Fun things to do with kids in South Kensington

The children's library has reopened providing children with easy access to a wide range of interactive resources.

There is something for everyone at the Institut Français over the summer. From workshops for creative photography, science and design, to game labs, art clubs and animated film. And much, much!

Ever wondered what goes on at the Museum when everyone has gone home? Find out on a sleepover for kids.

Kids French Lab now offers a fun-filled approach to learning French for kids, through songs, games and storytelling.

Based at Imperial College London, a unique Saturday science tuition featuring specialists in science education and highly qualified scientists.

Ciné Kids screenings cater to children aged 4 and over – and their families – so they can discover the best animated films. In English, French or French with subtitles. Including Despicable Me and Paddington.

Science Night is a special overnight event for 7–11-year-olds, featuring exciting hands-on workshops, science shows, and a sleepover at the Science Museum among the amazing exhibits—all followed by a tasty breakfast and a breathtaking film in our IMAX theatre.

A drop-in workshop for families inspired by the museum and the exhibitions. Free but bookable, these informal sessions focus on design and making activities for children aged 5–11. Last Sunday of every month.

Enjoy activities for all the family and discover the stories of Kensington Palace. Time Explorers Station - activity bags for all ages from babies to 13 years & trails. Or Story Time - enjoy a well known story in the comfort of the palace and join in with themed toys. Aimed at 3 - 7 years olds,

There is something for everyone on a Storytastic Sunday. Explore the palace with activity bags, listen to Story Time or get creative in Make History workshops. Head along to Kensington Palace on the last Sunday every month to join in!

Join us for Astronights and spend a night at the Science Museum with exclusive access to galleries after hours and the chance to sleep among our incredible objects.

Hyde Park's expert education team run a range of free and exciting nature-inspired activities for families. You could be pond dipping, helping your children discover an underwater world, sweep netting in the meadow or bug hunting at the minibeast hotel.

Have you ever wanted to fly your own jet? Come and take the controls on Fly 360°, the hands-on flight simulator. Get your adrenaline flowing by performing your very own aerobatic displays, barrel rolls and loop-the-loops, all as if you were really flying!

Narrated by Jim Carrey and using incredible 3D technology, Under the Sea will leap off the screen and take you on a fascinating journey to discover the mysteries of the ocean floor.

Hot air balloons, gliders and flying suits will be brought to life in this fun, interactive storytelling session. Join us on a high-flying adventure through the clouds—then build your own beautiful flying machine.

Ever wanted to launch things across the museum? This is your chance! See how far you can launch your pompom in our catapult challenge. Put your skills to the test and you’ll be invading castles in no time!

Tim Peake is your guide for an out-of-this-world virtual reality mission that puts you in the pilot’s seat of a Soyuz capsule. As the European Space Agency’s first British astronaut, Tim Peake spent six incredible months aboard the International Space Station.

Get out and about this summer with the Mayor’s new London Curriculum Family Explorer Trails which includes the 'Creative Quarter' in South Kensington. Taking you on a circular trail starting at the V&A, up Exhibition Road and through the Royal Parks.

Explore the different time periods dinosaurs lived, sort the facts from the myths about why they died out, and find out what our scientific research has taught us about these prehistoric giants.

With stunning high definition 3D vision and flight simulator motion technology, you can see and feel for yourself what it’s like in the cockpit of a Red Arrow.

There's lots for families to see and do especially in the holidays, as well as enjoying a family-friendly café and shop. Kids go free!

A unique fountain memorial to Princess Diana designed to reflect her spirit of life and love of children.

Explore the rich diversity of mammals, from polar bears to pygmy shrews in the Mammals gallery. -

Inside the Cocoon see hundreds of Museum specimens. Marvel at beetles and butterflies, metre-high plants, huge tarantulas and historic herbaria.

Through dramatic film footage, exhibits, interactive games and our famous earthquake simulator, explore how the powers within shape the world in which we live.

Pattern Pod is an amazing multi-sensory area for children under 8 years old. Fun, interactive exhibits encourage them to recognise and copy patterns.

The Garden is an exciting interactive space, created especially for children aged 3–6 and their parents and carers in the basement of the Museum.

Explore and adventure in the playground with a huge wooden pirate ship which is the centrepiece of the Diana, Princess of Wales' Memorial Playground.

Revealing the beauty of the science and maths that shape our everyday lives, this unmissable experience will ignite your curiosity, fuel your imagination and inspire you to see the world around you in new and exciting ways.

Are you big on museums, but short on time? NHM's knowledgeable visitor assistants have designed just the dinosaurs tour for you. It will introduce you to some of the Museum's most famous and imposing specimens. One hour

From babies to teens, RCM Sparks run a variety of inspiring events for a range of abilities, including family workshops, concerts and courses

The trail will include creative looking, thinking and drawing activities as you explore the museum and exhibitions. The trail asks the user to consider what it's like to be a designer, maker and user of some of the wonderful objects in the collection. Takes 30 - 40 minutes.

As the European Space Agency's first British astronaut, Tim Peake spent six incredible months aboard the International Space Station. Using VR technology, get a 360° look inside a Soyuz capsule and retrace Tim's 400km journey back to Earth from the ISS.

V&A Secret Seekers is a new mobile game for families, launched to coincide with the opening of the V&A's Exhibition Road Quarter. Let eight characters from the V&A's history guide you on an exciting treasure hunt to uncover some of the secrets of the Museum.

Download the free Time Explorers app and try the new Digital Mission at Kensington Palace for children and their families. Meet characters from history, learn about life at the palace, do challenges and win badges!

From dinosaurs to mammals, explore the amazing diversity of life on Earth. Follow our planet's evolution and walk beneath a 25.2-metre blue whale skeleton. Take a journey through our spectacular Earth sculpture and find out about the tremendous forces that shape our planet. See scientists at work in the Darwin Centre and enjoy the tranquil habitats of our Wildlife Garden.

A new app from the Museum which encourages kids and their favourite grown-ups to head outdoors and learn fun facts about UK wildlife. Grab your phone or tablet to explore the nature on your doorstep.

Help to explode some rocket-fuelled bubbles, melt some marshmallows, and learn all about the challenges of space in this free interactive family show. This show is suitable for children aged 5 and above.

Based on the Apollo lunar landings, this film's exceptional 3D computer animation will fly you to the moon, where you can experience the sights and sounds of an Apollo expedition.

Fuel your adrenaline and feel what it's like to fly a low level mission in the RAF's latest Typhoon jet. Our new simulator takes you on an action-packed flight, demonstrating the aircraft's manoeuvrability through the beautiful landscapes of North Wales and the Lake District.

Pick up a family trail activity from the trail stand in White Court for a fun way to spend the day at Kensington Palace with children aged 5-11 years.

Work with Ross Atkin Associates to build your own app-controlled vehicles that explore the future of mobility. There are two workshops available per day. Workshop one 10.30-12.30. Workshop two 14.30-16.30. Recommended for ages 5 - 12.

How might we get around in the future? Work with engineers in this multi-dimensional activity to design new ways to travel. Inspired by the V&A exhibition Cars: Accelerating the Modern World. Designed in collaboration with Arup.

Relax on the green rug, play with sensory toys or enjoy reading time with your family and friends. Recommended for families with younger children or those who need quiet time. Inspired by the Cars: Accelerating the Modern World exhibition.

Take part in free activities during half-term inspired by Cars: Accelerating the Modern World Exhibition. Spoken word and images in motion as you journey to the future. Duration: 40 minutes

Discover more about some of the curious and creepy cures used to keep us healthy in days gone by. This interactive science show will delight and disgust the whole family!

Get your blood pumping in this fun, family-friendly workshop where you can make your very own working stethoscope and put it to the test.

Has your bear got a bruise? Does teddy have a temperature? Have a go at becoming a Teddy bear doctor here at the Science Museum.

Mathematics is too often perceived as dry and complex, but this new gallery will tell stories that place the subject at the heart of our lives, exploring how mathematicians, their tools and ideas have helped to shape the modern world.

Celebrate LGBTQ+ history month this half term with family activities at Kensington Palace. Discover what life was like at the Georgian court. Create your own costume ready for a court party and find out about the life of the royal favourite and head courtier, Lord Hervey.

Interactive gaming extravaganza, Power UP returns, featuring the very best video games, computers and consoles from the last five decades. Featuring 160 consoles and hundreds of games from retro arcade classics to the latest in virtual reality, Power UP will take visitors on an immersive journey through the history of gaming.

Since 2005, the Comedy Club 4 Kids has been getting the best stand-ups and sketch acts from the international circuit to do their thing for an audience of children (aged 6+) and their families… but without the rude bits!

A hugely popular sensory-friendly session, where you’ll be able to play more than 160 consoles, from retro arcade standards through to the latest in VR technology, free from the hustle and bustle of the general public.

Discover curious ceramic objects, architectural inventions and incredible interiors. Our award-winning backpacks are recommended for 5-12 years. For under 5s, go on an adventure to find animals, explore sounds and textures on level 0 with the Agent Animal bag.

Dawnosaurs is a free event for children on the autism spectrum to enjoy the Museum with their families and siblings, free from the hustle and bustle of the general public.

Seen from below or seen from above, the sky is always the scene of extraordinary shows. Five poetic short films to set out to conquer the sky.

Board games are a fun and inclusive way of socialising with friends and new people alike. Come along to play to your all-time favourite or master the rules of lessknown games, you’ll inevitably find a game that suits you!

Why was Elsa born with magical powers? The answer is calling her and threatening her kingdom. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, she’ll set out on a dangerous but remarkable journey.

Explore art history and get your paint brushes ready with these hands-on workshops. Or workshops for little inventors to experiment with science, technology, art & crafts.

Discover a series of playful, recreational & instructional digital sessions, where we explore the potential that video games and apps may hold. Expect new games and a new console!

Over the seasons, on the animals’ coats, or even in a box of pencils, colours are everywhere! Even music has its own colours! A programme of short films that will introduce the youngest to a colourful and variegated universe.

When the world’s best spy is turned into a pigeon, he must rely on his nerdy tech officer to save the world. The screening on 14 March will be followed by a facepainting workshop at 4pm

Calling all parents of bookworms! Bring your children to a fun, creative day where they can learn tips for crafting stories with a series of masterclasses featuring famous kids’ authors (Jeff Kinney, Chris Riddell, Cressida Cowell and many others) and take part in the London Book Swap, exchanging old books for new ones!

Make your own puppet inspired by Walter Van Beirendonck’s puppet costumes for ‘The Magic Flute’, currently showing in the Beazley Designs Of the Year exhibition. Learn how to design, thinking about movements for your puppet, using colourful paper, recycled containers, string and tape.

Trace the remarkable story of steam and how it shaped the world we live in today. Steam has been the driving force behind British industry for 300 years. Without it, the Industrial Revolution could never have happened. Even now, steam provides 75% of the electricity we use every day.

Fly Kids is a pay-as-you-go flight simulator that lets your child experience the sights and sounds of flying with the Red Arrows during one of their aerobatic displays.

Seasoned storytellers Paul Rubinstein and Samantha Sutherland deliver a series of sessions for babies and toddlers, aiming to engage and encourage interaction between parents/carers and their little ones using musical instruments, singing, movement and stories.

Join Mouse on a daring adventure though the deep dark wood, voiced by Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, James Corden, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson with live accompaniment from the BBC Concert Orchestra.. Followed by the world premiere of The Snail and Whale live in concert.

Solve clues as you travel across the lands and sail the seas in this fun, interactive, storytelling. Help bring Penny the Parrot back to safety! Ages 6 and under.

Discover the magic of Hyde Park in the palm of your hand! A free scavenger hunt game using mobile phones that takes you on an adventure through one of London's most popular parks.

Cirque du Soleil returns with a new spectacular extravangza, LUZIA, which takes you to an imaginary Mexico, where light (“luz” in Spanish) quenches the spirit and rain (“lluvia”) soothes the soul.

Designer Maker User, the Design Museum's only permanent exhibition, features almost 1000 items of twentieth and twenty-first century design viewed through the angles of the designer, manufacturer and user, including a crowdsourced wall.

Swim alongside some of the most exotic creatures on the planet, from the bizarre Rainbow Nudibranch to the Giant Pacific Octopus. Narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, Deep Sea 3D transports you below the ocean surface on a unique underwater adventure.

Ages 6–12 - Calling all young recorder players! Join us for a unique opportunity to play as a mass ensemble accompanied by a professional live band in the inspiring surroundings of the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall. Beginners are very welcome!

Ages 4+ - Encounter an outsized floor keyboard, virtuoso live performances, top of the range Steinway grand pianos, electronic keyboards, arts and crafts, storytelling and heritage objects from the RCM Museum. Suitable for all the family!

Ages 6–9 Join Katie Teage as she sows the seeds for a lifetime love of singing in this dynamic and fun morning of springthemed songs, arts and crafts and storytelling.

Gather round an open fire this winter and meet like minded survivors. You'll learn how to find the right materials to build your fire and how to light it without matches.

Design, make and fly your own paper kite with bold colours, patterns and a positive climate message for all to see.

Create a life size Martian garden and design space food packaging influenced by the Moving to Mars exhibition. Using paper, recycled containers and cardboard, join this collaborative make and build activity. Suitable for ages 5-11 years.

Dive into the design process behind this colourful CBeebies animated series through a friendly and accessible display.

Get a feel for how scientists work by having a go yourself. Come and explore hundreds of real nature specimens that form the evidence museum scientists use in their daily work.