It’s that time of year again – school summer holidays! Here we round up a selection of things to do in London in the school summer holidays 2025!
This post provides ideas of things to do which require payment. If you are looking for free things to do in London with kids, check out our regular monthly posts:
And don’t forget to also check out our post The ULTIMATE list of free things to do with kids in London which provides plenty of ideas of things to do in London that are free and always available.
Before we dive in, please note that some of the events and activities listed here may require advance booking. We also strongly recommend checking the official websites of any venues or events you’re interested in before making your journey, as opening times and entry requirements can change.
Please be aware that we are not affiliated with any of the venues, organisations, or events mentioned in this guide. We don’t specifically endorse any particular activity – every family is different, and what works brilliantly for one might not suit another. This guide aims to help you discover new possibilities, but the final choice of activities should always be based on your family’s interests, children’s ages, and comfort levels.
To make this list more accessible, we’ve split this up by theme.
We will keep adding to this post throughout the summer, so do keep checking back!
Let’s explore what London has to offer for families exploring London in the school summer holidays!
Get crafty
What: Make-Lab: Weaving
Details: Join us for a two and a half hour introduction to contemporary hand weaving with weaver Dalia James. This tapestry frame weaving workshop will give each participant a fundamental grounding in tapestry weaving techniques. During the workshop, participants will learn techniques such as plain weave, dovetailing, hatching, Rya knotting and free weaving and learn about the process of dyeing yarns with natural dyes such as indigo and madder.
Where: Young V&A
When: Saturday 2 August 2025, 10.30-13.00 and 14.00-16.30
Who: Families with children between 7-14 years old
Cost: £25.00 per person
Find out more here.
What: Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings Holiday workshop (Ages 11-14)
Details: Join us for an engaging 4-hour art workshop led by educator Rosie Fuller. Using a mixture of materials including cork and cocktail sticks to explore and create modular houses, inspired by the Sir John Soane’s Museum’s new exhibition Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings.
Where: Sir John Soane’s Museum
When: Wednesday 6 August, 11.00-15.00
Who: Ages 11-14
Cost: £12 per participant
Find out more here.
What: Summer Workshops: Manga
Details: Whether you’re new to the world of Japanese comics, or if you love manga and anime characters and would like to create your own, we’ll be looking at the basics of drawing manga, creating our own character, and then featuring them in a page of manga front cover artwork.
Where: Cartoon Museum
When: Wednesday 6, Wednesday 13 and Tuesday 26 August, 11.00-12.30
Who: Ages 8-14
Cost: £15 per child
Find out more here.
What: Make it: Party Accessories
Details: This Make it invites your family to make fun shiny accessories using discarded balloon strings and foil balloons. Led by artist Hannah Wild, get inspired by the Cartier exhibition and the Museum’s collection to create your own party accessory. Families will leave with new skills and ideas on how to use party materials such as ribbons and balloons to make shiny jewellery and creative accessories.
Where: V&A
When: Saturday 9 August 2025, 10.30 workshop is recommended for ages 5-7; 13.00 is recommended for ages 8-10 and 15.00 is recommended for 11-13.
Who: Ages 5+
Cost: £20 minimum for one adult and child pair. You can add extra adult or child tickets to this booking.
Find out more here.
What: Sustainable Free-Play workshop with Studio TIP
Details: Join Studio TIP for a hands-on creative workshop for all ages to play, invent and assemble, using natural and recycled offcuts including locally sourced materials from South London-based Sedilia’s hand-made furniture practice. Participants will discover the hidden life of everyday materials, how they feel, connect and become something new. This is not a structured class – it’s a space for children and adults alike to lead their own play, build, stack, sort and invent. Mess is welcome, no rules apply!
Where: Horniman Museum
When: Wednesday 20 August, 10.00, 10.55, 11.50 and 12.40
Who: All ages
Cost: £3 per person
Find out more here.
Get active
What: Mini Golf by UrbanCrazy
Details: Take on nine holes themed around your favourite Horniman attractions – tee-off from the Clocktower, putt past the Walrus, and try for a birdie at the Butterfly House! Perfect for family fun, or for challenging competitive friends. The course has wheelchair access and adapted putters for wheelchair users, as well as putters for the kids.
Where: Horniman Museum
When: Daily during school holidays, 10.30 – 17.00
Who: Recommended for ages 3+ or at the parents’ discretion.
Cost: Adult – £7, child – £4.50
Find out more here.
What: REPLAY: A Limitless Recycled Playground
Details: Part installation, part adventure playground, REPLAY is a space built entirely out of waste materials repurposed for fun by The Herd Theatre. The space features a design to ignite imaginations, a score composed from recycled sounds and a crowd-sourced play generator. Children and their grown-ups are invited to play side by side in this space full of things you can move, change, combine, wear and reimagine.
Where: Southbank Centre
When: Wednesday 21 May – Sunday 24 Aug 2025, various times
Who: For ages 6 months – 11 years
Cost: Adult – £7.50, child – £7.50
Find out more here.
What: Wild Swing Mini Golf
Details: Step onto the course and into a vibrant world of oversized wildflowers and playful putting, designed by Graphic Rewilding’s Lee Baker and Catherine Borowski. Nestled in the Canteen Courtyard, right next to NOW Gallery, the course draws inspiration from the native blooms of the Greenwich marshes – Meadow Buttercups, Red Clover, Sea Aster and more. It’s a mini adventure bursting with colour, creativity, and unexpected nature moments.
Where: Canteen Courtyard, Greenwich Peninsula
When: Until 31 August, 11.00-21.00
Who: All ages
Cost: £3 per person, ages 3 and under are free
Find out more here.
What: Origami Kayaking & Stand Up Paddleboarding
Details: What better way to experience Canary Wharf’s Eden Dock than being on it!? Canary Wharf have recently teamed up with the Eden Project to completely transform Middle Dock into a waterfront oasis. Dragon Boat Events are excited to be working with Oru Kayak and Canary Wharf to deliver Kayaking and Stand Up Paddleboard Sessions from June – September.
Where: Eden Dock, Canary Wharf
When: June-September
Who: Participants must be at least 8 years old (accompanied by a parent/guardian under 14)
Cost: £16.96 per person
Find out more here.
What: The Peter Rabbit Adventure
Details: Follow Peter through the some of the beautiful palace gardens, solving puzzles, discovering beloved Beatrix Potter characters and uncovering the wonders of nature. Help Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle with her washing, solve Squirrel Nutkin’s riddles and mend the Tailor of Gloucester’s coat. Watch out – Peter has snuck into the Kitchen Garden again! Do you think Mr. McGregor will notice?
Where: Hampton Court Palace
When: 25 July – 7 September, in line with palace opening hours
Who: All ages
Cost: Included with admission
Find out more here.
What: Roman London family walk
Details: Join for a guided walk through the City of London’s landmarks to explore how the Second World War impacted ordinary Londoners. This 60-minute walk will uncover some of the lesser-known stories about the war along the way, like how it affected children, women and food.
Where: City of London
When: Saturday 26 July, 10.30-11.30
Who: Primary school age children and their families
Cost: Adults – £10, children £8
Find out more here.
What: Second World War family walk
Details: Join for a guided walk through the City of London’s landmarks to explore how the Second World War impacted ordinary Londoners. This 60-minute walk will uncover some of the lesser-known stories about the war along the way, like how it affected children, women and food.
Where: City of London
When: Thursday 31 July, 10.30
Who: Primary school age children and their families
Cost: Adults – £10, children £8
Find out more here.
What: Playday in the Garden
Details: Join for a festival of play, creativity and design for children and families, exploring our garden and the creatures that inhabit it! Children will encounter the garden’s biodiversity – from bees, butterflies and birds, to worms and creepy crawlies! Through playful and creative activities, children will learn how we can use design to benefit other animals and insects. Design a mini garden, become a bee or a butterfly, learn how sticky worms nurture the soil, create a bird eatery and more!
Where: The Design Museum
When: Wednesday 6 August, 13.30 – 16.30
Who: Playday is aimed at children between 4 and 10 years old. Please note that the workshops of this event are not suitable for toddlers.
Cost: £5 per person
Find out more here.
What: Queer Folk: Family Ceilidh Dance Party
Details: Get ready to do-si-do, strip the willow and get folky at this lively, inclusive ceilidh led by Queer Folk. With live music from their brilliant queer ceilidh band, you will be guided through each dance – no experience or partner required, just a willingness to move! All dances are gender-free and can be adapted to suit all ages and abilities, so everyone can join in. Expect high-energy folk dancing, big smiles and a whole lot of fun for the family. Folk is for all!
Where: The Barbican
When: Friday 15 August, 14.00 and 15.00
Who: All ages
Cost: Adult – £10, child (age 2-16) – £5
Find out more here.
Get watching
What: Transport Explorers: A Live Show
Details: Get ready for a high-energy, interactive theatre experience for curious, creative kids. A brand-new family theatre production at London Transport Museum. Join two trainee engineers as they journey through time to tackle some of London’s trickiest transport challenges, from steam-powered breakthroughs to futuristic fixes. With live experiments, comedy, and plenty of audience interaction, kids are right in the middle of the action as they help earn their Planner, Fixer, and Dreamer badges to become fully-fledged engineers. Perfect for budding inventors and mini problem-solvers!
Where: London Transport Museum
When: Summer holidays, various show times
Who: Ages 7+
Cost: Adult – £15, child – £15 (slight discounts on restricted view seats)
Find out more here.
What: Duke and Disorderly
Details: Enjoy a fun, family-friendly programme, full of chaos and silliness this summer at the Tower. Join this summer to discover some of the more eclectic characters connected to the Tower’s history and early 19th century London through their weird and wonderful jobs. Will you choose to help the Iron Duke bring an end to the mayhem? Or will you side with the lovable, if a little disorderly, residents of the Tower? Costumed performances will take place throughout the day at various times and locations around the Tower.
Where: Tower of London
When: Until 31 August, 10.30-16.00
Who: All ages
Cost: Included in admission cost
Find out more here.
What: Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs
Details: Blending iconic moments from Apple TV+’s Emmy-nominated Prehistoric Planet with brand-new content — including bespoke illustrations and extended CGI sequences — this 360° immersive experience transports you straight into the heart of the prehistoric world. From dangerous deserts to soaring skies and mysterious ocean depths, witness life-size dinosaurs at the most dramatic moments of their lives.
Where: The Lightroom
When: Until 2 November
Who: All ages
Cost: Adults from £25, under 18s from £15, under 3 years – free
Find out more here.
What: Sword Fighting Demonstration
Details: Join a Sword Fighting Demonstration and watch as Early Modern stage combat comes to life. Includes a photo opportunity for you to handle the weapons yourself! What’s the difference between a rapier and a smallsword? How often would you have seen a weapon in Shakespeare’s London? Did the fights on Shakespeare’s stage look like the fights people saw on the mean streets of 16th century London? Come and find out the answers to these questions and more at one of our thrilling demonstrations, given by our expert Globe Fight Team.
Where: Shakespeare’s Globe
When: Until 4 January 2026
Who: All ages
Cost: £12 per person
Find out more here.
What: East London Shakespeare Festival presents…As You Like It
Details: This joyful, family-friendly outdoor production blends contemporary London culture with the Bard’s wit, romance, and secret identities. Follow Rosalind, Orlando, and a vibrant cast as they navigate love and self-discovery in a Forest of Arden reimagined as a lively festival of music, cabaret, and revelry. With ELSF’s signature high-energy numbers, slapstick comedy, and audience participation, this is Shakespeare for everyone!
Where: Royal Observatory, Greenwich Park
When: Saturday 26 July – Sunday 27 July, matinee and evening performances
Who: All ages
Cost: Adults – £18, child – £13 (family tickets £54)
Find out more here.
Get discovering
What: The Robot Zoo
Details: How do chameleons change colour? What makes grasshoppers leap so high? How do bats see at night? Enter the fascinating world of The Robot Zoo and discover the mechanisms that give animals their amazing abilities. This family-friendly exhibition features larger-than-life animals that have been innovatively recreated using a variety of familiar machine parts and gadgets to reveal how their real life counterparts see, eat, hunt and hide. Interactive exhibits also give you the chance to try jet-propelled squid racing, and shoot a chameleon’s ‘tongue-gun’.
Where: Horniman Museum
When: Until 2 November, 10.00–17.30
Who: Families
Cost: Adult – £9.75, child – £6.50 (£1 Universal Credit tickets available)
Find out more here.
What: Making Egypt
Details: Explore the creativity of ancient Egypt and how it still influences art, design and popular culture today
Where: Young V&A
When: Until 2 November
Who: All ages
Cost: £10 per person (with donation, £9 without), age 3 years and under – free
Find out more here.
What: Pirates
Details: Heroic rascals or violent criminals? Discover the truth behind pirate life in a major exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. Pirates traces the changing depictions of pirates through the ages and reveals the brutal reality behind the fiction. The exhibition explores the perception of piracy in popular culture – from comical characters like Captain Pugwash and Captain Hook to anti-heroes like Long John Silver and Captain Jack Sparrow – and examines why the idea of a pirate’s life still fascinates us today.
Where: National Maritime Museum
When: Until 4 January 2026
Who: Recommended for ages 7+
Cost: Adult – £15, child – £7.50
Find out more here.
What: Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?
Details: Touch a piece of Mars, wrap your hands around a fragment of the Moon and snap a selfie with the Allende meteorite, which – at 4.567 billion years old – is even older than Earth!
Where: Natural History Museum
When: Until 22 February 2026
Who: Suitable for all ages but recommended for ages 8+.
Cost: Adult – £16.50 (peak), child aged 4-17 – £8.25 (peak), child aged 0-3 – free
Find out more here.
What: Secrets of the Thames
Details: Unearth fascinating objects and stories from London’s past in the UK’s first major exhibition dedicated to mudlarking. Explore the hidden world of the mudlarks. Twice a day, the River Thames dramatically recedes to expose a landscape unknown to most Londoners. Among the mud and the stones, the tides reveal remarkable objects from every era of London’s rich past. The exhibition features over 350 mudlarked objects, from intimate personal items to historical relics, with many on display for the first time. Step into the shoes of a mudlark and explore the foreshore, uncover artefacts and learn how they identify and curate their personal collections.
Where: London Museum Docklands
When: Until 1 March 2026
Who: All ages
Cost: Adult – £16, child aged 12-18, £13.50, child under 12 – free (all without donations)
Find out more here.
What: Ghosts and Ghouls Family Tour
Details: Join for a Ghosts & Ghouls Family Tour, a special family-friendly spooky guided tour of the Globe Theatre which brings to life the ghosts, spirits and scary happenings of Shakespeare’s most chilling plays. From the Three Witches’ spells in Macbeth, to the appearance of Hamlet’s father’s ghost, you’ll learn about Shakespeare’s love for all things supernatural as well as hearing the grisly details of medical practices in his time; folktales of London’s mysterious creatures like the Thames River Monster; and fascinating traditional ways to protect yourself against evil spirits.
Where: Shakespeare’s Globe
When: Until 11 April 2026
Who: All ages
Cost: Adult – £25, under 16s – £18
Find out more here.
What: The Big Dig
Details: Join this summer to get digging and experience what it’s like to be a real archaeologist. In this hour-long session, families will: learn what archaeology is and what archaeologists do, excavate specially-built trenches based on a real archaeological site in London, uncover and handle genuine artefacts from London’s past, and discuss finds to learn what they were and how they were used
Where: Museum of London Docklands
When: Various times Sunday 20 July – Sunday 31 August
Who: Recommended age of 5+
Cost: £4.50 per person
Find out more here.
What: Aldwych: The End of the Line
Details: Step into a disused Tube station with over a century of stories to tell. Opened in 1907, Aldwych (also known as “Strand”) was once a terminus of the Piccadilly line, serving trains to and from nearby Holborn station. However, it was never as heavily used as intended and closed to the public in 1994. Led by our expert guides, this tour takes you behind the station’s famous red-tiled façade to unveil its architectural treasures, fascinating history, and the surprising roles it played over the years – both in and out of service – as it navigated the twists and turns of the 20th century.
Where: Aldwych Station
When: Various dates from Wednesday 23 July
Who: Ages 10+
Cost: Adult – £45, concessions & children – £42
Find out more here.
What: T. Rex Show with Teach Rex
Details: Teach Rex use life-like dinosaurs to perform their show about the anatomy and life of Tyrannosaurus rex, one the most amazing creatures to have ever roamed our planet. The show delves into the jaws of this iconic animal, taking you on an interactive, prehistoric journey.
Where: Natural History Museum
When: Various dates from Tuesday 29 July
Who: Ages 3+
Cost: Adult – £12, child – £12
Find out more here.
What: Animal Robotics
Details: Take inspiration from animals and their unique body mechanics to design and work together to make battery powered robots in this interactive workshop with Matris Robotic inspired by our exhibition, The Robot Zoo. Full of fun, creativity, and excitement, the sessions will bring science to life through hands-on exploration and real-world applications as you step into the role of a roboticist.
Where: Horniman Museum
When: Wednesday 6 and Monday 11 August, 10.00, 11.30, 13.15, 14.30
Who: Ages 5+
Cost: Child – £15, each child ticket includes one adult.
Find out more here.
What: History weekends – Windsor at war
Details: Experience what it was like in Windsor Castle during the Second World War. Explore the WW2 vehicles which would have been familiar to the late Queen Elizabeth II and learn how she contributed to the War Effort. Visit the Home guard HQ of “Dad’s Army” fame and watch how they prepare for an imminent invasion! You can even take part in Home-guard drills.
Where: Windsor Castle
When: Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 August, 11.00-16.30
Who: All ages
Cost: Included with admission
Find out more here.
What: Public Night Voyage: Summer Sleepover
Details: Spend a night aboard The Golden Hinde, where you and your group will become the ship’s crew, immersing yourselves in the life of a 16th Century mariner through hands-on activities and role-play.
Where: Golden Hinde
When: Saturday 23 August, 17.00 – 09.00 (on Sunday 24 August)
Who: Suitable for children aged 5-10 years old.
Cost: Adult – £49, child £49
Find out more here.
What: Family Wild Life Drawing: Farmyard Animals
Details: Join for a wonderful event drawing real farm animals from Spitalfields City Farm! Meet miniature donkeys, guinea pigs, goats and chickens.
Where: Dulwich Picture Gallery
When: Saturday 30 August, 14.00 – 16.00
Who: Suitable for children aged 5+
Cost: Families (1 Adult + 1 Child) – £55, additional child – £25
Find out more here.
Have the best time this summer in London, and don’t forget to wear sunscreen!
