🦊 Character Loading

Morning, London! Happy Thursday. Two days of actual sunshine and we’ve completely forgotten how light works. Sunglasses from 2019 suddenly relevant again.

Hope half term treated you well. Or at least didn’t defeat you. If you went anywhere near the snow, the Alps have been dramatic this past week. Proper winter scenes.

Meanwhile, bags are still unpacked and Sainsbury’s has gone full Easter. Hot cross buns. Mini eggs. It’s February. Also, World Book Day next Thursday. Time to locate last year’s costume or prepare to become a last-minute craft expert. Right. Let’s make a plan.

..LONDON SNIPPETS..

Bits that caught our eye

🦖 London Scientists Name a Brand New ‘Hell Heron’ Dinosaur. Experts at the Natural History Museum have unveiled Spinosaurus mirabilis, a newly named species with a dramatic sabre shaped crest and a taste for fish. A solid new entry for the dinosaur phase. Full story

🏴‍☠️ Life-Size Galleon Has Docked in Kensington Gardens. A giant wooden ship has arrived at the Diana Memorial Playground and will be the centrepiece when it reopens this summer after a £3m refresh. The galleon travelled across the North Sea in two halves before being craned into place and rebuilt in the park. The calmest place in Kensington is about to get significantly louder. Full story

🛍️ Portobello Road Getting a £4.4m Glow-Up. The £1.2 billion redevelopment of Liverpool Street Station has officially been approved. Plans include building a huge new office block above the Victorian station. For all the commuters out there! Full story

..TRIVIA..

Know your London?

..BRAIN BITES..

Wow your kid, and outsmart the other parents

..EVENTS SCOOP..

What’s on this week?

🎭 Lost Atoms @ Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 26-28, Hammersmith W6
A bold, emotional love story from Frantic Assembly, following two people across memory, loss and the moments that shape a relationship. Funny, intense and heart-breaking in turns.
Age: 14+ | Price: £10 | Info

🔭 Discovering What Exoplanets Are Made From @ The Royal Institution
Date & Loc: Feb 27 (Fri), Mayfair W1S
Astrophysicist Jonathan Tennyson explores how new advances in spectroscopy are revealing what distant worlds are really made of. Big space questions, up close.
Age: 13+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🦖🕺 Dino Disco for Kids @ Natural History Museum
Date & Loc: Feb 27 (Fri), South Kensington SW7
Jan dates sold out but availability for other dates. A family-friendly silent disco inside the museum, complete with headphones, dancing dinosaurs and multiple DJs to choose from. Big energy, big smiles.
Age: 6–12yrs | Price: £20 | Info

🎶 WordPlay @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Feb 27 (Fri), Royal Festival Hall SE1
Songs, live music and playful sensory fun designed especially for babies and their grown-ups. Two sessions.
Age: 0–2 & 3-5 | Price: no cost | Info

🐻 The Everywhere Bear @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: from Feb 27, Islington N1
Julia Donaldson’s heartwarming tale comes to life with music and expressive puppetry as a lost classroom bear sets off on a big adventure.
Age: 3–8 | Price: From £13.50 | Info

📖 Encyclopaedia of Happiness @ Chickenshed
Date & Loc: Feb 28, Southgate N14
A magical, musical adventure from Tales from the Shed, on a mission to rescue happiness before it disappears.
Age: 7–11 | Price: From £5 | Info

👨‍🍳 Signor Baffo – The Lyric @ Lyric Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 28 (Sat), Hammersmith W6
A lively, interactive kitchen caper for little ones. Expect silliness, spaghetti dilemmas and culinary chaos as Signor Baffo takes charge.
Age: 3+ | Price: £12 | Info

🐞 The Great Big Bug Show @ Half Moon Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 28 (Sat), Limehouse E14
Poems, raps and songs about the secret world beneath our feet. Expect minibeasts, massive beats and plenty of wriggly fun.
Age: 4–11 | Price: £9 | Info

♟️ Board Game Café with Shakes and Ladders @ Rose Café
Date & Loc: Feb 28 (Sat), Kingston KT1
Drop in for a relaxed day of family board games with the Shakes and Ladders crew. Try something new or revisit old favourites over coffee and cake.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🌳 Brave Bettie @ Arts Depot
Date & Loc: Mar 1 (Sun), North Finchley N12
A magical woodland adventure about courage, friendship and finding your voice. Poetry, music and storytelling weave together in this powerful, playful tale.
Age: 3–8 | Price: from £13.75 | Info

🎭 A Squash and a Squeeze @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Until Mar 21, Islington N1
Craft and decorate puppets inspired by A Squash and a Squeeze in this hands-on workshop. Expect glitter, colour and plenty of creative squeezing.
Age: 3–8 | Price: £10 | Info

🌳 Wimbledon Common Nature Club: Trees @ Information Centre
Date & Loc: Mar 1 (Sun), Wimbledon SW19
A hands-on session all about trees. Try bark rubbing and learn how to spot different species across the common.
Age: 6–14 | Price: No cost | Info

🚗 Southside Hustle Classic Car Meet @ Wimbledon Common
Date & Loc: Mar 1 (Sun), Wimbledon SW19
An informal monthly meet-up showcasing a stunning mix of classic and rare motors. Even if you’re not a car buff, it’s worth a wander.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🧧 Lunar New Year @ Calthorpe Community Garden
Date & Loc: Mar 1 (Sun), King’s Cross WC1X
Celebrate with a vibrant lion dance, hands-on workshops and Asian street food in this lively community garden setting.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🐒 Dear Zoo @ Lyric Hammersmith
Date & Loc: Mar 2–5, Hammersmith W6
Rod Campbell’s lift-the-flap favourite comes to life with puppets, music and plenty of audience interaction. Which animal will be the perfect pet?
Age: 2+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🎨 Messy Explorers @ Fitzrovia Community Centre
Date & Loc: Mar 4 (Wed), Fitzrovia W1W
A hands-on sensory session for little ones to squelch, splash and explore different textures. Dress for mess, they’ll handle the clean-up.
Age: Under 5s | Price: Pay what you can | Info

🎙️ On Air Radio Bootcamp @ Roundhouse Studios
Date & Loc: Mar 7 (Sat), Camden NW1
A one-day deep dive into radio production for teens. Learn to record, edit and create your own show with guidance from industry pros.
Age: 15–17 | Price: £10 | Info

🐛 The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show @ Blackheath Halls
Date & Loc: Mar 7 (Sat), Blackheath SE3
Eric Carle’s classic stories burst to life with colourful puppets, music and plenty of wriggly magic. A joyful first theatre trip for little ones.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £15 | Info

💃 Improvising with Ascension Dance @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Mar 7 (Sat), Southbank SE1
Watch dancers create movement on the spot and explore how imagination turns nothing into something.
Age: 5-11yo | Price: no cost | Info

🎻 LSO Family Concert @ Barbican Hall
Date & Loc: Mar 8 (Sun), Barbican EC2Y
A lively introduction to live orchestral music with the London Symphony Orchestra. Expect themed fun, audience participation and free pre-concert workshops.
Age: 7+ (younger siblings welcome in crèche) | Price: from £6 | Info

📚 World Book Day Special @ Gnome House
Date & Loc: Mar 8 (Sun), Walthamstow E17
A morning of book-themed fun with art workshops, cooking sessions, sensory play and soft play. Come dressed as your favourite character.
Age: All ages | Price: £12 | Info

🎨 Magic of India Holi Colour Dance Party @ Open Spaces
Date & Loc: Mar 8 (Sun), Swiss Cottage NW3
A vibrant Holi celebration with dance performances, DJs, dhol drummers and safe colour powders. Expect authentic Indian street food and family-friendly fun.
Age: All ages | Price: from £18 | Info

🐉 Book Reading and Draw-Along with Alex Barrow @ Young V&A
Date & Loc: Mar 21 (Sat), Bethnal Green E2
Hear If I Had a Dragon read aloud, then join illustrator Alex Barrow to draw your own fiery creations.
Age: 3–8 | Price: £5 | Info

🎼 Family Sundays @ Royal Opera House
Date & Loc: Various dates, Covent Garden WC2E
These go fast but still some dates available. A relaxed family day with creative activities, short performances and chances to explore music, dance and storytelling inside the Royal Opera House.
Age: Families | Price: £20 | Info

🎨 Mundo Pixar @ Wembley Park
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Wembley
Step inside the worlds of Toy Story, Coco, Cars and more in this large-scale immersive Pixar experience, packed with life-size sets.
Age: All ages | Price: from £22 | Info

🐙 Octonauts @ Horniman Museum and Gardens
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Horniman SE23
Pick up a free trail and join the Octonauts crew on mini-missions around the museum. Hunt for shells, discover Octofacts and head to the Sound Garden for a bonus outdoor adventure.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🦸 Superhero City Adventure @ Kensington Gardens
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Kensington Gardens SW7
A self-guided outdoor adventure where kids follow clues around the park, solving puzzles and completing missions to become city superheroes. Easy to start anytime.
Age: 4–8yrs | Price: £6 | Info

🖼️ Art On Your Doorstep (National Gallery) @ Croydon
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Croydon
The National Gallery takes art outdoors, with full-scale reproductions of famous masterpieces popping up across public spaces. Croydon becomes the first London borough to host this free, walk-up exhibition.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

..PARTNER UP..

..SPREAD THE LOVE..

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