Morning, London! Happy Thursday. What a week. Monday night London got hit by one of the most dramatic lightning storms in years. Nearly 3,000 lightning strikes in two hours. Flash floods, roads underwater, people filming it from their windows at 4am like it was a nature documentary. Spectacular and slightly terrifying in equal measure.

And then... heatwave. Red weather warning. 40 degrees on the way. The Tube is a running microwave. London doing its full range in the space of 48 hours.

The World Cup rolls on too. England somehow managed 19 shots and no goals against Ghana on Tuesday. Meanwhile Messi and Mbappé continue making football look annoyingly easy. Wimbledon starts next week too. No rest for the sports fans.

Stay hydrated. Wear sunscreen. And if you're getting on the Central line today, our thoughts are with you.

Let's go.

⚡ London Got a 29,000-Strike Wake-Up Call. If you were woken up at 4am wondering whether the apocalypse had arrived, you were not alone. Around 29,000 lightning strikes lit up southern England overnight as dramatic thunderstorms rolled across the region, bringing flash floods and plenty of window-side spectators. Nature put on quite the show. Sleep, less so.. Full story

🏃 The London Marathon Is Going Two-Day. Good news for anyone who has ever stared sadly at a ballot rejection email. The London Marathon will take place across two days in 2027, allowing more runners to take part and raising even more money for charity. Your chances just improved. Slightly. Full story

🎨 A Huge New Arts Space Opens Near Tate Modern. A major new contemporary arts venue is opening in Bankside this week, taking over a former office building just minutes from Tate Modern. The first exhibition explores the sounds of microbes and fungi, which is not a sentence I expected to write today. Full story

Fresh from winning the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award 2026, The Strings Club is back with us for another summer of music, friendship and screen-free fun.

Founded by musician and mum Amy Cunningham, their holiday camps combine guitar, violin and ukulele sessions with creative workshops, energetic games and plenty of opportunities for children to make new friends. This summer's themes include everything from Mysterious Magic and Music Heroes to Disney Pixar favourites and Fantasy & Adventure.

500+ verified five-star reviews from real people. Ofsted-registered childcare. Flexible booking options. Happy kids (happy parents). There's a reason they've built such a loyal following!

📍 Locations all over London, including Wimbledon, Richmond, Fulham, Balham, Greenwich, Ealing, Clapton and more. They've also put together a 10% discount for our readers with code LSCOOP10 :)

👉 More info

🎸 The Strings Club Holiday Camps @ various locations
Date & Loc: Summer 2026, across London
The team at Strings Club run some brilliant five-star rated holiday camps. Music, games, crafts and plenty of screen-free fun to keep the kids busy while school’s out. Use code LSCOOP10 for a little help.
Age: 4–11yo | Info

👱 Rapunzel @ Half Moon Theatre
Date & Loc: Jun 25-27, Limehouse E14
This witty retelling gives Rapunzel plenty more agency as she plots her escape from a tower, a wicked witch and a very profitable hair-cutting scheme.
Age: 3+ | Price: £9 | Info

🩰 The Sleeping Beauty @ Royal Albert Hall
Date & Loc: Jun 25-28 (Thu-Sun), South Kensington SW7
The English National Ballet brings The Sleeping Beauty to the Royal Albert Hall for the first time. Dazzling costumes and plenty of fairy-tale magic as Princess Aurora, evil curses and true love take centre stage. A great introduction to ballet for older children.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £20 | Info

🎶 Annie Jr. The Musical @ Stanley Arts
Date & Loc: Jun 27 (Sat), Norwood SE25
The classic tale of Annie comes to life in this upbeat production performed by a talented cast of young performers.
Age: All ages | Price: from £10 | Info

🎭 Baby Broadway @ London Children’s Literature Festival
Date & Loc: Jun 27 (Sat), Barnes SW13
West End singers bring favourite songs from musicals and films to life in this lively singalong concert for little ones.
Age: 0–8yo | Price: £10 | Info

🎪 Greenwich Village Summer Fair @ St Alfege Church Community Hall
Date & Loc: Jun 27 (Sat), Greenwich SE10
A community summer fair packed with free fun, including a bouncy castle, face painting, balloons, crafts, music, a fire truck and even Boppin' Bunnies.
Age: 0-8 | Price: No cost | Info

🎉 Windrush Family Day @ South London Gallery
Date & Loc: Jun 27 (Sat), Peckham SE5
A celebration of Windrush Day packed with free drop-in activities for families. Try textiles, kite-making, steel drums and even hot sauce-making
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

📚 London Children's Literature Festival @ Barnes
Date & Loc: Jun 27-28, Barnes SW13
Barnes turns into a giant playground for book-loving kids with more than 100 events, workshops and performances. Authors, illustrators, comedians, LEGO, chess, live music and enough stories to keep even the most reluctant reader entertained.
Age: All ages | Price: Various (some free) | Info

🐴 Shire Horse Carriage Rides @ Hampton Court Palace
Date & Loc: Jun 27-28, Hampton Court KT8
Clip-clop through the palace gardens behind a team of magnificent Shire horses on a 20-minute carriage ride through 500 years of history.
Age: All | Price: £5 per ride (under 2s free) | Info

🎡 Kids Fun Fair & Summer Market @ Forster Memorial Park
Date & Loc: Jun 27-28 (Sat-Sun), Mottingham BR1
A classic local funfair with rides, market stalls, cakes, food, a bar area and plenty to keep little ones entertained. Dinosaur meet-and-greet, Punch & Judy and more.
Age: All ages | Price: no cost | Info

🛁 The Flying Bath @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Jun 27-Jul 12, Islington N1
Julia Donaldson's story splashes onto the stage as a bath full of adventurous toys heads off on a series of magical missions. Songs, puppetry and plenty of imagination.
Age: 2–5yo | Price: From £13.50 | Info

🎨 Family Art Day @ Estorick Collection
Date & Loc: Jun 28 (Sun), Canonbury N1
A hands-on family art session inspired by the work of celebrated Italian artist Emilio Isgrò. Creative challenges, interactive activities and plenty of opportunities for little artists to experiment.
Age: Under 5s | Price: adult £9.5, kids free | Info

🪁 Kite Display @ Parliament Hill
Date & Loc: Jun 28 (Sun), Hampstead NW5
Head to Parliament Hill for an afternoon of giant kites, aerial acrobatics and colourful displays from members of the Kite Society of Great Britain.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🎨 Building Bonds Through Play @ Dulwich Picture Gallery
Date & Loc: Jun 28 (Sun), Dulwich SE21
A free family workshop exploring what makes a place feel like home. Through building, designing and imaginative play, children and grown-ups can create mini spaces together while experimenting with colour, shapes and ideas.
Age: 7-12yo (siblings welcome) | Price: No cost | Info

🎻 Mozart’s Jupiter by Heart @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Jun 28 (Sun), South Bank SE1
Sit among the musicians as Aurora Orchestra performs Mozart's Jupiter Symphony entirely from memory. A family-friendly concert that puts you right in the middle of the action. Selling out fast!
Age: 7+ | Price: from £22 | Info

🎬 Family Concert: Movies & Cartoon Music @ The Space
Date & Loc: Jun 28 (Sun), Isle of Dogs E14
Young musicians take on the soundtracks of favourite films and cartoons in this family-friendly concert.
Age: 2+ | Price: from £9 | Info

🧪 Summer Science Exhibition 2026 @ Royal Society
Date & Loc: Jun 30-Jul 5, St James's SW1Y
Meet real scientists, get hands-on with interactive exhibits and explore everything from lightning and microbes to robots and space.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🦊 Natural History Pop-up @ Horniman Museum
Date & Loc: until Jun 30, Forest Hill SE23
A chance to get up close to some of the Horniman’s natural history favourites while the main gallery gets a refresh. Fossils, foxes, koalas, kiwis and plenty of curious specimens to spark questions from small explorers.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🧙 A Witch Saves The Day @ Churchill Theatre
Date & Loc: Jul 4 (Sat), Bromley BR1
An extraordinary school for witches and wizards is thrown into chaos when a new group of students arrives.
Age: 3+ | Price: From £10.50 | Info

🎭 Teddy Bear’s Picnic @ Lyric Hammersmith
Date & Loc: Jul 4 (Sat), Hammersmith W6
Bring your favourite teddy along for a singalong adventure packed with puppets, dancing and plenty of audience participation.
Age: 2-6yo | Price: from £12 | Info

🎉 The Big Day Out @ Whittington Park
Date & Loc: Jul 4 (Sat), Islington N19
A proper community summer fête packed with arts and crafts, a bouncy castle, food stalls, live music, a dog show and even Arsenal football activities.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🎭 A Midsummer Night's Dream @ Greenwich Park
Date & Loc: Jul 4-5 (Sat-Sun), Greenwich SE10
The East London Shakespeare Festival brings its lively outdoor take on A Midsummer Night's Dream to the Royal Observatory Gardens. Slapstick comedy, audience participation and plenty of energy in this family-friendly version of Shakespeare's magical tale.
Age: 3+| Price: £3.50 | Info

🤠 Country on the Common @ Tooting Common
Date & Loc: Jul 4-5 (Sat-Sun), Tooting SW17
Dust off your cowboy boots for a weekend of country music, line dancing and family-friendly fun on Tooting Common.
Age: All ages | Price: from £15 | Info

🎭 Outdoor Theatre: Pinocchio @ Fulham Palace
Date & Loc: Jul 5 (Sun), Fulham SW6
The much-loved tale of Pinocchio heads outdoors in the beautiful walled garden at Fulham Palace.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £14 | Info

🫧 Bubble Explorers @ Science Museum
Date & Loc: until Jul 12, South Kensington SW7
A live bubble show for younger kids at the Science Museum, featuring experiments and giant bubbles.
Age: 7 and under | Price: £4.50 | Info

🛁 The Flying Bath @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: until Jul 12, Islington N1
Julia Donaldson and David Roberts' story about a bath that flies off into the night, with catchy songs, rubber ducks and everyday heroes.
Age: 2–5 | Price: £13.50 | Info

🎭 Petit Pierre from Paris @ Well Walk Theatre
Date & Loc: until Jul 12 (Sat-Sun), Hampstead NW3
A charming French-style puppet show following Petit Pierre's adventures between London and Paris. Performed in the tradition of classic French hand puppetry.
Age: 3+ | Price: £15.90 | Info

💃 Family Dance Day @ Coram's Fields
Date & Loc: Jul 18 (Sat), Bloomsbury WC1N
One of our favourite family days of the summer is back. Catch giant dancing insects in BUG, a magical book-inspired performance in Prisma, and circus-meets-martial-arts mayhem in No Sugar No Milk. There are workshops and interactive activities throughout the day too!
Age: Under 12s & families | Price: No cost | Info

🐞 Cricket & The Freebugs: Bugs At Work @ Jacksons Lane
Date & Loc: Jul 24 (Fri), Highgate N6
A quirky musical comedy set in a world of talking insects, where five bug-musicians chase their dreams of stardom. Packed with funk, soul, live music and plenty of insect-sized silliness.
Age: 5+ | Price: £12 | Info

🐱 Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: until Jul 19, Islington N1
Based on Dermot O’Leary’s bestselling books, this fast-paced adventure follows ninja cat Toto as she sets out to stop a deadly king cobra loose on the streets of London.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £13.50 | Info

📦 Not-A-Box: 0–5s Storytelling @ Discover Children’s Story Centre
Date & Loc: until Jul 27, Stratford E15
Inspired by the beloved Not a Box book, this gentle storytelling show invites little ones to turn an ordinary box into rocket ships, mountains and magical adventures. A good first theatre-style experience for younger children.
Age: 0–5yo | Price: £3.50 | Info

🐕 Dog Man: The Musical @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Jul 30–Aug 16, Southbank SE1
Based on Dav Pilkey's bestselling books, hilarious and heartfelt in equal measure, with a dog for a hero. Tickets on sale now for the summer holidays.
Age: 5+ | Price: £27 | Info

⚔️ Arthur @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: until Aug 9, Wimbledon SW19
A brand-new musical adventure inspired by the legend of King Arthur.
Age: 6–12yo | Price: From £10 | Info

🧚 Fairy Tales @ British Library
Date & Loc: until Aug 23, King's Cross N1C
The British Library opens a fairy tales exhibition with books, original illustrations, theatre costumes, puppets and pop-ups.
Age: 3-10yo | Price: £11.50 | Info

🎨 Allen Jones: Taking Shape @ Camden Arts Projects
Date & Loc: until Aug 30, Camden NW1
Six decades of work by one of Britain's most influential Pop Artists come together in this free exhibition of paintings, sculptures and a major new piece created especially for the show.
Age: Older kids & teens | Price: No cost | Info

🦁 Disney’s The Lion King Exhibition @ London Zoo
Date & Loc: until Aug 31, Regent’s Park NW1
The masks, puppets and costumes from Disney’s The Lion King have taken over London Zoo for the summer. Get a close-up look at the craftsmanship behind the West End hit and spot iconic characters.
Age: All | Price: incl. w. adm. | Info

🎵 Luke Jerram: Stepping Out @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: until Sep 30, South Bank SE1
Turn a walk into a musical adventure at this interactive artwork where your footsteps trigger changing sounds and melodies.
Age: All | Price: No cost | Info

🌱 The Magic Garden @ V&A South Kensington
Date & Loc: Until Oct 10, South Kensington SW7
Dig into the hidden world beneath our feet at this hands-on family workshop inspired by roots, fungi and soil. Using recycled materials, children can create sculptures that grow into a giant collaborative artwork throughout the day.
Age: 5+ | Price: No cost | 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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