5 things to do in London’s Notting Hill with kids

1. Catch a family-friendly movie on a Saturday morning
Notting Hill is the perfect place to go for a kids movie on a Saturday morning, with both Soho House venue Electric Cinema in Portobello Road, and Gate Picturehouse by Notting Hill Gate hosting Saturday Kids Clubs. At Electric Cinema, which features leather armchairs with footstools and side tables and sofas, Kids Club screenings start at 9.30am in the mornings on Saturdays, and tickets can be purchased by calling the box office in advance. All children need to be accompanied by an adult and tickets are £8 per person. At Gate Picturehouse, Kids Club screenings, which are exclusively for children and parents or carers, start at 10.30am on Saturdays and tickets are £2.50 per person.

2. Decorate biscuits at Biscuiteers
In the sweet Biscuiteers icing cafe on Kensington Park Road, families can enjoy icing their own delicious biscuits. The sessions, which can last up to an hour, can now be booked online in advance, and it is £18 per person for three biscuits, icing material and one decorative box. When we’ve done DIY icing, it’s only the children who’ve done the icing, and I’ve taken the opportunity to relax with a coffee.

3. Run off steam at the Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens, a short walk from Notting Hill, boasts the Diana Memorial Playground featuring a huge pirate ship, teepees, a sensory trail, a beach, play sculptures and more. The unique playground, designed for under 12s, attracts more than a million visitors each year, and queue management is in place on busy days.

4. Take a stroll past the house that inspired Peter Pan
Families wanting to bring the story about Peter Pan to life should search for 31 Kensington Park Gardens, which is said to have inspired Peter Pan creator JM Barrie. The house may look like other grand Notting Hill townhouses, but if you’re trying to make walking around Notting Hill fun for children, I would point out this house, which was once the home of the Llewelyn-Davies boys JM Barrie brought up after the death of their parents. It is regularly referred to as the inspiration for the home of Wendy, Michael and John in JM Barrie’s Peter Pan.

5. Explore nature in Holland Park
Holland Park is also easily accessible from Notting Hill, featuring the beautiful Japanese Garden Kyoto Garden. There’s also a cafeteria, sports facilities, the Adventure Playground and a small Ecology Centre in the large park. The Ecology Centre hosts events and activities to teach children about nature, including frogs, bats, birds and more, and it also features an edible garden.

Tags: Biscuiteers, Cinema, Diana Memorial Playground, Ecology Centre, Electric Cinema, Gate Picturehouse, Holland Park, Hyde Park, Peter Pan