🦊 One last push

Morning, London! Happy Thursday! Last week of school for many, one final push for the rest. We’re almost there. Deep breaths. We’ll do our best to help you find some good things to do in the break so no one loses their mind before Christmas.

London even treated us to some sun yesterday, just to remind us it can behave when it wants to.

A quick note on the Scoop dinner. We’ve had to push it to early next year. Thanks to everyone who reached out. It’s happening, just with slightly warmer weather and more functioning parents.

Anyway, let’s dive right in.

. LONDON SNIPPETS .
Bits that caught our eye

📸 TIME’s Top 100 Photos of 2025 Land. TIME has released its Top 100 Photographs of the Year, capturing the beauty, chaos and quiet moments that defined 2025. The big takeaway? People make pictures powerful; even in a world increasingly filled with drones, bots and empty landscapes. Full story

🚁 Flying Taxis Could Be Coming to London by 2028. A British company hopes to launch flying taxis to Heathrow and Gatwick by 2028, cutting travel times to minutes. The aircraft will seat up to four passengers plus luggage, because even in the future, no one’s travelling light. City centre to airport, no traffic jams, no angry cab driver. Full story

🧼 Heathrow Wants You to Name Its Cleaning Robots. The airport’s 20 floor-scrubbing cobots are finally getting name badges, and the public gets to decide what goes on them. These robot cleaners cover eight football pitches a day and deserve something better than “Unit 12.” Voting opens 16 December. Full story

. BRAIN BITES.
Wow your kid, and outsmart the other parents

Fun Fact: Some ants build living bridges out of their own bodies. 🐜🌉They link together, one ant at a time, to span gaps and let others walk across. Even wilder? They decide among themselves who becomes the bridge. No overtime. No complaints. Just bug-level urban planning.

London Fact: Hampstead is home to a parakeet takeover. 🦜🌳 Flocks of wild green parakeets have made Fitzjohn’s Avenue one of their favourite hangouts. No one’s entirely sure how they got here but they’ve gone full London and are absolutely not leaving.

. CHRISTMAS SHOW .
The Magic Flute is coming to London

Last month we mentioned this lovely festive pick, and it’s a great one to add to the Christmas calendar. The Magic Flute returns to The Place with a lively dance-theatre spin on Mozart’s classic. It is colourful, musical and wonderfully kid-friendly, with Papageno and Tamino leading the adventure.

Created by an incredible team of artists, from music and movement to costume and set design, this one looks properly special.

📍The Place, Euston WC1H
🗓️ Dec 17-24th
More info

. EVENTS SCOOP .
What’s on this week?

📖 Family Storytelling: The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland @ British Library
Date & Loc: Dec 11 (Thu), King’s Cross NW1
A festive storytelling adventure with music, movement and Wonderland-themed crafts, inspired by the new picture book The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland.
Age: 2–5yrs | Price: no cost (book. req) | Info

🩰 Nutcracker @ London Coliseum
Date & Loc: Dec 11–Jan 11, Covent Garden WC2
A sparkling Christmas tradition: over 100 dancers and musicians bring Clara’s magical adventure to life in English National Ballet’s beloved festive classic.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £15 | Info

🦌 The Night Before Christmas @ artsdepot
Date & Loc: Dec 11–14, North Finchley N12
A warm, festive adventure for young children, filled with storytelling, magic and Christmas Eve excitement in this family favourite show.
Age: 3–7yrs | Price: £13.75 | Info

🎅 Storytelling with Santa @ Natural History Museum
Date & Loc: Dec 11–21, South Ken SW7
A cosy festive storytime with Santa inside the museum, plus a photo op and a little T. rex-themed treat to take home.
Age: Everyone | Price: £18 | Info

🌌 Univers @ The Pit, Barbican
Date & Loc: Dec 11–13, Barbican EC2Y
A gentle sensory show with live music and movement, giving babies and toddlers space to explore a magical, ever-changing universe.
Age: 0–2yrs | Price: from £11 | Info

🎄 Festive Fayre @ Hampton Court Palace
Date & Loc: Dec 12–14, Hampton Court KT8
A huge Christmas market in Henry VIII’s palace gardens with 100+ artisan stalls, food, gifts and winter activities. Palace entry includes access to the maze and more.
Age: Everyone | Price: free w/ adm | Info

🎅 Victorian Santa’s Grotto @ London Museum Docklands
Date & Loc: Dec 11–23, Canary Wharf E14
Meet Santa in a Dickensian-style grotto set inside the museum’s Sailortown gallery, complete with festive decorations and a Victorian-inspired gift to take home.
Age: Families | Price: from £14.50 | Info

🎄 Christmas Elf Cadet Training @ RAF Museum
Date & Loc: Dec 11–14, Colindale NW9
Kids become RAF Elf Cadets as they learn to load Santa’s sleigh, pick the right aircraft for the mission and help map out Santa’s route.
Age: 4+ | Price: £6.50 | Info

👠 Cinderella @ The Radlett Centre
Date & Loc: Dec 11–Jan 3, Radlett WD7
A glittering family pantomime packed with music, costumes and plenty of audience participation from Upstage Productions.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £20.50 | Info

🦆 Duck Pond Christmas Market @ Chiswick House
Date & Loc: Dec 12–14 (Fri–Sun), Chiswick W4
A lovely indie market with local arts, crafts, homewares, and festive stalls set in the beautiful Chiswick House gardens.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎭 Showstopper! @ Soho Theatre
Date & Loc: Dec 12–14, Walthamstow E17
A fast, funny improvised musical where kids decide the characters, setting and chaos. Think Peppa Pig, Spiderman or PAW Patrol dropped into totally random Christmas adventures.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £12 | Info

🎶 Sing with Santa’s Elves @ Pickled Pepper Books
Date & Loc: Dec 12 (Fri), Crouch End N8
Festive sing-along with carols, fun activities and a chance to write a letter to Santa.
Age: All ages | Price: £6pp donation | Info

🎹 Family & Children’s Tour @ Musical Museum
Date & Loc: Dec 13 (Sat), Brentford TW8
A 45-minute interactive tour for ages 5–12, ending with a sing-along on the Mighty Wurlitzer.
Age: 5–12 | Price: from £10 | Info

🐺 Under the Frozen Moon @ Grand Junction
Date & Loc: Dec 13 (Sat), Paddington W2
A poetic Arctic adventure with puppetry, live music, and a brave girl on a quest to thaw a frozen world.
Age: 3+ | Price: £4–£10 | Info

🎨 Family Takeover: Shaping Patterns @ Camden Art Centre
Date & Loc: Dec 13 (Sat), Finchley Road NW3
A free day of art-making inspired by the Acts of Creation exhibition. Families can experiment with colour, texture and pattern in drop-in workshops led by artists.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🧩 The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland @ British Library
Date & Loc: Dec 13 (Sat), King’s Cross NW1
A relaxed, SEND-friendly Wonderland storytelling session with the book’s author and illustrator, plus a sensory room and a special screening of the animated film adaptation.
Age: 5+ | Price: no cost (book. req) | Info

🎶 Echoes of Peace @ St Columba’s Church
Date & Loc: Dec 13 (Sat), Kensington SW1X
A meaningful night of global music marking 30 years of Firefly International’s work supporting children affected by war, featuring One World Orchestra, Syrian violinist Bassel Hariri and a special short film. Children attend for free.
Age: Everyone | Price: £15 (kids free!) | Info

🎄 Festive Family Fun Days @ London Wetland Centre
Date & Loc: Dec 13-14, Barnes SW13
Seasonal activities including marshmallow toasting, gingerbread decorating, storytelling and festive crafts, plus choir and bubble shows on select dates.
Age: All ages | Price: from £10 | Info

❄️ The Snow Queen: A Woodland Adventure @ The Albany
Date & Loc: Dec 13–24, Deptford SE8
A musical woodland quest for ages 3–8 with songs, puppetry and gentle winter magic as Gerda sets out to save her best friend.
Age: 3–8 | Price: £14 | Info

🎨 Kids’ Craft Club: Christmas Edition @ Tower Bridge Collective
Date & Loc: Dec 14 (Sun), Tower Bridge SE1
A festive “craft buffet” where kids design their own colourful food creations using glitter, pompoms and crafty bits.
Age: Everyone | Price: Free | Info

🎄 An Alternative Christmas Market @ Chats Palace
Date & Loc: Dec 14 (Sun), Homerton E9
A community-powered festive market with sustainable stalls, artist-led workshops, mulled wine, live jazz and plenty of handcrafted bakes.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎄 The Big Christmas Market @ The Tate Institute
Date & Loc: Dec 14 (Sun), Canning Town E16
A bustling community Christmas market with handmade gifts, festive stalls and family-friendly activities, hosted by The Community Shop Newham.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🧚 The Magic Flute @ The Place
Date & Loc: Dec 17–24, Euston WC1H
A joyful dance-theatre spin on Mozart’s classic, packed with music, magic and festive fun. Join Papageno and Prince Tamino on a playful adventure to rescue Princess Pamina. Top choice this Christmas!
Age: 5+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎨 Mini Morris: Recycled Christmas Tree Craft @ William Morris Gallery
Date & Loc: Dec 18 (Thu), Walthamstow E17
A festive, toddler-friendly drop-in session where little ones craft colourful Christmas trees using fabric scraps and recycled materials.
Age: 2–5yrs | Price: no cost | Info

🎇 Christmas Light Trail @ Headstone Manor & Museum
Date & Loc: until Dec 30, Harrow HA2
Headstone Manor’s historic grounds glow with twinkling light installations, festive displays, food trucks and winter warmers; a brand-new Christmas light trail for the area.
Age: Everyone | Price: £12 | Info

🎭 Ballet Shoes @ National Theatre
Date & Loc: until Feb, South Bank SE1
A playful stage adaptation of Noel Streatfeild’s classic story, following three adopted sisters as they chase their passions with heart and determination.
Age: 7+ | Price: varies | Info

🎅 How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: until Jan 3, London Bridge SE1
A playful Christmas caper mixing physical comedy, music and festive mayhem, based on Jon Klassen’s adored picture book.
Age: 2+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎄 The Twelfth Night of Christmas @ Chiswick House
Date & Loc: until Jan 4, Chiswick W4
Step inside Chiswick House for a self-guided festive journey through opulent Georgian-inspired rooms, dramatic installations and magical Christmas tableaus.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £14 | Info

⛄ The Snowman @ Peacock Theatre
Date & Loc: until Jan 4, Holborn WC2A
The beloved Christmas tale returns with enchanting music, festive magic and a soaring Walk-in-the-Air moment for the whole family.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £18 | Info

🐷 Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show @ Theatre Royal Haymarket
Date & Loc: until Jan 4, Haymarket SW1Y
Peppa Pig’s brand new festive theatre show, packed with songs, fun and muddy-puddle joy for little ones and their grown-ups.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £10 | Info

🎄 Christmas Films in an Enchanted Forest @ Backyard Cinema
Date & Loc: until Dec 31, London Bridge SE1
Step into a twinkling woodland cinema and enjoy festive film favourites under the stars. Hot chocolate, cosy blankets and Christmas magic guaranteed.
Age: 7+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🍬 Christmas Candy Grotto @ Woolwich Works
Date & Loc: until Dec 22, Woolwich SE18
The colourful Christmas Candy Grotto, with Santa, festive surprises and a playful sugar-themed setup for families.
Age: Everyone | Price: £6 | Info

🧛‍♂️ Dracapella @ Park Theatre
Date & Loc: until Jan 17, Finsbury Park N4
A fang-filled musical comedy packed with a-capella bangers, beatboxing and over-the-top vampire chaos. Think Eye of the Tiger… but undead.
Age: 10+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🎩 A Christmas Carol @ The Old Vic
Date & Loc: until Jan 10, Waterloo SE1
Jack Thorne’s acclaimed, atmospheric retelling returns with music, lanterns and a spine-tingling dose of festive magic.
Age: 8+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🪵 Pinocchio: Family Workshop @ Shakespeare’s Globe
Date & Loc: until Dec 20, Bankside SE1
Step into the world of Pinocchio through games, storytelling and playful theatre activities designed for young imaginations and their grown ups.
Age: 5–8yo + grown ups | Price: £12 | Info

⛸️ Disney On Ice @ The O2
Date & Loc: Dec 26–Jan 4, North Greenwich SE10
Join Moana, Elsa, Ariel and more as Disney’s most beloved heroes glide onto the ice in a dazzling live show full of music, adventure and skating magic.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £30 | Info

🚂 The Polar Express @ Discover Children’s Story Centre
Date & Loc: until Jan 4, Stratford E15
Step aboard a festive adventure inspired by the beloved tale. Enjoy storytelling, creative play and a magical journey to the North Pole.
Age: 1–6yo | Price: from £5 | Info

🎄 Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas @ Lyric Hammersmith
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Hammersmith W6
A gentle, magical stage adaptation bringing Briggs’ festive classic to life for little ones.
Age: Under 6s | Price: £14 | Info

⛸️ Ice Rink @ Hampton Court Palace
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Molesey KT8
A picturesque open-air rink set against the palace’s historic backdrop, with festive lights and a smooth new ice surface for all ages.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £13.50 | Info

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