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Fun things to do with kids in South Kensington

Looking for family-friendly activities in South Kensington? Dive into a world of exploration and experimentation with interactive experiences tailored for families. From music and science to arts, performance, film, parks, playgrounds, immersive galleries, and beyond, there's plenty of inspiring fun for your kids to discover!

V&A Secret Seekers

Online
V&A South Kensington
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Set off on a treasure hunt to unlock the secrets of the museum hidden in its walls. Meet a cast of characters, collect gems and reveal the museum's secrets!

IMAX: The Ronson Theatre

Daily
Varies
Science Museum
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Experience this fully immersive IMAX, on one of the biggest cinema screens in the UK. With an IMAX laser 4k projector and an IMAX 70mm film projector, this experience is great for all cinema lovers. Regularly showing are scientific documentaries and the latest blockbuster releases.

Self-Guided Tours at the Natural History Museum

Daily
10am-5:50pm
Natural History Museum
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Whether you're visiting for the first time or the fiftieth, these tours and free things to do, will take you through the best the Museum has to offer.

Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery

Daily
10am - 6pm
Science Museum
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Step into the fascinating world of technicians for a peek behind the scenes in the Science Museum's brand new interactive gallery. Experience what it’s like to create visual effects on a blockbuster film set or operate a robot in a manufacturer's workshop,

Young V&A opening in July

Opening 1st July 2023
V&A South Kensington
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Young V&A will showcase the transformative power of creativity, displaying remarkable and optimistic stories of children’s ingenuity alongside 2,000 works from the V&A’s collection of art, design, and performance.

Outdoor Activities for Kids

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Natural History Museum
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Fun, free things to do in a park, on the street, or anywhere outdoors.

Power Up

10am - 5.30pm
Science Museum
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Immerse yourself in this hands-on gaming zone, featuring the very best video games and consoles from the past 50 years. From Pong to Pacman and Minecraft to Mario, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a retro games fan, a serious gamer or just want to beat your family at Mario Kart.

Engineers

Daily
10am-6pm
Science Museum
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Engineers shape the world that we live in, creating bold, ground-breaking innovations that respond to global challenges and improve billions of lives. But how much do we know about the people behind these innovations?

Young V&A

Opens 1st July
10am-5:30pm
V&A South Kensington
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Get ready to spark your creativity at Young V&A – the museum where children, young people and families can imagine, play and design. From 1 July 2023, be inspired by spaces, explore our collection and get creative. Right now, keep in touch on social.

Family Trails at the Science Museum

Science Museum
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Go on a journey of discovery and exploration around the Science Museum.

Giants of Today Trail

Natural History Museum
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From hefty herbivores to jungle jumbos, discover who's topping the charts when it comes to being the biggest, the tallest and the heaviest of them all. Follow the trail to meet some of world's biggest animals and to find out all about the highs and lows that come with being so big.

Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence

2nd March - 22nd Sept
10am - 5.45pm
V&A South Kensington
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Last chance to explore Tropical Modernism - an architectural style developed in the hot, humid conditions of West Africa in the 1940s.

Adventures Babies

Various Dates
Various Times
Natural History Museum
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Delight the little ones with this sensory storytelling class at the Natural History Museum. Take part in a host of activities designed specifically to engage babies and encourage their development.

Energy Revolution: The Adani Green Energy Gallery

Daily
10am - 6pm
Science Museum
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Discover how the world can generate and use energy more sustainably to limit climate change in the Science Museum’s new, free gallery. Energy Revolution looks at the past, present and future of sustainable energy and how we can achieve a low carbon world.

The Natural History Museum Gardens

Daily
10am - 5.50pm
Natural History Museum
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Say hello to a full-size Diplodocus grazing in a Jurassic garden, come face-to-face with the earliest mammals and walk in the footsteps of our earliest ancestors. As you explore the grassland, wetland and woodland habitats, experience how nature can thrive in urban spaces. Booking not necessary.

The Sunken Garden

Wed - Sun
9.30-17.45
Kensington Palace
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The beautiful Sunken Garden was planted in 1908, transforming part of the gardens previously occupied by potting sheds into a tranquil ornamental garden. Today, the garden continues the tradition of rotational flower displays in the spring and summer.

Wonderlab

Daily
10am - 5.30pm
Science Museum
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At this interactive gallery, discover the beauty of the science and math that shape our everyday lives. This unmissable experience will ignite your curiosity, fuel your imagination, and inspire you to see the world in new and exciting ways.

Ocean Odyssey

Dates Vary
Times Vary
Science Museum
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Embark on an extraordinary journey through Earth’s vast ocean highways with a baby humpback whale to uncover the secrets of ocean currents.

Science City 1550-1800: the Linbury gallery

Daily
Science Museum
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Discover the world’s oldest collection of timepieces at the Science Museum. See over 600 watches and clocks charting the history of clock making in London.

The Clockmakers’ Museum

Daily
10am - 6pm
Science Museum
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Discover the world’s oldest collection of timepieces at the Science Museum. See over 600 watches and clocks charting the history of clock making in London.

Wonderlab+

Daily
Science Museum
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Want to continue the Wonderlab experience after your visit? Explore hours of hands-on activities, quizzes and more on our new, free family-friendly website.

Versailles: Science and Splendour

12th Dec- 21st April 2025
10am-6pm
Science Museum
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Discover how the Palace of Versailles used science as a tool of power in this illuminating new exhibition.

Image credit: ‘Rebirth’ Garments. Sandra Oviedo (a.k.a.) Colectivo Multipolar

Design and Disability

7th June 2025- 15th Feb 2026
10am - 5:45pm
V&A South Kensington
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Both a celebration and a call to action, this exhibition showcases the radical contributors of disabled, Deaf, and neurodiverse people and communities to design history and contemporary culture. Tickets are now on sale.

Image credit: Antoinetta, 2005 by Manolo Blahnik

Marie Antoinette Style

20th Sept 2025 - 22nd March 2026
10am - 5:45pm
V&A South Kensington
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A complex fashion icon, Marie Antoinette's timeless appeal is defined by her style, youth and notoriety. Explore the lasting influence of the most fashionable (and ill-fated) queen in history.