Morning, London! Happy Thursday! We’ve survived another half term, only to discover there’s another one lurking around the corner in May. One day at a time, folks. Step by step.

A big shoutout to our readers Blair, Sonia, Steve and Ball (yes, cool name, Ball) who’ll be running the full 42k at the London Marathon this Sunday (and to anyone else who was too shy to raise their hands). Though to be fair, we’re just taking your word for it. We won’t be checking IDs. We’ve never even seen your faces.

We won’t be running it, but you know what? Parenting is basically a marathon. Except we didn’t get to train, there’s no medal - but ohhh, those hugs 🙂- and no one hands out bananas at mile 35 of bedtime. So instead, we’ll be engaging in the equally noble pursuit of horizontal parenting. Under the promised sunshine. Near snacks.

Horizontal parenting: genuinely a brilliant smart concept. There’s an entire community dedicated to it on TikTok (yes, TikTok—come on, YouTube is basically vintage now).

Anyway, let’s see what else we’ve got for you today:

🎙️ London Snippets: Bits that caught our eye
🧠 Casual Einstein: Playground-worthy facts
🕰️ Blast from the Past: 1954
📅 Readers’ Favourite: What’s on this week

But first, the weather. Pass me the sunscreen.

. LONDON SNIPPETS .

Bits that caught our eye

🥵 Run Burn Repeat. The 2025 London Marathon is set to be the world’s largest, with over 56,000 runners pounding the pavement on Sunday, just as the Met Office gifts us a rare British unicorn: actual sunshine and highs of 20°C. Expect cheers, chafing, and possibly spontaneous combustion. Full story

📚 Booked In for a Makeover. The British Library’s getting a £1.1bn extension, complete with a fancy new foyer, extra entrances, and 100,000 sq ft of fresh space for books, baffled tourists, and people pretending to write novels. Full story

🌷 Tulips Gone Wild at Hampton Court. More than 100,000 tulips have burst into bloom for the annual Tulip Festival, turning Henry VIII’s old stomping grounds into a riot of colour and pollen. With 60 acres of carefully planted petals, it’s less “off with their heads” and more “on with the antihistamines.” Full story

 .CASUAL EINSTEIN .

2 for 1: Wow your kid, and outsmart the other parents

Fun Fact: A day on Venus is longer than a year. Yep, it takes 243 Earth days for Venus to spin once, but only 225 days to do a full lap around the Sun. Basically, if you lived on Venus, your workday would never end. So next time the school run feels endless... just be glad you're not doing it in space. 🪐

London Fact: Hyde Park hides a secret Victorian pet cemetery, complete with over 300 teeny-tiny gravestones for dearly departed dogs, cats, and maybe the odd parrot. Located near Victoria Gate Lodge, it features heart-melters like “My Darling Dolly” and “Poor Little Prince.” It's rarely open to the public, but you can peer through the fence like a sentimental Victorian ghost. 🪦

 .BLAST FROM THE PAST .

London looking effortlessly cool in 1954

. EVENTS SCOOP .

What’s on this week?

🪵 Mini Museum w/ Caterpillar music @ Headstone Manor
Date & Loc: Apr 24th, South Harrow
Join Bill the Duck for music, movement, and a weekly dose of crafts in a lovely Tudor hall. Quack-tastic fun for the under-5 crowd.
Age: Under 5s | Price: £5 | Info

🎭 Sisters 360 @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 24th-27th, Wimbledon
Bradford’s coolest hijabi step-sisters are here to skateboard their way into your hearts. Based on real-life champions.
Age: 8-12yo | Price: from £14 | Info

🩰 My First Ballet: Swan Lake @ Sadlers Wells
Date & Loc: Apr 24th-27th, Holborn
A gentle, narrated version of Swan Lake made for little ballet lovers.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎭 Beegu @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 24th-May 4th, London Bridge
An alien lands on Earth. The adults are useless. Maybe the kids can help... A sweet story about friendship and fitting in.
Age: 3-7yo | Price: from £13.5 | Info

🎨 Play Studio @ Tate Modern
Date & Loc: Apr 25th, Southbank
Costumes, movement, and plenty of open-ended play for tiny creatives.
Age: Under 5s | Price: no cost | Info

🌼 Nature Day @ Regent’s Park
Date & Loc: Apr 26th, Regent’s Park
Meet the birds, bugs and botanicals! Drop-in activities for nature-curious kids.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

💃 Showstoppers @ Greenwich Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 26th, Greenwich
Jazz hands at the ready. Greenwich’s young stars dazzle in ballet, tap, and musical theatre showcases.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £26.50 | Info

🎨 Family Day: Make a Morris @ William Morris Gallery
Date & Loc: Apr 26th, Walthamstow
Crafts and stories inspired by the original arts-and-crafts king.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🕶️ Anansi & The Lost Sun @ Puppet Barge
Date & Loc: Apr 26th-27th, Little Venice
A puppet-powered take on the classic West African-Caribbean tales. Floaty, funny, and full of mischief.
Age: 3+ | Price: £10 | Info

🎈 The Giant Balloon Show @ Arts Depot
Date & Loc: Apr 27th, North Finchley
Balloon artistry meets high-energy comedy in one seriously inflated spectacle.
Age: 5+ | Price: £12.75 | Info

👃 Regent Street Sensorium @ Heddon Street
Date & Loc: until Apr 27th, Piccadilly Circus
A free pop-up by Bompas & Parr where you can smell history, taste architecture, and soak up Regent Street with all five senses.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🎶 Family Concert @ Bach to Baby
Date & Loc: Apr 27th, West Hampstead
Classical concert series for families to enjoy live music together.
Age: Under 5s | Price: £16 | Info

🎭 The Elmer Adventure @ Radlett Centre
Date & Loc: Apr 28th-30th, Radlett
Elmer the patchwork elephant goes full jungle in this musical stage adaptation.
Age: 3+ | Price: £14.50 | Info

🎭 Chicken Licken @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 24th- May 11th, Wimbledon
Classic tale + puppets + live tunes = barnyard brilliance.
Age: 3-7yo | Price: from £10 | Info

🎭 A Squash and a Squeeze @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: until May 11th, Islington
A classic tale brought to life with puppets and a not-so-roomy cottage.
Age: 3-8yo | Price: from £13 | Info

🎩 Secrets of Stage Magic @ V&A
Date & Loc: May 3rd, South Kensington
Learn tricks and illusions from the world of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Age: 5+ | Price: No cost (book ahead!) | Info

🎭 Carnival: Family Edit @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: May 3rd, Southbank
Acrobats, orchestra, and a mad scientist on a mission. Whimsical, musical mayhem.
Age: 7-11yo | Price: from £17 | Info

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