Morning, London! Happy Thursday! Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, which might be your last chance to sneak out before half term grabs you by the shoulder and demands you stick around to plan 12,928 activities. Ha! Just kidding, my beautiful creatures—that’s what we’re here for.

And honestly? London has a very solid lineup for next week: 35+ fantastic activities, plenty of them free, for all ages, indoors and outdoors, sporty and artsy, north, south, east, west—we’ve got you covered. The fox to the rescue! 🦊

Give me a hand—if you attend any of these, tag us on Instagram @the.london.scoop so we can share your pics! Makes it much more fun.

On another note, last week’s trivia answer on the beautiful Victorian subway was Crystal Palace—61% of you got it right, though many guessed Highgate. Not as easy as the last one eh?! Keeping with tradition, I suppose I’ll have to visit it myself. Now, how well do you know your parks? See this week’s trivia below.

Let’s see what else we’ve got for you today:

• 🎙️ London Snippets: Bits that caught our eye

• ☎️ Trivia: Know your London?

• 📅 Readers’ Favourite: Family events this week

• 🧠 Casual Einstein: Two new playground-worthy facts

But first—the weather, so you have something to say when another parent inevitably comments, ‘Well, at least it’s not raining!’

. LONDON SNIPPETS .

Bits that caught our eye

🍲 Michelin Bib Gourmands: Ten new London Restaurants awarded. 🍽️🔥Bib Gourmands were specified as venues that served three courses for £30 or less, but there is now no set formula, according to Michelin. Instead, the basis of the awards is “good quality, good value cooking”. There’s all kinds of cuisine in the list so have a look and go check them out! Full story

🍔 Once the King of Music, Now the King of Fast Food? — Move over, Bury—Camden has officially claimed the fast food crown. The north London borough now has the highest number of fast food outlets per capita in England, with a whopping 417 takeaways per 100,000 residents in 2024. That’s a lot of late-night kebabs and fried chicken… even for Camden. Full story

🐍 Giant 6.5ft Snakes Spotted in London. Well, it is the year of the Snake after all. A 6.5ft snake species has made an unexpected return to the UK—after a 300,000-year absence. The Aesculapian snake, rare even in its native habitats due to population decline, seems to be thriving on British soil once again—but don’t panic, it’s harmless and non-venomous. 😅 Full story

. TRIVIA .

Think you know your London?

. EVENTS SCOOP .

What’s on this week?

✨ Light up Kingston @ Kingston
Date & Loc: Feb 14th-23rd, Kingston
A bigger and brighter free spectacle with new light installation. Immerse yourself in mesmerising soundscapes, interact with installations that respond to your touch and movement, and get lost in a maze of colours.
Age: Everyone | Price: Free | Info

🖌️ The Art of Play @ Dulwich Picture Gallery
Date & Loc: Feb 15th, Dulwich
Across the day, explore play and collaborate as a family, experimenting with art and experimental techniques to create your own unique art pieces to take home.
Age: Everyone | Price: £17 (kids free) | Info

🎭 A Big Egg @ Lyric Hammersmith
Date & Loc: Feb 15th, Hammersmith
Based on the picture book by Steven Lee and performed with a magical mixture of live action, animation and puppetry, this scrumptious, sing-along musical is guaranteed to make your little ones love Easter (and each other) more than ever before.
Age: 3-7yo | Price: £10 | Info

🖼️ Teen Takeover @ Young V&A
Date & Loc: Feb 15th, Bethnal Green
Takeover Young V&A’s learning centre on the opening day of the brand-new exhibition. Try out a range of new skills, work alongside other young people and meet creative professionals specialising in comic book illustration, stop motion animation and set design.
Age: 11-14yo | Price: £25 | Info

🚊 Behind the Poster @ London Transport Museum
Date & Loc: Feb 15th-20th, Covent Garden
Create your own London Transport poster! Celebrate iconic London Transport posters that have been a familiar sight in London for over 100 years.
Age: Everyone | Price: free with admission | Info

🖌️Tate Play: The Joy of Feeling @ Tate Modern
Date & Loc: Feb 15th-23rd, Bankside
Step into a magical world of texture, sound and movement this half-term at Tate Modern. Bring the whole family and explore a playful space inspired by the art of Dorothea Tanning.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

⚓Out at Sea @ National Maritime Museum
Date & Loc: Feb 15th-23rd, Greenwich
From storytelling and singing workshops to maritime crafts and marvellous history, there's something for all ages at the National Maritime Museum this February.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🕵️ The Cake Thieves @ Police Museum
Date & Loc: Feb 15th-23rd, Covent Garden
All is not well at Madame Pâtissier’s 18th century cake shop – someone has stolen all her cakes! Henry, our Bow Street Runner, is on the case, but he is going to need your help. Pick up clues, make observations, study the exhibits and help solve the mystery!
Age: Everyone | Price: from £8 | Info

🎭 The Pea and the Princess @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 15th onwards, Wimbledon
Leap into a high velocity adventure, into the world of a Ninja Princess on a mega-mission, a practical Prince concocting the best inventions, a Queen with a slightly worrying crown obsession, and a very green baddy indeed.
Age: 3-7yo | Price: from £10 | Info

🌿Half Term Fun @ RHS Garden Wisley
Date & Loc: Feb 15th-23rd, Wisley
Craft activities, Storytime, Muddy Hands Green Fingers, Winter wonder walk & Guess How Much I Love You, a garden adventure!
Age: Everyone | Price: from £5 | Info

🎭 Megson Family Folk Show @ Kings Place
Date & Loc: Feb 15th, King’s Cross
Organic, authentic & joyful folk concerts for music lovers of all ages. Acclaimed folk duo Megson present a delightful concert experience tailored for young children, combining their award-winning vocals and rich harmonies.
Age: Everyone | Price: £11 | Info

🍫 Family Chocolate Making Workshop @ Chelsea Physic Garden
Date & Loc: Feb 17th and 19th, Chelsea
Calling all chocolate lovers to join us for our Chocolate Workshop. Learn how cacao beans grow, how it is made into chocolate, and design your own chocolate treats with a provided selection of herbs, flavourings, and spices.
Age: 5+ | Price: £15 | Info

🧼 Soap Making Workshop @ Chelsea Physic Garden
Date & Loc: Feb 18th, Chelsea
Come to the Chelsea Physic Garden and create your own botanical soap in our child-friendly learning space. In this bubbly workshop, you will design your own creations with a variety of colours and scented plants.
Age: 5+ | Price: £15 | Info

📜 Commonwealth Family Tour @ Westminster Abbey
Date & Loc: Feb 17th-21st, Westminster
Join a family friendly tour of Westminster Abbey to discover how the Abbey supports the King in his role as Head of the Commonwealth.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🐘 Half Term @ London Museum
Date & Loc: Feb 17th-23rd, Docklands
Let your kids' creativity run wild with free, animal-themed activities this half term at London Museum Docklands. From warehouse cats and rats to the elephants and tigers that once arrived at London's docks, enjoy storytelling, craft, trails and more.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🧸Family Workshop: Reflections in Clay @ Foundling Museum
Date & Loc: Feb 17th-23rd, Bloomsbury
Join artist Harriet Mena Hill to make a clay tile that reflects who you are. Explore the many sides of your identity through clay, shaped by your experiences, feelings, and imagination. At the end of the session, come together to create a collaborative artwork!
Age: 5-12yo | Price: £5 | Info

🖌️ Decoding Pictures @ National Gallery
Date & Loc: Feb 18th-20th, Trafalgar Square
Have fun asking questions about paintings and seeking out answers, as our Gallery Educators help you explore the Gallery.
Age: 5-13yo | Price: No cost | Info

🖼️ Picture Yourself @ National Gallery
Date & Loc: Feb 18th, Trafalgar Square
How do you want the world to see you? Create your own collage and include things that make you special. What do you want to include to tell a story about yourself? Construct your own self-portrait! Take inspiration from sitters in the Collection, choose a backdrop and props and consider your pose and expression to make a family portrait to take home.
Age: 5-13yo | Price: No cost | Info

🐍 Lunar New Year @ Museum of the Home
Date & Loc: Feb 18th, Hoxton
The snake is the sixth animal in the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. Children born in the year of the snake are mysterious, smart, wise, and caring. Whether you’re looking to get creative, dive into stories, or discover playful new ways to become the snake, there’s something for everyone!
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🖼️ The Sound of Paintings @ National Gallery
Date & Loc: Feb 19th-20th, Trafalgar Square
Artists have hidden many clues in the Gallery's paintings to encourage us to look closer into their fantastic worlds. It's incredible how many details you can discover just by exploring with your eyes, as you search for sounds and noise in the hills and across the sea.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

👩‍🎨 Stained Glass Lanterns @ Museum of the Order of St John
Date & Loc: Feb 19th, Clerkenwell
Inspired by the spectacular stained glass in the Crypt, create your own stained glass lantern to take home, with storytelling from Margaret Bateson-Hill
Age: 3-10yo| Price: No cost | Info

🧸 Home Song @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: until Mar 9th, London Bridge
In this multi-sensory show, meet young Adwoa and her mum as they embark on a journey to find the true meaning of home, from the bustling streets of Kumasi to the vibrant heart of London.
Age: 6-18 months | Price: from £19.50 (adult + baby) | Info

🎭 The Koala Who Could @ Rose Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 13th-23rd, Kingston
In a wonderful place, at the breaking of dawn, where the breezes were soft and the sunshine was warm, a place where the creatures ran wild and played free ... A Koala called Kevin clung to a tree.
Age: 3+ | Price: £16.50 | Info

🎭 Macbeth: Family Storytelling @ Shakespeare Globe
Date & Loc: Feb 15th-17th, Bankside
Join us for a thrilling, spooky retelling of Macbeth, set in medieval Scotland! Expect blood, ghosts, and ambition gone wrong in this classic storytelling adventure.
Age: 5-12 | Price: £15 | Info

🎭 The Dinosaur that Pooped @ New Wimbledon Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 16th, Wimbledon
When Danny and Dino’s favourite rock band are playing their last ever concert, they go on a quest to get the last two tickets. But with a villainous band manager lurking, nothing goes to plan. Will the band perform? Will Danny rock out? Or will Dino’s rumbling tummy save the day?
Age: Everyone | Price: £16.50 | Info

📜 Soldier Silhouettes @ National Army Museum
Date & Loc: Feb 18th-21st, Chelsea
Taking inspiration from some amazing photographs from our collection, join for our silhouette-making workshop as we explore techniques using light, dark and glowing material.
Age: Family | Price: No cost | Info

🎇 Imagine Festival @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Feb 18th-23rd, Southbank
Southbank’s family festival returns for 2025, sparking creativity with world-class performances, art and free fun for children aged 0 – 11 and their grown-ups.
Age: 0-11yo | Price: from £16 | Info

🎭 There’s a Bear on My Chair @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Feb 18th-23rd, Southbank
Mouse tries all kinds of tactics to move the pesky Bear but nothing seems to work. However, it isn’t long until the tables are turned and Bear finds himself with an unwelcome guest – the cheeky Mouse won’t leave his house!
Age: 2-7yo | Price: from £16 | Info

🎭 Boxville @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 19th-23rd, Wimbledon
You will meet paper dragons, corrugated crabs and cardboard space robots in this STEM skilled, hands on, interactive, cardboard adventure!
Age: 6-10yo | Price: from £14 | Info

👩‍🎨 Street Art Masterclass @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Feb 19th-23rd, Southbank
Focusing on a different specialism every day, the workshops introduce participants to various street art techniques like stencil making, graffiti lettering and how to create art adapted to the urban spaces.
Age: 7-11yo | Price: Pay what you can | Info

🥷 Family Martial Arts Workshop @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 21st, Wimbledon
Ever wondered how to control a move like a famous ninja master?! Then bring the family along to Polka this February half term for some martial arts fun!
Age: 4+ | Price: from £12.50 | Info

🎭 Ballet Shoes @ National Theatre
Date & Loc: until Feb 22nd, Southbank
In a crumbling house filled with dinosaur bones and fossils, three adopted sisters – Pauline, Petrova and Posy – are learning who they are and what they want to be.
Age: 7+ | Price: from £25 | Info

🌌 Light Festival 2025 @ Battersea Power Station
Date & Loc: until Feb 23rd, Battersea
This interactive art trail features eight must-see light installations by British and international artists, with several making their UK or London debut. Shining both inside and outside the Power Station from 8am to 11pm daily.
Age: All | Price: No cost | Info

🔬 Wonderlab @ Science Museum
Date & Loc: Daily, Kensington
This hands-on experience will spark curiosity, fuel imagination, and change the way you see the world!
Age: 7-14y | Price: from £15 | Info

🌍 SOIL: World at your feet @ Somerset House
Date & Loc: Jan 23rd onwards, Embankment
This ground-breaking exhibition unites visionary artists and thinkers from around the world to explore the remarkable power and potential of soil.
Age: All | Price: From £10 (under 5 free) | Info

🎭 Pig Heart Boy @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: until Feb 22nd, London Bridge
Is it better to have a pig's heart that works … than a human heart that doesn't? This captivating new adaptation follows a boy in urgent need of a heart transplant, who yearns simply to reclaim his life.
Age: 9-13y | Price: from £8.50 | Info

🎭 Barbie: The Exhibition @ Design Museum
Date & Loc: until Feb 23rd, Kensington
A major exhibition exploring the design evolution of one of the world’s most famous dolls: Barbie.
Age: 6+ | Price: from £7 | Info

✨ Churchill in Cartoons @ Imperial War Museum
Date & Loc: until Feb 23rd, Lambeth
This free exhibition at IWM London marks 150 years since Winston Churchill’s birth, exploring how satirical cartoons shaped public perception during his lifetime—and how they continue to influence our view of him today.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

As always, we appreciate you giving us feedback on this section to keep making it better and more useful:

 . CASUAL EINSTEIN .

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

Here are two cool facts to help you sound like the smartest parent on the playground:

Fun Fact: Water can boil and freeze at the same time. 🌡️ This weird phenomenon is called the "triple point," and it happens when water is at just the right temperature and pressure so that it exists as a gas, liquid, and solid all at once.

London Fact: The Thames has its own police force—and it’s the world’s oldest! 🚔🌊. Founded in 1798 to stop river crime (think pirates, smugglers, and dodgy traders), the Thames River Police later merged with the Met in 1839. Now called the Marine Policing Unit, they still patrol the river from their base in Wapping—keeping London’s waterways safe from crime, chaos, and the occasional rogue paddleboarder.

. SPREAD THE LOVE .

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