Evening, London! Happy Friday. We know. Two Fridays in a row. And a late one. Not the plan. We've been on a road trip with a few thousand miles under our belt. Somewhere along the way, Thursday escaped. But here we are, no further questions.

So… last day of July. Seven months gone. Doesn't seem possible. The school holidays, however, appear to be operating on a completely different calendar.

As always, the summer edition is a little lighter. But the Scoop is always ready. Let's find something fun to do this weekend.

Back next week!

🎭 Dog Man: The Musical @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Jul 31-Aug 16, Southbank SE1
If your kids are obsessed with Dog Man, this one's a no-brainer. Dav Pilkey's crime-fighting hero leaps off the page in a funny, fast-paced musical packed with silly jokes, catchy songs and plenty of heart.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £31 | Info

🎭 Bluey's Big Play @ New Wimbledon Theatre
Date & Loc: Jul 31-Aug 2, Wimbledon SW19
If Bluey is on repeat in your house, this will go down a treat. Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli come to life with music, clever puppetry and a brand-new story.
Age: All ages | Price: from £20 | Info

🎨 Luna Loves London @ Discover Children's Story Centre
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Stratford E15
Climb aboard the big red bus and explore Luna's London, where little ones can crawl through a giant storybook, make art, dance under a disco ball and discover a city full of imagination.
Age: 0-8yo | Price: £5.50 | Info

🎬 Summer Screens: Film Club @ Canada Square Park
Date & Loc: Selected dates in Aug, Canary Wharf E14
Bring a picnic blanket and settle in for free outdoor movie nights under the stars. From family favourites on Saturday mornings to recent blockbusters, sing-alongs and cult classics, there's something for everyone across the summer.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🎶 Storytelling and Music Sessions @ Royal Albert Hall
Date & Loc: Jul 31-Aug 27, South Kensington SW7
A gentle 30-minute session designed especially for babies, toddlers and their grown-ups. Stories, songs, instruments and plenty of opportunities to sing, move and join in together in one of London's most iconic venues.
Age: 0-5yo | Price: £7 | Info

🐊 The Enormous Crocodile @ Lyric Hammersmith
Date & Loc: Jul 31-Aug 22, Hammersmith W6
Roald Dahl's greediest reptile is back, snapping his way through the jungle in search of a tasty snack.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🌊 Puppet Festival: At Sea @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Jul 31-Aug 2, Islington N1
A beautifully crafted, non-verbal puppet adventure following a sailor on a magical underwater quest to recover their stolen heart compass. Stunning puppetry.
Age: 6-11yo | Price: from £13.50 | Info

🏴‍☠️ Treasure Island @ Arches Lane Theatre
Date & Loc: Jul 31-Aug 16, Battersea SW11
Ahoy! Join Jim Hawkins on a swashbuckling adventure packed with pirates, buried treasure and plenty of laughs.
Age: 6+ | Price: From £20 | Info

📚 Story Saturday: Explore Nature's Seasons @ Young V&A
Date & Loc: Aug 1 (Sat), Bethnal Green E2
Stories, songs and interactive activities inspired by the changing seasons. A gentle session for younger children, followed by a wander around the brilliant Young V&A.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

⛵ Dunkirk's Little Ships @ St Katharine Docks
Date & Loc: Aug 1 (Sat), St Katharine Docks E1W
See some of the historic Little Ships that helped rescue Allied troops from Dunkirk in 1940. A rare chance to admire these remarkable boats up close.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🎷 Ronnie Scott's Street Party @ Frith Street
Date & Loc: Aug 1 (Sat), Soho W1D
Soho's biggest street party returns with free live jazz, brass bands and music spilling out across Frith Street. A brilliant excuse to take the kids to one of London's most iconic neighbourhoods.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🙃 London Upside Down @ Alexandra Palace
Date & Loc: Aug 1-10, Alexandra Palace N22
Artist Alex Chinneck has planted a giant upside-down electricity pylon outside Ally Pally. London views on one side, large-scale architectural weirdness on the other.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🧱 Story Street x The LEGO Group @ Discover Children's Story Centre
Date & Loc: Aug 1-31, Stratford E15
LEGO fans, this one's for you. Discover's outdoor play street is back for summer, packed with brick-building, crafts, dress-up, painting, yoga and loads of hands-on activities.
Age: All ages | Price: Incl. w adm. | Info

🌿 Church Street Goes Wild @ Church Street
Date & Loc: Aug 2-23, Marylebone NW8
A family-friendly street festival celebrating nature, with wildlife activities, crafts, performances and plenty of hands-on fun.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🦈 Dockside Den: Sharky + George @ Canada Water Dock
Date & Loc: Aug 1 (Sat), Canada Water SE16
Sharky & George bring their usual games, challenges and silliness to the dock, alongside crafts and family activities. Not one for a quiet afternoon.
Age: All ages | Price: No cost | Info

🐰 Alice in Wonderland @ Riverside Studios
Date & Loc: until Aug 2, Hammersmith W6
Follow Alice down the rabbit hole in this immersive retelling of the classic adventure. Curious characters, magical moments and plenty of audience interaction.
Age: 5+ | Price: From £25 | Info

🎨 Summer Family Festival @ National Portrait Gallery
Date & Loc: Aug 3-7, Trafalgar Square WC2
Drop in for a week of free artist-led workshops inspired by this year's Portrait Award. There'll be collage, painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking and plenty to make and take home.
Age: 3+ | Price: No cost | Info

🏰 Family Day: Knights and Dragons @ Westminster Abbey
Date & Loc: Aug 4 & 6, Westminster SW1P
Calling all young knights. Head into Westminster Abbey's beautiful gardens for a morning of dragon hunts, knight training, storytelling and medieval-themed crafts. Expect plenty of hands-on fun, including making your own dragon to take home.
Age: Families | Price: No cost (booking required) | Info

🎨 SideWays Play @ Young V&A
Date & Loc: Aug 7, 14 & 21, Bethnal Green E2
A lovely free sensory play session designed especially for under-5s. Little ones can explore colours, textures, sounds and interactive play spaces at their own pace, while parents are invited to help shape this brand new experience.
Age: Under 5s | Price: No cost | Info

⚡ Pokémon GO Summer Quest @ Shoreditch
Date & Loc: Aug 8-9, Shoreditch E1
Grab your phone and head out on a Pokémon-themed adventure around Shoreditch. Complete challenges, hunt for Pokémon, solve clues and unlock rewards as you explore the neighbourhood.
Age: 9+ | Price: No cost | Info

🐯 There's a Tiger in the Garden @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: until Aug 9, Wimbledon SW19
A magical stage adaptation of the award-winning picture book by Lizzy Stewart.
Age: 3-7yo | Price: From £15 | 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

🌊 Blub @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Aug 13-23, Wimbledon SW19
A gorgeous first theatre trip for the tiniest audience members. This gentle show takes babies on an underwater adventure through music, movement, light and sensory play.
Age: 6-18 months | Price: £26 (baby + adult) | 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

🎉 Notting Hill Carnival Children's Parade
Date & Loc: Aug 30 (Sun), Notting Hill W11
The more family-friendly side of Notting Hill Carnival, with colourful costumes, steel bands, dancing and plenty of Carnival atmosphere. If you've always wanted to experience it with the kids, Sunday is the day.
Age: Best for 5+ | 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

🐭 The Gruffalo @ Lyric Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 6, Shaftesbury Avenue W1D
If you've read The Gruffalo approximately 4,732 times, here's your chance to see it live instead. Julia Donaldson's much-loved story comes to the West End with brilliant puppetry, catchy songs and all your favourite woodland characters.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £10 | Info

🐱 Cats @ Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Date & Loc: until Sep 19, Regent's Park NW1
One of the world's most famous musicals returns to the magical setting of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. If you've never seen Cats, this is probably the place to do it. Big songs, incredible dancing and a summer evening under the stars.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £15 | 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

🎭 Twelfth Night @ Kew Gardens
Date & Loc: Ongoing, Kew TW9
Pack a picnic and settle in under the stars as Shakespeare's Twelfth Night comes to Kew Gardens.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £12 | 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!

Got any comments or suggestions? Feel free to reply; I’d love to hear from you.

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