10 things to do in London with kids this summer

1. Dory’s Quest at Disney Store
This summer Disney Store is hosting Dory’s Quest, an in-store activity celebrating the new Disney Pixar film Finding Dory, which arrived in UK cinemas on 29 July. When participating in Dory’s Quest (see picture above), which runs until 3 September in Disney Stores, little ones take on the role of underwater explorers who join Disney Store Cast Members to help Dory find her family, navigating around a giant board game to get Dory from start to finish. The journey takes Dory to many locations where she meets familiar and new characters from the film and guests take on different tasks. By joining the activity, kids can learn about life under the sea, test their knowledge of the ocean, learn to speak whale and even test their memory in true Dory style.

2. James and the Giant Peach at Polka Theatre
Roald Dahl’s witty James and the Giant Peach is in its final weeks at Polka Theatre in Wimbledon, and the show, which is running until 14 August, is recommended for children aged 5 to 11.

3. Pop-up Park at Westfield London
Head to Westfield London for a weather-proof park experience where the family can visit the Finding Dory zorbing pool, ice cream stalls, a Disney Life gazebo and much more. The green pop-up summer park with artificial grass is open until 4 September, and in addition to Disney activities, Barbados will be hosting a series of Caribbean-style events, including domino competitions, flower arranging, face painting and hair braiding; all done in true Caribbean style. in addition to the park, Westfield has also welcomed the first Vogue Café pop-up in Western Europe serving a special summer menu in the Village.

4. Bugsy Malone at Lyric Hammersmith
Award-winning musical Bugsy Malone has returned to Lyric Hammersmith this summer with the critically-acclaimed performance.The show is recommended for children aged 6 and over.

5. Musical dance workshops at Royal Academy of Dance
Royal Academy of Dance on Battersea Square is hosting West End-themed dance workshops this August. On Monday 15 and 16 August children aged 11-16 will have the chance to learn routines from the award-winning musical Wicked in a two-day workshop (£165 per child) that includes tickets to the musical, lunch both days and a pre-theatre dinner. On Friday 19 and Saturday 20 August children aged 8 to 12 can join a two-day workshop bringing Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to life. The tickets to the two-day musical dance workshop (£165 per child) will include tickets to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a pre-theatre dinner and lunches both days.

6. The Big Screen at Bluebird
From 5 August, Bluebird Chelsea will be the place to watch sports and I could see it being a good place to take the family for lunch. The Big Screen in the courtyard is ready for the Olympics, and visitors can enjoy alfresco dining while watching the action from Rio.

7. The Gruffalo at Lyric Theatre
The stage adaptation of the popular The Gruffalo, which celebrates 15 years on stage this year, has returned to Lyric Theatre on West End for an extended run this summer, continuing until 8 January 2017. Standard tickets start from £14.50

8. Dragon Training School at Shrek’s Adventure
Shrek’s Adventure on London’s Southbank is running a dragon training school until 4 September. After going on the interactive adventure with Shrek, visitors will meet the Vikings who share their knowledge in training dragons and host hands-on activities inspired by the popular DreamWorks films such as the Sheep Toss Trebuchet Challenge and a Duel the Dragon.

9. Peter Pan exhibition at Florence Nightingale Museum
At the Florence Nightingale Museum this summer, families can learn more about JM Barrie’s Peter Pan, from the success of the 1904 play to the many adaptations that have continued to inspire both children and adults over the past century. The exhibition, which is on until 30 OCtober, includes early editions with classic illustrations of the story, using the magical collection from Great Ormond Street Hospital.

10. The Reading Tree at The Bentall Centre in Kingston
Kingston shopping centre The Bentall Centre is running a reading event this month, and has created a space for families to take a break from shopping and sit down and read one of over 100 books on the tree’s shelves. There are also other reading-themed activities at the centre, with Waterstones running arts and crafts sessions and story time every Thursday. The Reading Tree will also host interactive story sessions and Yo! Sushi sampling every Saturday, and on 25 August Paperchase is running a drawing competition, where kids can draw their favourite book characters to be in with a chance of winning prizes.

Power UP is also on at the Science Museum until 7 August, inviting visitors to play an array of old and new video games

Tags: Bluebird, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dance, Disney, Disney Store, Finding Dory, Lyric Hammersmith, Musical, Polka Theatre, Royal Academy of Dance, Summer, Summer events, Summer holiday, Summer workshop, The Gruffalo, Westfield, Westfield London, Wicked, Workshop