Morning, London! Happy Thursday! And Happy World Book Day to all the parents who spent the week locked in high-stakes negotiations over costume choices. If your kid’s school is taking part, you’ve probably debated every possible character under the sun. Personally, I had to explain that while Kevin from Home Alone was a fantastic choice, it probably wouldn't fly, given that we’ve watched the movie a zillion times but never read the book. (Yes, of course, there’s a book—because capitalism.)

Everyone seems to be in an unnaturally good mood this week, and we can thank that big fiery sky orb for it. Turns out, sunshine turns us all into slightly less grumpy people. I read an article yesterday that claimed only four countries in the entire world get less sunshine than the UK: Faroe Islands, Iceland, Saint Pierre & Miquelon, and Ireland. Which, honestly feels like an attack. Maybe it’s finally time I get serious about Vitamin D supplements? Never managed to be consistent. Let me know below if you do, I’m curious. Either way—dear weather gods, please keep the blue sky streak going.

Oh, and last week’s trivia question? That beautiful bridge was the Albert Bridge, built in 1873 to connect Chelsea with Battersea. 40% of you got it right, and if you haven’t seen it just before dusk when it lights up, you’re missing out—go for a stroll when spring finally decides to show up properly.

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

• 🎙️ London Snippets: Bits that caught our eye

• 🧠 Casual Einstein: Two new playground-worthy facts

• 🕵️‍♂️ Mind the Riddle: Crack the case, Sherlock

• 📅 Readers’ Favourite: Family events this week

But first—the real star of the show lately: the weather.

. LONDON SNIPPETS .

Bits that caught our eye

🌺 Red Arrows, Poppies & a Massive Gig. London’s pulling out all the stops for the 80th anniversary of VE Day over the May Bank Holiday. Expect Union flags draped over the Cenotaph (for the first time in 100+ years), 30,000 ceramic poppies blooming at the Tower of London, a full-blown military parade marching to Buckingham Palace, and the Red Arrows slicing through the sky. Full story

📦 Amazon’s Going Green—My Doorbell’s Still Exhausted. Amazon is trialling a greener delivery scheme in Westminster, Hackney, and Islington—think couriers on foot with trolleys, not vans clogging up the roads. A Pimlico test run swapped vans for bikes and delivered 50,000 parcels in 10 weeks. Impressive… until you realise London gets 1.2 million parcels a day. Half of those might be mine! Full story

🌆 Oxford Street: No Cars, Just Chaos? TfL and the Mayor want to pedestrianise Oxford Street, starting with a car ban between Oxford Circus and Orchard Street. Other areas will get a glow-up while they figure out the full transformation. A new authority (Mayoral Development Corporation) could take charge—love it? Hate it? Full story

 .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: About 50-60% of human DNA is identical to that of a banana. So next time you’re munching on one, just remember—you’re basically giving a genetic high-five to your yellow, potassium-packed distant relative. Who knew your fruit salad was a family reunion? 🍌

London Fact: To become a black cab driver, you must pass The Knowledge—a gruelling test that requires memorising around 20,000 streets and 20,000 landmarks. It takes years to master, and drivers have to navigate without a GPS. 🚖

. POLL .

Do you take Vitamin D supplements?

 .MIND THE RIDDLE .

Can you crack it, Sherlock?

. EVENTS SCOOP .

What’s on this week?

🌌 Art after Dark (Spring edition) @ West End
Date & Loc: Mar 6th-8th, Piccadilly Circus
This free late-night art programme will transform the heart of the West End into a cosmic playground, blending surreal public art with the wonders of space science.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🕺 Bliss @ Sadler’s Wells
Date & Loc: Mar 6th-8th, Angel
Featuring an electrifying new pop rock score, BLISS is a hilarious and heartwarming original musical for all ages, proving that staying true to who you really are – and living happily ever after – is more complicated than it seems.
Age: 9+ | Price: £10.50 | Info

🧸 Home Song @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 6th-8th, 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

🐘 Mudlarks Family Gallery @ London Museum
Date & Loc: Mar 6th-9th, Docklands
Mudlarks brings the docks to life through interactive play, which keeps little ones occupied and stimulates their development. Find out what the docks were used for and what life would've been like for sailors many years ago.
Age: Under 8 | Price: from £3 | Info

🎭 Chiffonnade @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 6th-9th, Wimbledon
A planetary sphere rolls across the stage. Or is it an ark or is it a cocoon? The dancer explores the big wide world, one hand, one foot, one head at a time, until she is brave enough to emerge.
Age: 2+ | Price: from £13 | Info

🕺 SENsory Sailors @ National Maritime Museum
Date & Loc: Mar 8th, Greenwich
Come along and enjoy this brand new sensory play session for children with special educational needs. Explore the Museum's collections, enjoy the opportunity to be creative together as a family, and meet other local families.
Age: <13yo | Price: No cost | Info

🎆 South Asian Astronomy: Holi Show @ Royal Museums Greenwich
Date & Loc: Mar 8th onwards, Greenwich
Celebrate the festival of colours by learning about South Asian connections to the objects we see in our night skies.
Age: 7+ | Price: from £5 | Info

🎭 Jungle Book @ Stanley Arts
Date & Loc: Mar 8th, South Norwood
Follow Mowgli’s wild adventures, brought to life with inventive shadow theatre, powerful original music and colourful projections.
Age: 4+ | Price: from £8 | Info

🎭 My Neighbour Totoro @ Gillian Lynne Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 8th onwards, Covent Garden
Winner of six Olivier Awards, this "utterly beguiling" (The Stage) and “jaw-dropping” (Metro) staging of the celebrated 1988 animated feature film is brought to you by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Executive Producer Joe Hisaishi, and adapted by Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer).
Age: 6+ | Price: from £65 | Info

🏞️ Winter Sculpture Park @ Thamesmead
Date & Loc: Mar 8th-9th, Thamesmead
40 artworks. 2 months. 6.5 acres of wild grassland. ​Roam and get lost amongst the former Thamesmead golf course along the banks of the River Thames. Closed to the public for over a decade, naturally rewilded, and home to local intrigue and exploration, the disused golf course provides the perfect backdrop.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🫧 The Bubble Show @ Arts Depot
Date & Loc: Mar 8th, North Finchley
Immerse yourself in this spectacular adventure as the master of bubbles breathes life into: light, water, plants, animals, stars, and the essence of human nature itself. Journey through the awe-inspiring story of the origins of Bubbleland, as it’s brought to life in a dazzling display of soap and water.
Age: 3-12yo | Price: from £14 | Info

🧱 London Brick Festival @ Royal National Hotel
Date & Loc: Mar 9th, Russell Square
London Brick Festival is returning with brand new LEGO displays, new LEGO activities, and much more - perfect for every LEGO fan!
Age: Everyone | Price: £5 | Info

🎭 Flykid Family Rave @ Pop Brixton
Date & Loc: Mar 9th, Brixton
Fly-Kid is the ultimate daytime Hip-hop, RnB, Soul, and Pop party designed for both kids and grown-ups, brought to you by the creators of Supa Dupa Fly. Whether you're a parent missing the tunes you love or looking to introduce your little ones to your favourite hits, this party is for you!
Age: Everyone | Price: from £7 | Info

🧠 Hello Brain! @ Francis Crick Institute
Date & Loc: Daily, King’s Cross
Firing inside your head, the neurons in your brilliant brain make more connections than there are stars in our galaxy. From hallucinations to lab-grown neurons, we're inviting you into the ever-morphing world that makes you...you.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🚩 Under 5s Fantastic Flags @ Museum of the Order of St John
Date & Loc: Mar 12th, Clerkenwell
Flagtastic crafting, storytelling, singing and dancing sessions for under 5s. Including the Artburst action songs as well as some classics.
Age: 0-5yo | Price: No cost | Info

🎭 The Little Prince @ London Coliseum
Date & Loc: Mar 12th-Mar 16th, Covent Garden
The Little Prince, one of the best-selling and most translated books ever written, comes to London for its UK premiere.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £46 | Info

🎭 Playing Macbeth @ Globe Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 13th- Apr 20th, Southbank
Experience a daring new production of Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank: Macbeth in the Globe Theatre. This fast-paced, 90-minute version is created especially for young people and is the perfect introduction to Shakespeare for everyone.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £5 | Info

👣 Little Feet @ British Museum
Date & Loc: Mar 13th, Russell Square
Explore the world of science! Try X-ray imaging, test metals like a metallurgist, or examine fabrics as an organic expert. Love colours? Create a rainbow decoration or a science-inspired drawing to display. Little Feet offer free, fun activities for families with children under five!
Age: 0-5yo | Price: No cost | Info

🎶 Marvel Studios: Concert Experience @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Mar 8th, Southbank
Embark on an epic cinematic journey with music from 23 of Marvel’s most iconic films played by a live orchestra in a momentous film concert.
Age: 8+ | Price: £35 | Info

🎶 Family Concert: Symphony Orchestra @ Barbican
Date & Loc: Mar 9th, Barbican
Selling out fast! A fun opportunity for families to learn more about music and the instruments of the orchestra, with music based on a theme and free workshops before the concert.
Age: 7-12yo | Price: from £6 | Info

📖 Rug Rhymes @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Mar 14th, Southbank
Come and get snug as a bug while National Poetry Library puppets Federico and Firebird share some of their favourite poems, nursery rhymes and rhyming stories.
Age: 0-5yo | Price: £4 | Info

🎸 MiniJam: Jammin with JJ. @ The Exhibit
Date & Loc: Mar 14th, Balham
40 minutes of banging tunes & Friday vibe drinks for you; lots of activities & fun for the little ones.
Age: 18mo-4yo | Price: £10 | Info

🎸 Family Concert: A London Adventure @ Sinfonia Smith Square
Date & Loc: Mar 15th, Westminster
Travel through the hustle and bustle of Westminster to Smith Square Hall, a historic 18th century music venue, for a musical adventure into London’s storied past. You’ll experience works from composers that lived and worked in London, with interactive presentations on each piece from our engaging Fellowship orchestra.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £6 | Info

⛸️ Ice Discos @ Alexandra Palace
Date & Loc: Mar 15th, Alexandra Park
Throw your skates on and join us on the ice for an unforgettable ice party of lights, music and skating following Haringey Huskies ice hockey games.
Age: 14+ | Price: £14 | Info

🐭 Disney JR Live @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Mar 15th-16th, Southbank
Join Mickey Mouse and all his favourite pals, including Minnie, Goofy, Ariel, the Puppy Dog Pals, and Ginny and Bitsy from SuperKitties as they look forward to a fun day together.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £19.50 | Info

🌸 Sounds of Blossom @ Kew Gardens
Date & Loc: Mar 15th-Apr 6th, Kew
In collaboration with the Royal College of Music, Sounds of Blossom will bring the spring blooms to life. Music students from the college have composed new music, commissioned by Kew and inspired by the glory of spring. These new compositions will be played around the Gardens in Kew’s blossom hotspots.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £7 | Info

🎭 We Call it Ballet: Sleeping Beauty @ Shaw Theatre
Date & Loc: Mar 16th, King’s Cross
Get ready for We call it Ballet in London! Experience ‘Sleeping Beauty’ like never before, as dancers in glow-in-the-dark costumes bring this classic tale to life on stage.
Age: 8+ | Price: from £37 | 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

☀️ Helios in the Painted Hall @ Old Royal
Date & Loc: until Mar 25th, Greenwich
See the Painted Hall in a new light. Looking for some winter sun? See Luke Jerram’s newest and most ambitious artwork, Helios, at the London premiere at the Old Royal Naval College.
Age: Everyone | Price: £16.50 | Info

🎭 The Pea and the Princess @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: until March 30th, 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

🎨 The World of Tim Burton @ Design Museum
Date & Loc: until April, Kensington
This major exhibition invites visitors into his world through an exploration of the design of his unique aesthetic. While most well-known for his cinematic work, this show displays the full extent of his production as an illustrator, painter, photographer and author, as well as exploring key collaborations with designers. As a multi-disciplinary artist, his creations extend beyond the limits of mediums and formats.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £9.85 (under 6 free) | Info

🌍 SOIL: World at your feet @ Somerset House
Date & Loc: until April, 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

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Riddle Answer: The Millennium Bridge