What's On in London, East

Alfresco Arts: Family

Venue: Canary Wharf

Website: www.canarywharf.com/whats-on/alfresco-arts-family

As part of Alfresco Arts: Family series includes a range of activities, theatre and workshops to keep the little ones entertained this summer. From an interactive rocket making workshop to a ballet performance...

Bank Street Basketball

Venue: Bank Street Park, Canary Wharf

Website: www.canarywharf.com

Artist Yinka Ilori has transformed Bank Street Park with his vibrant and captivating 3×3 basketball court entitled ‘Be The Best You Can Be’. This bespoke court aims to encourage and inspire people...

Canary Wharf Film Club

Venue: Canada Square Park

Address: Canary Wharf

Website: www.canarywharf.com/whats-on/film-club

Join Canada Square Park for their summer Film Club throughout June, July and August. Popular family films will be returning on Saturday mornings which are the perfect way to start your weekend. All films...

Character Encounters

Venue: National Maritime Museum

Website: www.rmg.co.uk

Meet John Simmonds, a sailor who served with Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, Pearl Morris will tell you what life was like for a Caribbean woman in Britain in the 1950s, or hear Alice Leghorn talk about...

Ellies Kids Club

Venue: Exchange Ilford

Website: www.exchangeilford.com/kids-club/ellies-kids-club

Enjoy free activities such arts and craft and all sorts of special events throughout the year – designed to give parents some time to treasure, while their little treasures are entertained. They’ll...

Family Trails and Backpacks at the National Maritime Museum

Venue: National Maritime Museum

Website: www.rmg.co.uk

Pick up a family trail or borrow a backpack of activities from the ‘Play and Explore’ trolley to discover exciting objects in the galleries. Choose from seven different trails across a range of galleries,...

Family Trails at Cutty Sark

Venue: Cutty Sark

Website: www.rmg.co.uk/cutty-sark/families/trails

There's lots for families to see and do on board Cutty Sark. Pick up a family trail or backpack from the admissions desk and discover new facts, stories and people in Cutty Sark's life - past, present...

Free Creative Workshops at SPACE Ilford

Venue: SPACE Ilford

Website: www.spacestudios.org.uk/family-activities

Each workshop is led by a professional artist and is open to all ages and abilities. Try your hand at textiles, painting, drawing, print and model making and more. Open Wednesdays 11am – 5pm, Saturdays...

Guided Boat Tours

Venue: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Website: www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk

Experience Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from a whole new angle as you cruise the waterways of the River Lea on a fascinating guided boat tour in London. You’ll take in sights such as London Stadium,...

Horrible Histories Terrible Thames

Venue: Tower Bridge Quay

Website: www.terriblethames.com

Tremble in terror at the Tower! Sizzle at the Savoy! Take a dive with Horrible Histories into the stories of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Julius Caesar, Queen Boudicca, Jack the Ripper and Captain Kidd,...

Kids for a Quid

Venue: Epping Ongar Railway

Website: www.eorailway.co.uk

Keep the kids entertained on a day out with a steam and hauled heritage train service when Child tickets are just £1! Tickets offer unlimited travel on heritage steam and diesel trains and vintage London...

Laser Tag Parties

Venue: Laser Mayhem

Website: www.laser-mayhem.co.uk

Renowned for cutting-edge technology and amazing playing areas packed with features to deliver the very best kid's parties. All the equipment and camouflage overalls are provided for all players. For...

Mega Camps – Summer Holiday Fun

Venue: Various venues

Website: www.megacamps.net

This summer your child will get to experience new activities such as Foot Darts, Fencing and Axe Throwing in addition to the usual favourites - Wet n Wild, Animal Zoo Workshops, Wall Climbing, Dance Workshops,...

Minigolf by Craig and Karl

Venue: Montgomoery Square, Canary Wharf

Website: www.canarywharf.com

This picture-perfect course is the ideal place to enjoy a day out with the kids or enter into some healthy competition with colleagues. Its free to play, so go and see the event stewards who can provide...

Outdoor Laser Tag Fortnite Themed Events

Venue: Laser Mayhem

Website: www.laser-mayhem.co.uk

Battle your way round Tanks, Helicopters and Planes trying to hunt down and destroy the enemy. 2 hours of action-packed Battle Royale Fortnite Scenarios perfect for ages 7+ recreating your favourite Video...

Ping Pong

Venue: Montgomoery Square and Wren Landing

Website: www.canarywharf.com

Pop down to Montgomery Square or Wren Landing for some competitive ping pong on the colourful tables. These vibrant tables are available to play anytime, simply take your own bats and balls and play. Space...

Sensory Back Packs

Venue: Cutty Sark

Website: www.rmg.co.uk/cutty-sark/families/trails

Explore Cutty Sark with hands on, sensory fun for all the family. Borrow a sensory backpack from the admissions desk to enhance your visit. Daily, recommended for under 5's. Free with admission to the...

Space Adventures: Interactive story building for families

Venue: Discover Children's Story Centre

Website: www.discover.org.uk

The Story Builders need your help to solve the mystery. Take off on an epic space mission, powered by your imagination. Where will we go? What will we do? The choice is yours. Free with your Entry ticket....

Swan Pedolos

Venue: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Website: www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk

Jump into a swan pedalo for a perfect afternoon activity out on the waters of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.Pedal your way down the picturesque waterways past iconic sites such as the ArcelorMittal Orbit.They...

The Tower Bridge Cat Trail

Venue: Tower Bridge

Website: www.towerbridge.org.uk/events/tower-bridge-cat-trail

Inspired by 'The Tower Bridge Cat' and the characters from the award-winning books, families are invited to complete the interactive Trail as they make their way through Tower Bridge. Find the installations...

Tower Bridge Relaxed Openings

Venue: Tower Bridge

Website: www.towerbridge.org.uk/events/relaxed-opening

On the third Saturday of every month, Tower Bridge host a relaxed opening for anyone who would like to explore the Bridge in a calm, tranquil atmosphere, including people with autism and other neurodiverse...

Marvellous Makers Summer Reading Challenge

Venue: Nationwide

Website: www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/library-zone

This year’s Challenge is called Marvellous Makers and it’s all about creativity! From dance to drawing, junk modelling to music, there’s something for everyone. Regional variations may apply, so...

The Big Butterfly Count

Venue: Nationwide

Website: www.bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org

Whether done with friends and family, or in a moment of quiet calm and solitude, the Big Butterfly Count is free, fun and takes just 15 minutes. No green space is too small - a back garden, a small terrace...

Big Bright Feelings Garden Trail

Venue: Discover Children's Story Centre

Website: www.discover.org.uk/event/mighty-mega

The ideal starting point for discussions about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence and managing feelings, every child’s bookshelf should contain these books. Free...

Kids In Charge Summer Holiday Club

Venue: Nightingale Primary School and Rightstart Daycare

Website: www.kidsincharge.co.uk

Kids in Charge’s Holiday Club provides fun, exciting, and stimulating activities for children aged 3 to 11 years. Enjoy free play indoors and outdoors. They will enjoy adventurous trips such as Cinema...

Puppet Workshop

Venue: Hay's Galleria

Address: London Bridge City

Website: www.londonbridgecity.co.uk

Join Rat and Toad for a workshop inspired by Kenneth Grahame's timeless classic, 'The Wind in the Willows'! Delve into the adventure and create your very own Rat and Toad. Immerse yourself in this charming...

The Wind in the Willows (The True Story) By Rat....and Toad

Venue: The Scoop

Address: London Bridge City

Website: www.londonbridgecity.co.uk

Ratty is staging a one-rat show of events previously documented in 'The Wind in the Willows'. Creative use of props, puppets, and actors showcase the fun and adventure as well as the mysterious, intangible...

Safe Harbour

Venue: National Maritime Museum

Website: www.rmg.co.uk

The sessions are an opportunity for families to have fun together in a friendly and welcoming space. Created in consultation with support organisations including We Are Family, and local foster and adoptive...

Summer of Play

Venue: Cutty Sark

Website: www.rmg.co.uk/cutty-sark

Get playful on Cutty Sark with family-friendly activities as part of the Summer of Play, comprising of crafts, construction play, storytelling, and more, including musical or movement sessions. Free with...

The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Venue: Greenwich Theatre

Website: www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Amazing tales, elegantly told. The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a family friendly, improvised storytelling show. There will be pirates and princesses, unicorns and dragons,...

Family Fete and Museum Takeover

Venue: Museum of the Home

Website: www.museumofthehome.org.uk

Visit on the opening weekend of the new gallery for a Museum takeover for all the family, exploring the many meanings of home! Engage in creative workshops and enjoy open play spaces, live music, delicious...

Goldilocks

Venue: Jubilee Park

Website: www.canarywharf.com/whats-on/alfresco-arts-family

Join Let’s All Dance Ballet Company for their performance of Goldilocks. The story of a girl with the lovely locks and her jar of magical honey, as she befriends a family of bears and teaches everyone...

Anna Fiorentini Summer Holiday Schools

Venue: Hackney, Stratford branch

Website: www.annafiorentini.com

A great summer activity for the kids where at the end of the week, students will get to showcase what they’ve been learning in a performance for family and friends. For more information about the Holiday...

Redbridge Holiday Mega Mix

Venue: Various venues

Website: www.visionrcl.org.uk/holidaymix/megamix

Kids can learn a new digital skill from interactive books, Lego, 3D modelling, or coding and electronics. All sessions will be inclusive. Arts and crafts, multi-sports, adapted cycling, and adapted water...

Smash Camps

Venue: Stubbers Adventure Centre

Website: www.stubbers.co.uk

Swap book bags for backpacks and get ready for a summer experience like no other. Action-packed adventure, team building and memory making to entertain ages 5 1/2 -16 all summer long! Experience a selection...

Summer by the River: Wonka (PG)

Venue: The Scoop

Address: London Bridge City

Website: www.londonbridgecity.co.uk

Willy Wonka – chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time – is proof that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy...

As You Like It

Venue: Wilton's Music Hall

Website: www.thedukestheatrecompany.co.uk

The ancient Forest of Arden serves as the backdrop for Shakespeare’s most famous and quotable comedy. When Rosalind is banished from Duke Ferdinand’s court, new identities are explored with hilarious...

Beauty and the Beast

Venue: Greenwich Theatre

Website: www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

For over 250 years, the tale of Beauty and the Beast has been told and retold, in print, on screen and in the theatre, but now the ‘tale as old as time’ gets a fresh makeover with an astonishing cast...

High School Musical Jr

Venue: Kenneth More Theatre

Website: www.visionrcl.org.uk

Disney Channel's smash hit movie musical comes to life at the Kenneth More Theatre in Disney’s High School Musical JR. Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High must deal with issues of love, friends...

Story Quest Sleepover

Venue: Discover Children's Story Centre

Website: www.discover.org.uk/event/story-quest-sleepover

A brand-new experience for kids aged 6-11 and their grown-ups, Story Quest Sleepover invites you to visit Discover after-hours. Explore the Story Worlds with an amazing scavenger hunt, make paper lanterns...

See Paw Patrol at Epping Ongar Railway

Venue: Epping Ongar Railway

Website: www.eorailway.co.uk

Chase will be joined by Marshall on Sunday 4 August. Take a ride on the heritage steam train to Ongar where the heroic pups will be making appearances at intervals on each day. Be sure to go and say hello...

Cirque: The Greatest Show

Venue: Indigo at The O2

Website: www.theo2.co.uk

Welcome to a world where the very best of musical theatre showstoppers meets jaw-dropping circus spectacular. A world that explodes into kaleidoscopic colour as everyone’s favourite West End and Broadway...

Peppa Pig's Fun Day Out

Venue: Hackney Empire

Website: www.hackneyempire.co.uk

Peppa Pig is back in her oinktastic brand new live show, Fun Day Out! Join Peppa, along with her family and friends as they go to the zoo and also the beach for a special party - it’s going to be an...

Errol's Garden

Venue: Greenwich Theatre

Website: www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Errol loves plants so much that he has them growing out of every pot, pan, and teacup he can find in his small flat. But he knows that plants need water, sunlight, and space. They need a garden. Filled...

The Hound of the Baskervilles - Outdoor Theatre

Venue: The Temple - Wanstead Park

Website: www.illyriatourdates.co.uk

An evening of mystery, intrigue and things that go woof in the night. The original and greatest literary detective of them all, Sherlock Holmes, and his assistant Doctor Watson, tackle the most baffling...

Summer Screens: Family Gaming

Venue: Canada Square Park

Address: Canary Wharf

Website: www.canarywharf.com

Free Family Gaming sessions where you can take part in a variety of family friendly games on big screens. All gaming events are free to take part in, simply ask the friendly stewards who can explain the...

The Little Mermaid (PG)

Venue: Canada Square Park

Address: Canary Wharf

Website: www.canarywharf.com/whats-on/film-club

The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface...

The Incredibles (U)

Venue: Canada Square Park

Address: Canary Wharf

Website: www.canarywharf.com/whats-on/film-club

While trying to lead a quiet suburban life, a family of undercover superheroes are forced into action to save the world. All films are free to attend, all you need to take with you is your picnic blanket...

The BRICK People

Venue: Kenneth More Theatre

Website: www.visionrcl.org.uk/event/the-brick-people/

The event contains self-guided activities including mosaic building and random brick building, along with tables featuring monitored build challenges by The BRICK People staff for the children and adults...

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival 2024

Venue: Various venues

Website: www.festival.org/gdif-2024

GDIF is back this Summer with FREE outdoor theatre, dance, circus and installations. Discover theatre on the shore of the Thames, an eight-hour aerial performance on top of a melting block of ice, dance...

Kinetika Bloco Summer Showcase

Venue: Southbank Centre

Website: www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Join this joyful, energetic spectacle of young people dancing and playing steel pans, brass, woodwind and drums, in this celebration of music and connection. 7pm. Free.

The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle - Outdoor Theatre

Venue: The Temple - Wanstead Park

Website: www.illyriatourdates.co.uk

When Dr John Dolittle of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh is taught by his wise old parrot Polynesia how to talk to animals, news of his skills spreads far and wide. Soon animals across the world send messages asking...

The Super Mario Bros

Venue: Canada Square Park

Address: Canary Wharf

Website: www.canarywharf.com/whats-on/film-club

A plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother Luigi, trying to save a captured princess. All films are free to attend, all you need to take with you is your picnic blanket...

Peppa and George visit Epping Ongar Railway

Venue: Epping Ongar Railway

Website: www.eorailway.co.uk

Peppa Pig and her brother, George, will be visiting on Bank Holiday Monday 26 August. Take a ride on one of the heritage steam trains to Ongar where Peppa and George will be making appearances. Be sure...

Grease (PG)

Venue: Canada Square Park

Address: Canary Wharf

Website: www.canarywharf.com/whats-on/film-club

Good girl Sandy Olsson and greaser Danny Zuko fell in love over the summer. When they unexpectedly discover they’re now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance? All films...

School of Rock

Venue: Brookside Theatre

Website: www.brooksidetheatre.ticketsolve.com

School of Rock is a hilarious musical based on the smash-hit 2003 film of the same name. Featuring songs from the original movie, as well as over a dozen brilliant new Andrew Lloyd Webber additions, this...

Haven House Mud Run

Venue: Nuclear Races

Address: Brentwood

Website: www.havenhouse.org.uk/Event/mudrun24

The Mud Run is a fun, super muddy obstacle course with around 20 obstacles. You'll climb in and out of the muddiest ditches, scrabble under cargo nets, crawl through tyre tunnels, over ramps, walls and...

Finger Sports (Olympics Themed)

Venue: Crossrail Place Roof Garden

Website: www.canarywharf.com/whats-on/alfresco-arts-family

To celebrate artist Anna Bruder’s current books Fun for Fingers and Finger Sports as well as the Olympics, she has created an exciting, interactive workshop perfect for children and their families. Step...