvet Chesterfields and a sofa which has been turned into a soft, double bed for the children. Down the corridor, we find our bedroom; a large, airy space, tastefully decorated in royal blue and cream, with gold accents and gorgeous views from the cushioned window seats of the salmon sun, dipping beneath the green and honey views. This leads to a roomy bathroom, with another, sexy arched window.  The castle has five, en suite bedrooms, all named after key figures in the Battle at Edgehill and spread between its two towers, Rupert and Kings , which are connected via a pretty nifty, wooden drawbridge.  It’s pleasing to take a few, lazy steps from our room, back downstairs to the restaurant, where we are shown to our table in The Glasshouse dining area. It’s a cosy space, hugged by honey stone walls, with dramatic, floor-to-ceiling panoramic views across Warwickshire and the famous battlefield. If there is truffle on the menu, I will sniff it out like the pig I am, so I start with the wild mushroom and truffle risotto. It is bold, creamy and gooey, with the meaty and nutty mushrooms taking centre stage and a pleasing, salty crunch from the crispy vegetables and kale which topped it. I  could have happily eaten it from a large bucket with a spade. Thankfully I didn’t, as my second course is the rich and very generous beef medallions dish, with creamy garlic mushroom, green asparagus and fried quail egg. The medallions are wonderfully tender and the creamy garlic adds delicious depth to the meat.  "Look at me, eating quail eggs in a castle. Am I a king?" I think, before my son reminds me who really wears the crown, as he orders my peasant self to wipe his nose.  My partner grudgingly lets me try his 36-hour cooked pork belly, which might be the best I have tried - a juicy slice of meaty heaven, encased in crunchy, gooey crackling and served with sweet potato mash, parsnip puree, roast apple and kale. Meanwhile, the children are briefly silenced by their tomato pasta and fish and chips - I sneak a sample, while my son is distracted by his reflection in a spoon, and it is a lovely, lightly beer-battered haddock. We eye up some of the beautifully presented desserts our fellow diners are diving into: Walnut and dark chocolate cremeux; chocolate fondant, cherry puree and black cherry ice cream or hot apple and berry pie, caramel sauce with apple ice cream. But devastatingly, the only ones with space for desserts are the children, who devour their locally milked and produced, Ridgeway Ice Creams. There are three dining areas in the castle; the relaxed, wood-panelled Library , the main Dining Room around the roaring fire and The Glassroom ; our favourite spot, which we return to the following morning for breakfast.  We are rewarded by morning views from that vast wall of glass - golden sun creeping up over pea-green hills, with sleepy sheep in the distance and extraordinary, painterly views, which stretch all the way to Birmingham’s skyline.  The waitress is funny, jolly and brilliant with children - when our son insists on a questionable order of pancakes with sausages, she serves him just that, and it turns out it’s a winning combo for a three-year-old.  My partner and I opt for the Full English, which is perfection - properly crisped, excellent quality rashers, chunky, crumbly black pudding, rich, orange yolks, tomato, mushrooms, toast and a kind-hearted consideration for the need to prevent bean juice from bothering other items, by serving it in tiny saucepans. Meanwhile, our daughter’s highlight of the year is her pancakes, dusted in icing sugar and served with blueberries and pots of Nutella and berry compote. I can’t report on what this is like, because I am not allowed within a fork’s distance of it. As we leave, we notice a sign on the wall, informing guests that the castle even has its own, friendly ghost. Luckily, nobody can fear a haunting from a spirit called Edna - I imagine her, clutching her blue-rinsed head beneath her arm, peering over purple, diamante specs, and shouting: “Boo, possums!” And who can really blame her for wanting to loiter in this deliciously inviting castle for eternity? Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter?

The Height of Luxury Among Rhinos at UK’s Top Safari Experience We get a  wild taste of the high life, staying at a luxury treehouse overlooking 26 glorious miles of green, savannah-like scenery, with two rhinos barrelling around beneath us, like oversized puppies. It’s difficult to believe we’re not on an exotic, Kenyan safari and are in fact, just 90 minutes from London at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve in Kent.  This extraordinary park is set within 600 acres of English countryside, which is home to more than 900 animals and over 75 species, and its prime purpose is to help  The Aspinall Foundation ’s successful efforts to save and repopulate endangered species.  On arrival, we check in at its grand, Grade II listed  mansion, which was built for  Sir Philip Sassoon  and has welcomed everybody from Winston Churchill to Charlie Chaplin.  The Cape Dutch style mansion sits within  15 acres of immaculate, landscaped gardens, complete with hippo water features. Inside, we discover a gloriously eccentric and opulent warren of spaces, with hand-painted murals of dramatic wildlife scenes and a made-for-Instagram pink, flower-festooned Moroccan Courtyard. Then we head to the bush-style lodge, where khaki-clad staff give us the keys to our golf buggy - if we think our kids’ excitement (and let’s be honest, our own) can't get any higher, the buggy raises it several notches. All Treehouse guests have their own buggy to explore the park, which is particularly magical in the evening, when you have it and the animals to yourselves. We drive past primates, wolves and rhinos, through a grand security gate into the Treehouse Hotel area. Voted “Best Tourism Experience” by Tourism South East , these ten, glass-fronted apartments sit within the trees at the top of steps, which snake through the jungly scenery, above the rhino enclosure.  It already feels like an adventure as we make our way to the top, where we arrive on our wrap-around balcony and get the first, jaw-dropping sight of our view across the grassy plains, to the English Channel and beyond. Inside, we find a sleek, fully equipped kitchen in an open plan lounge-diner, with floor-to-ceiling, panoramic windows and doors to the terrace. Through sliding, Japanese-style glass doors, there are two elegant bedrooms (a double and twin) and spacious bathroom.  Tara Bernerd is behind the interior, so its sophisticated aesthetic reflects its setting, with olive greens, crisp whites and earthy tones. There are Scandi-style lounge chairs, earthy concrete lampshades and tawny fabric wallpaper. Naturally, all the luxury touch points are here - the fluffy white dressing gowns and slippers (which my three-year-old immediately dons) Nespresso machine, and luxury (sustainable) Bamford toiletries. This is just one of the many extraordinary accommodation options, which also includes the Lion Lodge - bathing in luxury with a lion’s nose pressed against the window -  Rhino Lodge, Bear Lodge, Giraffe Lodge, Wolf Lodge, Hog Deer Creek, Leopard Creek and an assortment of futuristic bubbles, forest hideaways and glamping experiences. Eventually, we drag ourselves away and head to the Treehouse Clubhouse (above) , with internal and external fire pits, where we enjoy our welcome Proseccos, while our children are given bags of marshmallows to toast on the firepit outside, under the watchful eyes of the rhinos. It is pure magic.  We jump back into the buggy and zip off for dinner, while the children squeal at the pleasingly bumpy ride and wave at the wolves, slumbering together like cuddly huskies. Dinner is in the beautifully restored Garden Room, originally the stable yard of Sir Philip Sassoon's country estate. True to the name, its black or exposed brick walls are festooned with leafy foliage, while its glass roof is studded with oversized chandeliers.  It’s opulent, but cosy and welcoming and our children happily plonk themselves among the perfectly chopped, tapestry cushions. All of the food is sustainably sourced from artisinal suppliers, with produce picked from the Port Lympne gardens. It is high quality, beautifully plated dining, with our stand out dish being a perfect sea bream fillet (with skin like pork crackling and tender, flaky flesh) perched atop celeriac puree and cavolo nero and served with buttery, brown crab mashed potato, which I could happily eat by the bucket, with a spade.  You can read our full review of the meal here .  Afterwards, as the sun plunges towards the horizon, we enjoy an exclusive, after-hours adventure around the park in our buggy. The serenity is only broken by the squealing of monkeys - the park’s and our own pair.  And we are lucky enough to catch lionness Oudrika gracefully strolling a few metres from our faces, and in the distance a glimpse of her eight-week old cubs, the newest additions to the Port Lympne family.  The buggies have interactive maps, which guide us through extraordinary encounters with a gaggle of magnificent creatures, from silverback gorillas and orangutans to leopards and lemurs. The following morning, all four of us leap out of our beds and are magnetically drawn to the terrace, to drink in the morning sun as it creeps across the countryside.  Then it's back to The Garden Room for breakfast, which is a triumph of runny orange yolks and crispy rashers. Read more on that, here. We have one last buggy adventure around the park, before grudgingly returning the keys and exploring further on foot. A particular highlight for our children is our walk through the wallaby enclosure, where beautiful, red-necked wallabies leap about alongside us, bouncing in front of my delighted son and around the corner for a nap beneath the whispering leaves of a tree. Read more about the park’s animals here . There are a range of extraordinary animal encounters which can be booked at the park, from hand-feeding giraffes - r ead our review here - to feeding Cheetahs with grab sticks, leopards or lions with bbq tongs or giving rhinos a good scratch, up close.  We head off to scatter feed two, magnificent Spectacled Bears, Oberon and Rina. This is the only bear species in South America - and the inspiration for everybody’s favourite Peruvian bear, Paddington . And there are high hopes the pair will make cubs together.  The jolly ranger fields my daughter’s relentless bear questions with fascinating detail - they’re the second most vegetarian bear species after pandas; their only predators are humans and their long front legs make them excellent climbers. The handsome, hungry bears are patient with my son’s terrible throwing skills, as we catapult giant Kongs of mealworms and tubes of sweet potato and carrot into their enclosure. The experience also gives us the opportunity to explore the gated South America area on foot, which is normally only experienced in one of their safari trucks.  Vicuña flutter their long lashes and gracefully leap alongside us, while giant  Capybara rodents give each other piggy-backs across their watering hole.  We close the experience with a  90-minute Ranger Safari (from £30) , which is included with the Treehouse booking and takes us in a wonderfully bumpy, camouflaged truck through the South American, Asian and African experiences.  It’s the closest you can get to a Kenyan safari without jumping on a plane, as exotic animals run wild and free around us and our guide provides informative, entertaining and sometimes heartbreaking information about the animals and their reasons for being at the heart of a conservation drive. We pass too many wonderful animals to name. Giraffes, zebras, water buffalo, black rhinos, wolves, ostrich and even Przewalski’s horses - the breed so wild that even Ghengis Khan couldn’t tame them. As our ranger tells us, this entire species of horse was brought back from the brink of extinction, when just NINE were found in a private collection after it was thought the last one in the world had died. Now, there are over 1,500 in the world, and Port Lympne has sent its own horses to China to help with the repopulation efforts. As our unforgettable trip draws to a close, it’s Port Lympne ’s - or, more specifically, The Aspinall Foundation ’s - continued, successful efforts to save and repopulate species that sets it apart from safari parks or zoos. Visitors of all ages leave with renewed love for the animals and a sense of satisfaction from being allowed to share their home, knowing that our money has gone towards a great cause. From the safari through to the overnight stays and the beautiful mansion house at the centre of it all, it’s clear that although we have felt like the kings of this jungle, it's the animals that come first. Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve , Aldington Rd, Lympne, Hythe CT21 4LR. Treehouse hotel prices from £459. All stays include Treehouse stay for up to 4 people, golf buggy during your stay, entrance to Port Lympne and its sister park, Howletts Wild Animal Park, a safari experience and free onsite parking Like what you've read? Why not subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter

FREE and Brilliant Lunar New Year 2025 Celebrations Across the Capital London hosts the biggest Chinese New Year celebrations outside Asia. This year’s celebrations - aka Lunar New Year or The Spring Festival - fall on Wednesday 29 January. But you can celebrate the Year of the Snake at a gaggle of major events across the capital on 1-2 February  and our picks are all FREE. Ssssnake a look at our guide to London’s best ways to celebrate this hiss-toric occasion. ________________________ Chinatown - London’s Chinese New Year Festival Spectacular lion dances launch the festivities on 1 February  between 11am and 5pm , when colourful performers will weave through the streets of Chinatown , to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. Chinatown , London. 1 February. 11am - 5pm. FREE West End - London’s Chinese New Year Festival Hundreds of thousands of people will head to the West End on 2 February  for the largest gathering of Chinese lions and dragons in Europe, and more than 50 colourful New Year Parade floats. There are also free stage shows in Trafalgar Square  - featuring martial arts and dances to Chinese pop. The family zone in Leicester Square  will host craft, arts and dress-up sessions. The celebrations close with a show-stopping fireworks and lion dance display, lighting up Trafalgar Square. Chinese New Year Festival. Through Charing Cross Road, Shaftesbury Avenue, Chinatown, Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square.1 - 2 February. FREE Year of the Snake at Greenwich Peninsula Greenwich Peninsula will welcome the Year of the Snake with a vibrant celebration of East and Southeast Asian culture and traditions. Expect acrobatic Lion and Dragon dances in Peninsula Square from 1.30pm, Firepit Art Gallery exhibitions celebrating Lunar New Year; hands-on workshops like woodblock printing, bamboo weaving and Chinese knot-making; live music from Eastern Margins DJs, and the Eternal Market - a vibrant Pan Asian showcase featuring contemporary and traditional fare, brimming with delicious food, unique crafts, and community traders. Greenwich Peninsula, London, SE10. 1 February. FREE - £10. 12-4pm Chinese New Year in Camden Town Camden Town will celebrate Chinese New Year with an explosion of music, parades, workshops, and dance events. The colourful Lion Dance Parade will take over Camden Market and Hawley Wharf alongside live music and costumes. There are also hands-on workshops, from Calligraphy and Woodblock Printing to Fan Making, plus traders, creatives, and Chinese market stalls. Camden Market , 54-57 Camden Lock Place, London, NW1 8AF. 1 February. FREE. Lunar New Year Festival at London Museum Docklands Celebrate the Lunar New Year at London’s original Chinatown, in Limehouse. The London Museum Docklands is running a free  family festival with dragon dances, enchanting folktales, vibrant crafts and lively community-led events. London Museum Docklands , No 1, West India Quay, Hertsmere Rd, London E14 4AL. 1-2 February. FREE Like what you've read? Why not follow us on Instagram?