10 things to do in London with kids this Easter
1. My First Ballet: Cinderella
My First Ballet, a ballet series by English National Ballet and English National Ballet School designed for children aged 3 years and over, is back at The Peacock this Easter, presenting My First Ballet: Cinderella. The fairy tale ballet is running at The Peacock from 11 to 22 April, telling the story of Cinderella who wasn’t allowed to go to the ball and was treated badly by her stepsisters. Families travelling over Easter may want to catch the show at The Peacock in July instead, when the production returns for six days from 18-23 July. (Photo: Arnaud Stephenson)
2. Jurassic Kingdom
Jurassic Kingdom hits Osterley Park from 1 to 17 April, bringing an outdoor dinosaur experience to London families and marking the start of the UK tour of the event. The experience will feature more than 30 life-sized animated dinosaurs with moving arms, heads and jaws, blinking eyes and roaring sound effects. Visitors will walk through the park to discover the dinosaurs, ranging from popular dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops to flying dinosaurs like Pterosaur. Children can also have a go at digging up dinosaur bones in an excavation scene, and for a small extra fee, there will be an opportunity to try a virtual dinosaur-themed experience. READER OFFER: Mummy in the City readers can enjoy a 20% discount when booking tickets direct with Jurassic Kingdom by 15 March and using code EARLYBIRD20. The offer is subject to Jurassic Kingdom booking terms and conditions.
3. The Art of The Brick – DC Super Heroes on South Bank
The world’s largest LEGO exhibition inspired by DC characters opened last week in a temporary structure on South Bank in London. The exhibition features LEGO builds of DC super heroes and villains created by LEGO artist Nathan Samaya, and there are more than 120 large scale builds on display. The Art of the Brick – DC Super Heroes is open daily from 10am, and tickets are £16.50 per adult, £11 per child aged 4 to 16 and free for under 4s.
4. Hamleys Easter Activities
Iconic London toy shop Hamleys on Regent Street will be hosting Easter activities between noon and 4pm during the school holiday. There will be arts and crafts workshops and a free Easter party with Bunny Bear and Friends. In addition, children can join the Bing and Flop Easter Hunt at Hamleys for a chance to discover sweet treats.
5. Billy’s Band Musical Adventure at Cadogan Hall
On 2 April Billy’s Band is bringing a fun and engaging family concert based on Billy’s Band books to Cadogan Hall in Chelsea. Concert goers can expect great music by top musicians and plenty of audience participation, including singing and dancing. The event is recommended for families with children aged 3 and over, and ticket holders can arrive from 10.45am to take part in activities in the foyer before the concert starts at 11.30am.
6. Disney on Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic at The SSE Arena, Wembley
In late March Disney on Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic arrives in London, featuring more than 50 Disney characters. We can’t wait to go review the show, which is the largest Disney on Ice show touring at the moment. The show brings 14 Disney stories to life on ice, and during the show the audience can sing a long to 30 Disney songs, including favourites like Let It Go and Hakuna Matata. Disney on Ice is playing at The SSE Arena, Wembley from 29 March to 2 April.
7. The Scarecrows’ Wedding
The classic Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler children’s book The Scarecrows’ Wedding has been brought to life by Scamp Theatre in a fun and charming production, which will be on tour in the UK from April to August. London families who want to see it over the Easter school holiday can, for example, make a trip to Stantonbury Theatre in Milton Keynes, where The Scarecrows’ Wedding will be playing on 12 April. It will hit South West London in June, playing at Rose Theatre in Kinston from 23 to 25 June, and Big Girl and I will be going to review the show then. (Picture courtesy of Helen Maybanks)
8. Harry Potter Tour with Strawberry Tours
For families with children reading the Harry Potter books, why not try a central London Harry Potter walking tour with Strawberry Tours and learn about the biggest movie premiere in British history and J.K. Rowling’s favourite streets? The walking tour starts at Leicester Square at 3.30pm every day, and tour-goers can reserve a free spot online. The tip-based tours operate on a ‘pay what it’s worth’ basis.
9. Dragon Eggs at DreamWorks Tours: Shrek’s Adventure
After reviewing DreamWorks: Shrek’s Adventure on South Bank last year, Big Girl is still talking about the experience regularly, and for families that have been planning on going, there’s one more reason to visit the interactive attraction over Easter – a Dragon Egg Hunt. From 1 to 23 April visitors will search for rare Dragon eggs during their tour of Far Far Away, and at the end they can find themselves in the maternity ward for the amazing dragon eggs, watched over by the chief Viking Egg Nurse. This family experience combines two family favourites– Shrek’s Adventure and How To Train your Dragon–and the Dragon Egg Hunt is included in the normal ticket price.
10. Floating coffee mornings with MBNA Thames Clippers
For schools that start the holiday in March, families can take little ones on a floating coffee morning on the Thames with MBNA Thames Clippers. The riverboats are this month hosting a family campaign, where young travellers will be treated to their choice of a free babyccino or Capri Sun when their parent buys any drink from the onboard bar between 10am and midday. We’ve been invited on trips with MBNA Thames Clippers a few times, and it’s been easy to get on and off with young children, as the boats even have buggy access. I’ve also enjoyed taking Big Girl on trips on the rive to point out some of London’s top attractions. Tickets in the Central London zone cost £6.30 for an adult single journey and £3.15 for a child (aged 5 to 15 years) single journey when using contactless or Oyster to pay as you go. Children under five travel free.
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