Some things to do today

In this illustrated lecture, Miles Taylor talks about the significant effects India had on the Queen as well as the pivotal role she played in India.

The RCM Big Band is joined by versatile clarinettist Giacomo Smith for a swinging, soulful celebration of New Orleans music. Take an unforgettable jazz journey through the city’s eclectic fusion of signature sounds, guided by big band favourite Guy Barker.

Consisting of over 60 gingerbread buildings designed and created by architects, designers and engineers, the Gingerbread City is a playful way to encourage conversation around the future of our built environment.

Festive music fills our Grand Entrance this Christmas season. Special recitals are taking place almost daily, performed by our friends and favourite choirs from London's choral scene. Read more to find out how to catch them during the day and special evenings!

The exhibition is the ultimate exploration of Japanese minimalism and the delicate art of paper; it intends to reawaken our sense to the limitless possibilities of what can be done with fine paper. The works are designed and crafted from among 15 creators living and working in Japan.

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!

The new Photography Centre opens at the V&A with over 600 spellbinding photos including some of the oldest known photographs to modern masters. The Museum began acquiring photographs in 1852, and its collection is now one of the largest and most important in the world.

IKEA and the Design Museum present the Last Straw, an installation featuring the last ever single-use plastic straw IKEA will serve or sell in any store in the UK and Ireland.

Land Rover and the Design Museum present Material Innovation, an installation commemorating 70 years of the Land Rover brand. The atrium seats have been re-upholstered with original materials used in Land Rover vehicles from 1948 to 2018.

Set against the backdrop of the Waterhouse building, the Ice Rink at the Natural History Museum is one of the most magical places to be this winter. Experience the thrill of skating surrounded by fairy lights nestled in frost-covered trees, with the smell of mulled wine in the air.

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.

The workshop uses only plants and other natural materials to produce a wide range of extremely beautiful colours. Yoshioka has been especially active in reviving ‘forgotten’ colours like those found on textiles preserved in the 8th-century Shosoin Imperial Repository in Nara.

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.

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.

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.

Taking the figure of the mannequin as its central theme, the exhibition will transform the Gallery into distinct interiors: a bespoke showroom for Atelier E.B’s latest collection, a display of historic material, photography and objects; and a series of newly commissioned work.

Pierre Huyghe, one of the world’s leading conceptual artists, known for creating complex immersive ecosystems. The gallery will become a porous and contingent environment, housing different forms of cognition, emerging intelligence, biological reproduction and instinctual behaviours.

Imperial College run a range of daytime and evening classes in languages, the arts and humanities, and science subjects. Classes start in mid-October, with Evening classes meeting from 18:00 to 20:00 and Lunchtime Learning courses meet during lunch hours.

See the world through a new lens. Now in its fifty-fourth year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year showcases extraordinary animal behaviour and the breathtaking diversity of life on Earth. Explore the world's best nature photography, exhibited on 100 exquisite light panels.

The Design Museum has invited emerging designers and architects to respond to the theme ‘dwelling’. Watch designers at work, explore their projects and see their finished projects on display.

Every year since 2008 hundreds of design experts from around the world nominate the most innovative and thought-provoking designs from the past 12 months. Discover this year’s top picks across fashion, architecture, digital, transport, product and graphic design.

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.

Explore the extraordinary lives and deaths of Tsar Nicholas II and his family and go behind the scenes to uncover the science behind one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.

The Japanese restaurant, Akira, is on the first floor of Japan House London in Kensington. Named after Chef SHIMIZU Akira, the restaurant presents an authentic Japanese dining experience based on Akira’s ‘trinity of cooking’ principles – food, tableware and presentation.

Join this daily volunteer-led tour which introduces the V&A's stunning British Galleries which house the most comprehensive collection of British design and artworks in the world.

Take a guided tour of the V&A's exciting theatre and performance collections. Discover the Theatre & Performance collections that document current practice and the history of all areas of performing arts in the UK, including magnificent theatre costumes, puppets, stage sets and more.

The monumental porcelain sculpture '399 Days' by contemporary British artist Rachel Kneebone will be displayed amongst the V&A's Medieval and Renaissance collection, highlighting the sculptors' shared interest in capturing highly emotive states.

Explore today’s home through the prism of yesterday’s imagination. Are we living in the way that pioneering architects and designers throughout the 20th century predicted, or has our idea of home proved resistant to real change?

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!

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.

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.

Meet creatures that thrive at night, in the total darkness of caves and deep in the ocean. Get up-close to specimens with fascinating adaptations and find out how they navigate their environment, hunt, mate and evade predators. Discover nocturnal animals through sight, sound, touch and smell.

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.

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.

The Science Museum's exhibition explores how society is responding to the enormous challenge of antibiotic resistance, featuring scientific research from across the globe and the personal stories of those waging war on the superbugs.

Artist Lee Ufan brings new public sculpture to Kensington Gardens. Comprised of two, angled, mirrored, steel sheets and two different-sized stones, Relatum – Stage will merge the natural and industrial in an installation that reflects the surrounding environment of the Park.

Uncover the hidden views and go on a visual treasure hunt with a range of exciting trails to guide your family through this amazing museum. Suitable for ages 3+

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.

How do today’s scientific discoveries shape tomorrow’s world? Get the scoop on the most surprising science stories and the biggest breakthroughs in the Tomorrow's World gallery.

Develop the professional skills you need to work in today's museum sector. Led by expert staff, these intensive part-time courses use V&A case studies to provide unique insights into their collections, work and best practice.

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.

This exhibition will present fashionable dress alongside natural history specimens, innovative new fabrics and dyeing processes, inviting visitors to think about the materials of fashion and the sources of their clothes.

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.

Cool off at the ice-cream and milkshake bar. Indulge your sweet tooth with sundaes and milkshakes or design your own ice cream tubs. Find the Shake Bar right outside Wonderlab.

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.

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.

The Italian Gardens is a 150-year-old ornamental water garden located on the north side of Kensington Gardens near Lancaster Gate. It is believed to have been created as a gift from Prince Albert to his beloved Queen Victoria.

Hyde Park has a fleet of rowing and pedal boats on the Serpentine and the UK's first Solarshuttle, a magnificent vessel which glides across the lake powered only by the sun. The Solarshuttle carries up to 40 passengers and the pedal and row boats hold up to 6 persons each.

Download the free Time Explorers app and try the new Digital Mission at Kensington Palace for children and their families.

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.

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.

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

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.

Trace the evolution of Diana, Princess of Wales' style, from the demure, romantic dresses and other outfits of her first public appearances, to the glamour, elegance and confidence of her later life. Recently re-opened with a selection of new outfits.

The Serpentine Sackler Gallery & adjoining Magazine Restaurant, opened in 2013, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. The Serpentine is now two contemporary art galleries in the heart of the Royal Park of Kensington Gardens in central London.

City of Towers is an installation presenting research into a new concept for the design and construction of high-rise buildings. City of Towers explores the concept of the tower through the lens of Parametricism – an architectural style created by the use of 3D software that renders shapes and forms using complex mathematical formulas. These 3D printed studies are sculptural in quality, precise in their creation, and sometimes appear to imitate natural forms.

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.

Sign up for a course at Imperial where a wide variety languages are offered at different levels as well as an expanding range of Arts, Humanities and Science courses.

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.

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.

Witness the talent of outstanding young musicians studying at the Royal College of Music in this free lunchtime and rush-hour concert series.

Spanning five centuries, the Fashion collection is the largest and most comprehensive collection of dresses in the world.

Take a self-guided tour and explore how London’s quarter for the arts and sciences was created. Discover more about it's great institutions and magnificent buildings.

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.

Meet the giant creatures – sabre-toothed cats, giant sloths, cave bears, dire wolves and mammoths – living in the frozen landscapes of our planet ten thousand years before modern civilization.

A suggested route where you can enjoy a ride through some of London's hidden gardens and get a glimpse of some of the Parks including Hyde Park along your way.

Meander from Clerkenwell, through our Museum quarter and through historic Hyde Park. Here is a suggested route from TfL and Santander Cyles.

Why not hop on a Santander bike and explore South Kensington - take a ride through the Parks, pass Kensington Palace, around the Serpentine and arrive at the Museums.

Every Tuesday, the market is open to all, providing great-tasting locally-sourced provisions on the Queen's lawn.

Afternoon Tea includes finger sandwiches, musically-themed sweet treats, homemade scones and a pot of fine tea, provided by the East India Company.

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

One of the finest collections of jewelry in the world - over 3,500 jewels, including pendants given by Queen Elizabeth I.

Set design, costumes, make-up, posters - and the first folio of Shakespeare's play.

Showcasing over 1100 objects from the V&A’s collections of 17th- and 18th-century European art and design in a suite of seven galleries.

Get closer to the Museum and its incredible collections with our wide range of free or paid-for bespoke tours.

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

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.

The Information Age gallery celebrates more than 200 years of innovation in information and communication technologies. Relive some remarkable moments of history.

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

Find out if you’ve got the problem-solving, big-thinking, team-working skills to be a globe-trotting engineer of tomorrow.

Guided tours offer the inside story of the Royal Albert Hall, taking you on a fascinating journey through its unique history, incredible architecture and legendary performances.

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

Meet your ancient relatives, trace the origins and evolution of our species, and explore what makes us human.

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

Join expert science educators for a behind the scenes look at the Museum's fascinating zoology spirit collection.

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.

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

Swim, stroll, play, eat, relax, row - some top tips of things to do in Hyde Park from Buzzfeed.

Explore Queen Victoria’s long and fascinating life in her childhood home, Kensington Palace

Home to the royal family for centuries and the birthplace of Queen Victoria, it is an exquisite palace with acres of manicured gardens.

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!

Explore Queen Caroline's Temple which is a classical style summer house overlooking the Long Water, east of Lancaster Walk, Hyde Park.

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

Tree-lined avenues and flower beds provide a stunning back drop to Kensington Palace.

Showcasing the best of foreign film - it screens a mix of French, European and Global films - with subtitles.

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

The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk takes visitors through four of the most beautiful parks in the world, including Hyde Park and Kensington Palace.

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