Morning, London! Happy Thursday. And a very happy Mother's Day weekend to every mum reading this. Sunday is yours. Breakfast in bed, a slightly wonky handmade card, and flowers that may or may not have come from a petrol station forecourt. All of it counts.

Spring is technically on the way (have you seen next Wednesday?). The days are noticeably getting longer and pinkier. We'll take it. And if Sunday is for the mums, Tuesday is for the Irish. St Patrick's Day on the 17th. Get a Guinness in (there’s a good 0% if you rather not). You've earned it.

Lots happening across London this weekend and beyond. Let's get into it.

🙏 Let’s try one more time as it barely moved last week! If this email makes your week a bit easier, pls think of two parents who'd love it, or drop it in a WhatsApp group. Takes 20 seconds.
Appreciated, kind Londoner!

🧸 Paddington Musical Sweeps the West End Awards. The bear cleaned up at the Awards, winning nine prizes after its hit debut at the Savoy Theatre last year. I just checked and it is pretty much sold out for months, so clearly London agrees: never underestimate a bear with a sandwich. Full story

🖼️ Go See Some Art… in a Shopping Centre. A colourful pop art mural by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi inside the Kingfisher shopping centre in Redditch has just been given Grade II listed status. The 1983 mosaic panels celebrate the town’s needle making heritage and are now officially protected. Full story

🦔 Wildlife Is Coming to UK Banknotes and You Get a Say. Future Bank of England notes will swap historical figures like Shakespeare and Churchill for British wildlife, and the public will help decide which animals make the cut. Full story

Sunshine on Saturday?! Go for it!

🌳 Richmond Park. One of the most beautiful spots in London. Red and fallow deer have been roaming here since 1637 and they act like they own the place.
Miles of open space, a hidden woodland garden that explodes with colour every spring, and a sightline all the way to St Paul's that stops you in your tracks.
Plenty of puddles if that's your thing. Just watch out for the cyclists. 🚆District Line or Overground: Richmond More info

🚆 Canterbury. One of England's most beautiful towns and somehow still underrated as a day out. Three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a cathedral that genuinely takes your breath away, a river running through the middle and a high street that hasn't been completely swallowed by chains yet.
Cobbled lanes, green spaces and enough history to keep the kids asking questions all the way home. And if you time it right, Whitstable is just 20 minutes up the road..🚆St Pancras → Canterbury West (~1h20) More info

🗡️ Samurai: Myth and Reality @ British Museum
Date & Loc: Daily, Bloomsbury WC1B
The real story behind Japan’s legendary warriors. It explores how the samurai rose to power, shaped Japanese society and became one of history’s most enduring myths.
Age: 7+ rec | Price: No cost for under 16s | Info

🎭 The Everywhere Bear @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: until Apr 19, 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

🌌 Astronights @ Science Museum
Date & Loc: Mar 13 + Apr 24, South Kensington SW7
Not cheap, but quite special. Sleepover at the Science Museum with space-inspired workshops and shows, then sleep among the exhibits.
Age: 7–11 | Price: £80 | Info

🦸 Thumbelina: Tiny But Mighty @ Upstairs at the Sydenham Centre
Date & Loc: Mar 7–29, Sydenham SE26
Hans Christian Andersen meets the Marvel franchise in a musical about the world's smallest superhero and her battle with a villainous arthropod.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £4 | Info

🐷 Peppa Pig's Big Family Show @ Alban Arena
Date & Loc: Mar 12, St Albans AL1
Baby Evie is on the way and the whole Pig family needs your child's help to get ready, decorating, building, general oinking chaos. Live on stage. Note: Outside London.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £12 | Info

🖼️ David Hockney: Later Works @ Serpentine Gallery
Date & Loc: from Mar 12, Hyde Park W2
Vibrant new works from one of Britain's most recognisable living painters, including his 90-metre long frieze inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. Free to enter, runs all summer in Kensington Gardens.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

⚔️ Vikings: The Immersive Experience @ Dock X
Date & Loc: from Mar 12, Canada Water SE16
A life-size forest, a real Viking longship and 360-degree projections fill a warehouse in Canada Water. From £19 for kids. Runs until end of May so no need to rush, but weekends will fill up.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £19 | Info

🌍 Kish Kush @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 13–15, Wimbledon SW19
Two strangers meet for the first time. They speak different languages but share a longing to understand each other. A gentle show celebrating cultural differences.
Age: 3–8 | Price: £13 | Info

🔬 Exciting Science @ Lyric Hammersmith
Date & Loc: Mar 14 (Sat), Hammersmith W6
A brand new show putting the exciting back into science, with whizzes, bangs, pops and splurts. Messy and loud and exactly what science should be.
Age: 4+ | Price: £12 | Info

🌈 The Magic of India Holi Colour Dance Festival @ SC Open Space
Date & Loc: Mar 14 (Sat), Swiss Cottage NW3
Bhangra, dhol drummers, safe washable colour powder, DJs and Indian food in Swiss Cottage. You will need to do laundry afterwards.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £11 | Info

🎵 Megson Family Folk Show @ Kings Place
Date & Loc: Mar 14 (Sat), King's Cross N1
Award-winning folk duo Megson blends heavenly vocals and warm harmonies into a folk concert for younger children.
Age: 0–8 | Price: £12 | Info

🦄 Last Unicorn Airways @ Half Moon Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 14 (Sat), Whitechapel E1
Two baggage handlers unpack a globe-trotting adventure from the magical final flight of Last Unicorn Airways. Hans Christian Andersen-inspired storytelling for 4s and up.
Age: 4+ | Price: £9 | Info

🍀 St Patrick’s Day Family Barn Dance @ Round Chapel
Date & Loc: Mar 14 (Sat), Clapton E5
A relaxed family barn dance with Irish music and easy steps taught as you go. Even if you’ve never done one before, you’ll be spinning around the hall in no time.
Age: Everyone | Price: £7 (under 1s free) | Info

👻 Ghosts & Ghouls Family Tour @ Shakespeare's Globe
Date & Loc: Mar 14–Oct 31, South Bank SE1
Guided spooky family tour of Shakespeare's Globe taking in the site's darker history. Starts mid-March and runs all the way through to October half-term.
Age: 10+ | Price: from £21 | Info

💃 Thieves in Satin: London's Queens of Crime @ Jacksons Lane
Date & Loc: Mar 15 (Sun), Highgate N6
A brand new dance show about the Forty Elephants, the all-female gang who ran rings around London's West End department stores in the early 20th century. Bold, physical storytelling.
Age: 13+ | Price: £22 | Info

✉️ Letter Writing Workshop & Talk @ Dr Johnson’s House
Date & Loc: Mar 15 (Sun), Fleet Street EC4
Try your hand at quill writing and old-fashioned letter folding in this Mother’s Day themed workshop.
Age: Families | Price: from £5 | Info

🧘 Little Tweaks @ Fulham Pier
Date & Loc: Mar 15 (Sun), Fulham SW6
A joyful mindful movement session where little ones stretch, dance and breathe alongside their grown-ups.
Age: 2-5yo | Price: £10 | Info

🦕 The Dinosaur That Pooped: A Rock Show @ Beck Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 15 (Sun), Hayes UB3
Danny and Dino race for the last concert tickets, a villain gets in the way and Dino's rumbling tummy may be the only thing that saves the day. Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter wrote books about poop. Now it's a rock show.
Age: 3+ | Price: £16 | Info

🍀 St Patrick's Day Family Party @ Big Penny Social
Date & Loc: Mar 15 (Sun), Walthamstow E17
Live music from Solas Trio, a family ceilidh and Irish dancing in Walthamstow. Get there early for Sunday roast and Coddle alongside the usual menu.
Age: Everyone | Price: £8.50 | Info

🎵 Mrs H Sings @ Artsdepot
Date & Loc: Mar 15 (Sun), North Finchley N12
A family gig where kids (and adults) can sing along, dance a bit and generally join in. Expect catchy songs, a lively band and zero pressure to sit still.
Age: Everyone | Price: £13.75 | Info

🥁 St Patrick's Day Festival @ Trafalgar Square
Date & Loc: Mar 15 (Sun), Trafalgar Square WC2N
The annual GLA celebration of Irish culture with a parade, floats, marching bands, dance troupes and lots of green. Free, central London and usually very busy by lunchtime.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

💐 Mother’s Day Family Rave @ Peckham Levels
Date & Loc: Mar 15 (Sun), Peckham SE15
A daytime dance party where kids and parents hit the floor together. Expect DJs, big tunes and plenty of space to bounce around.
Age: All ages | Price: £9 | Info

📚 South Ken Kids Festival @ Institut Français
Date & Loc: Mar 16–24, South Kensington SW7
Nine days of children's literature brilliance, Axel Scheffler drawing live, Michael Rosen doing interactive poetry, plus animation workshops and the chance to help make an actual film.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🌱 Museum of Edible Earth @ Somerset House
Date & Loc: Mar 18–Apr 26, Strand WC2R
An exhibition about geophagy, the practice of eating earth for health, ritual and culinary benefit. Guided tasting sessions are part of it. Pay what you can.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🍦 Cinderella Ice Cream Seller @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 18–29, Wimbledon SW19
A new Cinderella musical with live music, ice cream and theatrical magic. Perseverance, princes, palace balls, glass slippers and soft serve, fairy tales with maximum dessert content.
Age: 5–10 | Price: £14 | Info

🐑 Counting Sheeps @ Artsdepot
Date & Loc: Mar 19 (Thu), North Finchley N12
Two sheep who reckon they're experts at sleeping are wide awake. Gentle, sensory, musical bedtime chaos for tiny ones who have strong opinions about nap time.
Age: 0-3 | Price: £16 | Info

🥁 Mini Morris: Birthday Band @ William Morris Gallery
Date & Loc: Mar 19 (Thu), Walthamstow E17
Make a colourful tambourine at the William Morris Gallery. For 2 to 5s, on a Thursday, and free.
Age: 2–5 | Price: No cost | Info

🎺 Bugsy Malone the Musical @ Pump House Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 19-22, Watford WD17
Two rival child gangs, a 1920s showdown, whipped-cream splurge guns and a composer who also wrote The Muppet Movie. Good chaos from a genuine cult classic. Note: Outside London.
Age: Everyone | Price: £6 | Info

🎤 Baby Broadway @ Churchill Theatre Bromley
Date & Loc: Mar 20 (Fri), Bromley BR1
Songs from hit musicals and films with bubbles, puppets and dance moves from West End singers. Short and gentle enough for very small children, fun enough for their older siblings.
Age: 0–7 | Price: £7 | Info

🛹 Sisters 360 @ Half Moon Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 20-21, Whitechapel E1
Inspired by the Hijabi Sisters, real-life skateboarders from Hull. Funny, heartfelt stage show about belonging, sisterhood and daring to try. For 8 to 12s.
Age: 8–12 | Price: £9 | Info

🎨 Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art @ IWM
Date & Loc: Mar 20–Nov 1, Lambeth SE1
New exhibition at the IWM exploring wartime London through art. Has a stamper trail to keep kids engaged with the paintings. Free, and it runs until November.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🐰 Boppin’ Bunnies @ Woolwich Works
Date & Loc: Mar 21 (Sat), Woolwich SE18
An interactive music session for babies and toddlers where little ones can sing, dance and try out percussion instruments along with the musicians.
Age: 0–5 | Price: From £6 | Info

🎶 Move & Groove with Planet Play @ Chickenshed Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 21, Barnet N14
Adults get an achievable workout while little ones get live music, puppets and laughter.
Age: 0-3yo | Price: £9 | Info

🏡 A Squash and a Squeeze @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Until Mar 21, Islington N1
Julia Donaldson's beloved farmyard-chaos story in a gorgeous puppet adaptation.
Age: 3-8yo | Price: £13.50 | 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

🦖🕺 Dino Disco for Kids @ Natural History Museum
Date & Loc: Apr 4, South Kensington SW7
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

📚 Children’s Book Readings @ Well Walk Theatre
Date & Loc: Wed and Fri, Hampstead NW3
Storytime at the theatre bookshop with tales read aloud by house performers. Sessions run in English and French.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

👒 The Jane Austen Experience @ 11 John Prince's St
Date & Loc: running, Marylebone W1G
Step into Regency London inside a Marylebone townhouse once home to Jane Austen’s brother. Four floors of games, costumes and biscuits… plus the occasional bonnet.
Age: 4+ | Price: £11.50 (under 5 free) | 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

🙏 If this makes your week a bit easier, pls think of two parents who'd love it, or drop it in a WhatsApp group. Takes 20 seconds. Please don’t ignore me 😂.
Appreciated, kind Londoner!

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