🦊 No-Solo, London

Morning, London! Happy Thursday. January is losing its grip. No ceremony. Half term is around the corner again.

Last week I was fully hooked like many of you watching Alex Honnold free solo climb a skyscraper in Taipei. Casually. No ropes. No fear. If that clip got you, do yourself a favour and watch Free Solo. Same guy, more madness, sweatier palms.

Might not help you feel any calmer next time you take your kid to Clip ’n Climb. Or maybe it will. Perspective and all that.

And if you’re willing to stay up very late on Sunday and do something very American, the Super Bowl is coming up. Permission granted for cheesy nachos and questionable Monday productivity.

. LONDON SNIPPETS .
Bits that caught our eye

🚖 Robotaxis Could Hit London Streets by September. Waymo, the Google-backed driverless car firm, says its robotaxis could be cruising through London with actual passengers and no driver by this autumn. A pilot kicks off in April, and if all goes to plan, you might be hailing a car with no one at the wheel, and no small talk, very soon. Full story

🎬 Bafta Noms Are In. The UK’s biggest film awards have announced this year’s nominations, with Zootropolis 2, Elio and Little Amélie up for Best Animated Film. Wicked: For Good also scored two nods. But KPop Demon Hunters fans will have to sit this one out, the Netflix smash hit missed out due to skipping cinemas. Full story

🌌 A Planetarium Lands at Battersea Power Station this weekend. From 30 January to 1 March, Battersea Power Station is hosting a dazzling planetarium experience with 360° projections and short films exploring galaxies, planets and all things cosmic. It is family friendly, suitable for all ages, and under-fours get in for free. Out-of-this-world entertainment, no spacesuit required. Full story

 .TRIVIA .
Think you know your London?

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

Fun Fact: Hot water can sometimes freeze faster than cold water. ❄️💧 It sounds impossible, but this odd real phenomenon is known as the Mpemba effect, named after a Tanzanian student who first described it in the 1960s. Shall we test it?

London Fact: London’s mudlarks hunt for hidden treasures on the Thames foreshore. 🪙🌊 At low tide, hobbyists with permits scour the muddy riverbank for centuries‑old artefacts from Roman coins to Tudor jewellery. Many of these finds end up in museums, while the hunt itself gives a very hands‑on way to connect with London’s long history.

. EVENTS SCOOP .
What’s on this week?

🎸 The Strings Club @ Various locations
Date & Loc: Ongoing, across London
Five-star rated holiday camps that make half-term easy. Expect music-making, creativity and genuinely screen-free fun, all led by expert tutors.
Age: 4–11yrs | Info

🌿 World Wetlands Day @ London Wetland Centre
Date & Loc: Feb 2–8, Barnes SW13
Celebrate World Wetlands Day with free entry to London Wetland Centre. Explore these incredible nature superheroes.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🎭 Lost Atoms @ Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Date & Loc: Jan 29–Feb 28, Hammersmith W6
A bold, emotional love story from Frantic Assembly, following two people across memory, loss and the moments that shape a relationship. Funny, intense and heart-breaking in turns.
Age: 14+ | Price: £10 | Info

💡 Winter Lights @ Canary Wharf
Date & Loc: Jan 29-31, Canary Wharf E14
The great light festival returns with glowing installations, interactive artworks and riverside wanders that feel especially magical after dark.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🦕 That’s Not My… Dinosaur @ Discover Children’s Story Centre
Date & Loc: Jan 29 (Thu), Stratford E15
A cosy, sensory storytelling session for babies and toddlers, inspired by the much-loved That’s Not My… books, with textures, puppets and gentle interaction.
Age: 0–3yrs | Price: £3.50 | Info

🦌 Bambi @ Garden Cinema
Date & Loc: Jan 30-Feb 1, Covent Garden WC2B
Disney’s much-loved woodland classic on the big screen, full of gentle humour, beautiful animation and timeless lessons about friendship and growing up. Sunday screenings are followed by a free kids’ activity.
Age: 5+ | Price: Pay what you can | Info

🐷 Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show @ Blackheath Halls
Date & Loc: Jan 31–Feb 1, Blackheath SE3 9RQ
Peppa, George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig hit the stage for a bright, musical show packed with songs.
Age: 2–7yrs | Price: from £15 | Info

🧸 Mini Play for Toddlers @ Young V&A
Date & Loc: Jan 30 & Feb 2, 6, 9 (Fri/Mon), Bethnal Green E2
A lovely sensory and creative play workshop series designed especially for toddlers. Expect messy play, hands-on activities and gentle exploration inspired by the Young V&A’s Play Gallery.
Age: 1–3yrs | Price: £15 | Info

❄️ Frost Fair @ Bankside
Date & Loc: Jan 31, Bankside SE1
A winter favourite returns to the Thames. Inspired by the historic Frost Fairs when the river froze solid, expect street performances, playful spectacles (yes, including giant creatures), music and plenty of riverside buzz for curious kids and grown-ups alike.
Age: All ages | Price: Free | Info

🕺 Fly-Kid @ Sadler’s Wells East
Date & Loc: Jan 31 (Sat), Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park E20
A daytime dance party mixing hip hop, R&B, soul and pop, where kids and grown-ups hit the floor together. High energy, big tunes and very happy chaos.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🎹 Meet the Organ @ Sinfonia Smith Square
Date & Loc: Jan 31 (Sat), Smith Square SW1P
A hands-on, family-friendly workshop introducing the mighty organ, where kids can explore keys, pedals and pipes and discover how this powerful instrument really works.
Age: 7+ | Price: £6 | Info

🧵 Meet the Designer @ Young V&A
Date & Loc: Jan 31 (Sat), Bethnal Green E2
Drop in to meet textile designer Amanda Vesthardt in The Shed and explore sustainable making, recycled materials, and experimental techniques in action.
Age: Families | Price: No cost | 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

🦒 The Zoo That Comes to You @ Jacksons Lane
Date & Loc: Feb 1 (Sun), Highgate N6
A lively, thoughtful theatre show mixing puppetry and live music, as a quirky crew of animals head out into the world to talk conservation, kindness and making a difference.
Age: 3+ | Price: £14 | Info

🦖 The Dinosaur That Pooped @ Richmond Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 1 (Sun), Richmond TW9
A laugh-out-loud musical adventure based on the bestselling books by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter. Expect rock songs, big energy and an impressive amount of poo.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £17 | Info

🎨 Art After Dark @ Piccadilly Circus
Date & Loc: Feb 3–10, West End W1
A week-long celebration of London’s nightlife with large-scale public artworks, light installations and late-night culture across the West End — including Piccadilly Circus. Best enjoyed after dark.
Age: 13+ | Price: No cost | Info

🧼 Messy Explorers @ Fitzrovia Community Centre
Date & Loc: Feb 4 (Wed), Fitzrovia W1W
A gloriously messy sensory play session where little ones squelch, splash, paint and explore different textures using hands, feet and everything in between. Bonus: they do the clean-up.
Age: 0–4yrs | Price: Pay what you can | Info

👶 Design Baby @ V&A
Date & Loc: Feb 4 (Wed), South Ken SW7
A sensory play session for babies and toddlers, exploring sculpture through touch, movement and playful materials in a calm, welcoming space. Booking essential.
Age: 0–3yrs | Price: No cost | Info

🐷 Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show! @ New Wimbledon Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 4–5, Wimbledon SW19
Peppa, George and friends hit the stage in a bright, gentle show full of songs, giggles and muddy-puddle energy.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £19 | Info

🌳 Brave Bettie @ Half Moon Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 5–10, Limehouse E14
A magical woodland adventure about courage, friendship and finding your voice, following Bettie as she fights to protect the forest she loves. Warm, thoughtful and beautifully told.
Age: 3–8yrs | Price: £9 | Info

🎩 I Want My Hat Back Trilogy @ Little Angel Studios
Date & Loc: Feb 5 – May 9, Islington N1
A charming stage adaptation of Jon Klassen’s much-loved picture books.
Age: 3–6yrs | Price: £13.50 | Info

🎲 Let’s Play, Korea! @ British Museum
Date & Loc: Feb 7 (Sat), Bloomsbury WC1B
Try traditional Korean games (yes, the Squid Game ones 👀) with the London Korean School, plus handmade Korean treats to sample along the way. A lively, cultural drop-in.
Age: 7+ | Price: No cost | Info

🧺 Little Red Riding Hood @ Discover Children’s Story Centre
Date & Loc: Until Feb 22, Stratford E15
An immersive, interactive play space inspired by the classic fairytale, where little ones explore Grandma’s cottage, dress up and follow the trail of the Big Bad Wolf.
Age: 0–8yrs | Price: from £5 | Info

🐿️ Squirrel @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: Until Feb 22, London Bridge SE1
A thoughtful, visually rich theatre show about friendship, change and finding your place.
Age: 6mo–4yrs | Price: from £10 | Info

🐰 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland @ Studio Theatre
Date & Loc: Feb 8 (Sun), North Finchley N12
A playful, imaginative retelling of Lewis Carroll’s classic, brought to life with live performance, handmade puppets and plenty of curious characters. Down the rabbit hole, minus the chaos.
Age: 3+ | Price: £13.75 | Info

✨ UCL Illuminated @ UCL Quad
Date & Loc: Feb 11–13, Bloomsbury WC1E
A striking after-dark light installation transforming UCL’s historic quad with projections, colour and sound. Expect a short evening wander that feels a bit magical and very London, plus indoor exhibitions and activities to explore along the way.
Age: All ages | Price: £5 | Info

🎨 Imagine Festival @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Feb 11–21, Southbank SE1
Southbank Centre’s much-loved half-term festival returns, turning the whole site into a giant playground of creativity. Expect hands-on workshops, performances, installations and plenty of chances for kids to make, move and imagine.
Age: All ages | Price: Various (many free events) | Info

🎤 K-Pop Live @ The Clapham Grand
Date & Loc: Feb 20 (Fri), Clapham SW4
K-pop still going strong. A high-energy K-pop tribute show packed with live performances, choreography and big pop spectacle. Loud, colourful and full-on fun for fans.
Age: 4+ | Price: from £20 | Info

🐞 Cirque du Soleil: OVO @ Royal Albert Hall
Date & Loc: Ongoing, South Kensington SW7
They are back! A dazzling, high-energy circus spectacular inspired by the hidden world of insects, with jaw-dropping acrobatics, colourful costumes and live music.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £45 | Info

🌧️ Mudfest 2026 @ London Wetland Centre
Date & Loc: Feb 14–22 (Sat–Sun), Barnes SW13
Stomp, splash and squelch your way through half-term with muddy, hands-on activities celebrating all things gloriously messy. Wellies very much encouraged.
Age: All ages | Price: Incl. with entry | Info

🎼 Family Sundays @ Royal Opera House
Date & Loc: Various dates, Covent Garden WC2E
These go fast but still some dates available. A relaxed family day with creative activities, short performances and chances to explore music, dance and storytelling inside the Royal Opera House.
Age: Families | Price: £20 | Info

🦖🕺 Dino Disco for Kids @ Natural History Museum
Date & Loc: Various, South Kensington SW7
Jan dates sold out but availability for other dates. 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

⚡ Pokémon Pop-Up Shop @ Natural History Museum
Date & Loc: Ongoing, South Kensington SW7
A limited-time pop-up packed with Pokémon merch, plushies and collectibles, tucked inside the Natural History Museum. Expect excited fans and serious temptation.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

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