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.

Explore art history and sharpen your pencils with these hands-on workshops. Recommended to book 3 sessions in a row to insure participants can learn, enjoy and create in the best conditions.

These interactive Kids sessions will bring a touch of magic to your Saturday mornings. Fun, educational and exciting discoveries in easy French.

Create your own design and devise your own machine by using soft circuits (electronics and paper), e-textile and recycled materials. This is the perfect workshop for little inventors to experiment with sciences, technology, design, arts & crafts.

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.

There’s a time to work and there’s a time to play! Discover board and role-playing games, from the good old classics to the newest creations. Bilingual and easy French

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,

Discover a series of playful, recreational & instructional digital sessions, where we explore the potential that video games and apps may hold. In French, ages 6-12

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

Read, play, sing, grow! Whether you love drawing, reading, clapping or dancing there will be something to enjoy on Wednesdays & Saturdays!

These immersive workshops for 7-12 year olds, develop your child’s coding skills while embarking on a mission to Mars! Through a mixture of coding and robotics, games and art the workshop is creative, collaborative and educational. Children work at their own pace, while supported by expert leaders.

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.

Delight your family with a double-bill of classic musical stories for children at the Royal Albert Hall, with the charming Paddington Bear’s First Concert and seasonal favourite The Snowman™. The score is performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

A true holiday favorite, this beloved comedy classic features renowned composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture by the Cinematic Sinfonia and Crouch End Festival Chorus, conducted by Ben Palmer.

Birmingham Royal Ballet brings its especially-created version of this Christmas ballet back to the Hall. This enchanting production wowed audiences with its spectacular setting, grand ensemble pieces and ravishing Tchaikovsky score – it is without a doubt the quintessential Christmas treat for all the family.

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

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.

Explore how we’ve sent spacecraft to other planets, walked on the Moon and peered into the heart of our galaxy and beyond.

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.

Celebrate the festive season and design your own sensory Christmas tree decoration inspired by architecture. Led by Drop-in Design team.

You are warmly invited to a Victorian Christmas party exploring all things festive, from Christmas cards to trees. Find out how Victorian children entertained themselves on Christmas Day.

Bestselling writer, artist and current Children’s Laureate Lauren Child talks about her newest works and a life in books. From Charlie and Lola to Clarice Bean, Lauren Child has created some of children’s books’ best-loved characters. This event sees Lauren introducing her two latest creations; Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent - the star of a hilarious new series - and Mary Poppins, back to charm a whole new generation in a retelling of this much-loved classic.

Join us for a bi-lingual, fully inclusive signed performance for families that will take you on a playful and interactive journey through the life and work of Frida Kahlo. Chickenshed, Handprint Theatre Company and Sophie Sparham come together in a multi dimension collaboration inspired by the lifetime and work of Frida Kahlo.

Learn about the story of Frida Kahlo and explore your own identity through fashion and portraiture. Create symbolic and colourful flowers and add them to the Mexican garden setting in the gallery. Draw your own portrait or on your body lying down and display your work inside our own blue house.

Led by photographer Javier Hirschfeld, work with your family to explore identity and create your own portraits. Bring your favourite family portrait or piece of clothing to inspire you in this workshop. For 5-12 year olds.

Be inspired by self-portraiture and create your own digital portrait in this drop-in workshop. Recommended for ages 5+

Learn about the medium of photography and the newly opened Photography Wing in Project Photo, celebrate Diwali by making sensory lamps and discover stories from our collection in Weaving Stories, devised by the Jameel Prize 5 artist, Hala Kaiksow.

A wonderful interactive performance by Sadler's Wells Youth Dance Company Alumni and Company of Elders. Celebrate Diwali through playful, light-hearted, theatrical tales and jump on a magical carpet and be enchanted by stories from the Middle East.

Dance with a Venetian Harlequin in the ballrooms of Europe, draw and decorate your own silver trophy, try on a medieval gauntlet or fabulous corset, or challenge yourself to become a master of your craft.

Play the Museum with our digital games. Go online to seek out the V&A’s secrets, get creative and take the apprentice challenge.

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!

ake part in a multi-sensory play session especially for the under 5s and their families, inspired by The 12 Days of Christmas. These sessions are led by our very own Visitor Experience Gallery Assistants.

Build, balance and create your own colourful sculptures using magnets and cardboard in this free family workshop.

Meet playful creatures such as hedgehogs, opossums, rabbits and prairie dogs and sketch them as they exhibit play in different ways. Suitable for ages 8+.

This year will see new and exciting attractions as well as the return of the Magical Ice Kingdom, the UK's largest outdoor Ice Rink, the iconic Giant Observation Wheel and shows from Zippos Circus in the Big Top plus a huge selection of food and drink stalls and more!

Come and explore the home of famous princesses and see an exhibition of beautiful tiaras and and find out what it is like to be a princess by taking part in these fabulous family activities including storytelling and make your own royal headdress.

Introducing little ears to the world of jazz music these Jazz for Kids concerts are aimed at children of all ages and their families to enjoy. As part of our Festival of Film, join the jazziest members of Albert’s Band as they explore the amazing array of jazz music that has featured on the big screen!

Perfect for the whole family, this fun-packed hour will feature famous tunes from some of the world’s greatest big-screen musicals including West Side Story, The Jungle Book and The Wizard of Oz. Buggies, babies and budding musicians all welcome!

Join RCM conductors and musicians for a creative musical journey involving an ox on the roof, a double wedding, and a train ride to the North Pole. Following the workshop, we'll learn what makes a maestro and explore engaging musical extracts with guaranteed audience participation! Bring your baton – a chopstick will do!

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.

Prepare yourself for a brilliant selection of children’s writers and illustrators coming from both sides of the Channel to the Institut français, under the patronage of the marvellous Quentin Blake. The festival celebrates children’s writing, illustration, translation, and children’s books in all their glory.

Fold, stick and balance to create an expanding sculpture in the gallery using only the magic of post-its.

Join designer Grace du Prez and learn how to use a 3D printing pen to draw sculptures in mid-air! Suitable for 16+

Join a free family festival to make your own incredible discoveries. Make your way around the Orange Zone and drop-in on games, shows and events that inspire and entertain. Kids can build giant skeletons, get hands-on with real ocean specimens or become wildlife detectives.

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.

Join the museum as they delve into the science and history behind our nearest star as they celebrate the exhibition The Sun: Living With Our Star. There will be pop-up workshops exploring the science behind the Sun and hands-on interactive activities designed to delight and inspire the whole family.

A new theatre in the Jerwood Gallery will be unveiled for the premiere of award-winning drama The Wider Earth. The play, about the story of a young Charles Darwin, features a cast of seven, remarkable puppetry, an original score and cinematic animations to bring to life uncharted landscapes.

Learn about the story of Frida Kahlo and explore your own identity through fashion and portraiture. Create symbolic and colourful flowers and draw your own portrait on your body or lying down.

The Royal Albert Hall’s Festival of Film returns, celebrating the magic of the movies, while shining a spotlight on cinema’s best scores. The programme is packed with immersive movie and music experiences, including a host of screenings, concerts with a film flavour, exhibitions, talks and tours.

Available to borrow from Level 1, Sackler Centre, the V&A's award-winning backpacks are recommended for 5-12 years, whilst under 5s can explore sounds and textures with the Agent Animal bag. Discover curious ceramic objects, architectural inventions and incredible interiors.

Standing over six metres tall, this Structural Thermal Model (STM) of the spacecraft was used to test BepiColombo’s resilience during its seven-year journey to Mercury—one of the most challenging planetary missions ever launched.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Drop in any time between 11am and 3pm to take part in a host of free and exciting Halloween themed activities, exploring a hair-raising nature trail, creating a magical potion using herbs and plants from the garden and making your own bat mask or drawing your very own mini monster

Discover our wide range of events to bring the family to during school half terms.

Join us at the Royal College of Music for a fun family concert exploring Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique. Introduce your family to the full sound of an orchestra as dynamic presenter Fraser Trainer and the RCM Philharmonic take audiences on a spooky musical journey involving a love story, a spinning ballroom, a day in the countryside, a nightmare and a Witches' Sabbath.Suitable for ages 4+

Join us for a free family festival celebrating the exciting and diverse ways in which engineers change the world. Engineering is about more than just bridges and railway tracks. From buildings to body armour, engineers create amazing inventions to solve puzzling problems.

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.

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.

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.

The awesome power, beauty and dark side of the sun is revealed in a major new exhibition this Autumn. Spectacular interactive experiences, unique artefacts, and stunning imagery shed fresh light on our evolving relationship with our closest star.

Dive down on an adventure thousands of metres below the waves to help our scientist explore life in the oceans. Kids will dive through a reef, come face-to-face with a giant squid and see if they have what it takes to survive 3,000 metres below the surface.

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.

Totem takes you on a stunning journey into the Evolution of Mankind – from our original amphibian state to our ultimate quest for flight. Featuring Cirque du Soleil’s mind-blowing signature acts, Totem is an unforgettable spectacle for all ages.

This exhibition will explore the design and culture of videogames since the mid-2000s, investigating ground-breaking contemporary design work, creative and rebellious player communities and the political conversations that define this movement.

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.