🦊 Is It Still August?

Morning, London! Happy Thursday. We’re deep into the summer holidays now. The novelty has worn off, the snacks have mysteriously vanished, and no one is entirely sure what day it is. Bedtimes have shifted into lawless territory and the phrase “five more minutes” has lost all meaning.

Quick heads up for your Sundays. TfL is offering free 60-minute Santander Cycle rides every Sunday in August. A good excuse to try a new route, explore a different bit of town, or escape the house under the noble banner of family exercise.

Whether you're in London trying to survive the snack spiral or on holiday wondering why you packed four books and zero patience, here’s your weekly dose of what’s on.

This week’s still a light version of The Scoop. The full one will be back very soon.

Let’s get into it.

. LONDON SNIPPETS .
Bits that caught our eye

🖤 All Aboard the Good Ship Wednesday. To celebrate season 2 of Wednesday, Netflix is sending a free, fully goth cruise down the Thames. Expect bleak London history, spooky vibes, black ice cream, and fellow passengers dressed like they’ve just been expelled from Nevermore Academy. Cruises set sail on August 20 from Butler’s Wharf. Smiles not required. Full story

🕊️ Special Delivery for London? White storks once ruled the skies above London but vanished centuries ago. Now a rewilding group wants to bring them back and is asking Londoners if they’re ready for giant birds nesting on chimneys again. Babies optional. Full story

🛰️ One Small Step for Homework. A school in London has built its very own satellite and is aiming to launch it into orbit. Forget papier-mâché volcanoes, these kids are literally shooting for the stars. Full story

. CASUAL EINSTEIN .
2 for 1: Wow your kid, and outsmart the other parents

Fun Fact: Humans glow in the dark, just too faintly to see. ✨ Our bodies emit tiny amounts of visible light, known as bioluminescence, caused by chemical reactions in our cells. It peaks in the afternoon, fades at night, and no, sadly, it’s not enough to charge your phone.

London Fact: The British Library snags a copy of every book published in the UK and Ireland, thanks to a law called legal deposit. With over 170 million items, it’s one of the world’s largest libraries—only the Library of Congress might top it. They receive about 1,500 new titles daily, so yes, your cousin’s pirate-themed cookbook is probably stashed there, ready for its moment of glory! 📚

. EVENTS SCOOP .
What’s on this week?

🚴 Summer Cycle at Kew @ Kew Gardens
Date & Loc: Aug 7, Kew TW9
Pedal through Kew after hours on traffic-free trails with live music, guided tours, summer snacks, and a scavenger hunt. Bring your own bike or hire one on-site.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £24 | Info

🎲 Play Space @ Barbican Centre
Date & Loc: Aug 7-9, Barbican, EC2
Hop, stack, bounce and hula your way through this free drop-in zone packed with playground classics like Jenga, Connect 4 and space hopper races.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎨 Summer Family Festival @ National Gallery
Date & Loc: Aug 7-8, Trafalgar Square WC2N
A whole week of free, drop-in art fun inspired by the Gallery’s portrait exhibition. Expect collage, zine making, painting, sculpture and more.
Age: 3+ | Price: no cost | Info

🎬 Tate Kids: Free Summer Films @ Tate Modern
Date & Loc: Aug 7-8, South Bank, SE1
Drop in for a relaxed screening of short, art-inspired films for kids — including Mildred the Gallery Cat, based on a real feline-turned-artist at Tate. All films under 5 minutes.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

⚽ Football by London Sports Festival @ Guildhall Yard
Date & Loc: Aug 7-8, City of London, EC2
Guildhall Yard becomes a pop-up football pitch with skills demos, hands-on games and inclusive teams on show. Part of the London Sports Festival.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎩 Magic & Marvels @ Queen’s Park
Date & Loc: Aug 7–29 (Wed & Fri), Queen’s Park NW6
Abracadabra! Enjoy free outdoor magic shows every Wednesday and Friday in August. Expect bunnies, jokes, and jaw-dropping tricks by a rotating cast of magicians.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎶 Summer Sounds @ Coal Drops Yard
Date & Loc: Aug 7–17, King’s Cross N1C
Celebrate 10 years of King’s Cross Summer Sounds with 11 days of live music, dance, puppetry and even sculpture. Evening gigs daily, plus a full Family Sunday lineup from 1–6pm. Free, open-air and seriously good vibes.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🚇 Transport Explorers: Live Show @ London Transport Museum
Date & Loc: Aug 7-12, Covent Garden, WC2E
A high-energy, interactive theatre show for curious kids who love things that go. Expect laughter, learning and loads of transport-themed fun.
Age: 7+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎨 Storytelling through Art & Play @ Dulwich Picture Gallery
Date & Loc: Aug 8 & Aug 15, Dulwich, SE21
Explore drama, creativity and atmosphere in these free workshops where kids (and grown-ups) become the authors of their own art-led stories. Booking recommended, but drop-ins welcome too.
Age: 7-11yo (all ages welcome) | Price: no cost | Info

🥿 Shoe Baby @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Aug 8-10, Islington, N1
A magical puppet show for little ones about a baby who travels the world in a shoe. Expect music, silliness and a chance to meet the puppets after the show.
Age: 2-5yo | Price: £13 | Info

⚽ Summer of Play @ Morden Hall Park
Date & Loc: Aug 11, Morden SM4
Join every Monday and Wednesday for free outdoor fun, from giant chess and badminton to den building and creative crafts. No booking needed, just turn up and play.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🕵️ Covert & Classified Family Day @ Westminster Abbey
Date & Loc: Aug 12 & 14, Westminster, SW1
Spy school meets history in this undercover family day full of code-breaking, map-making, trail solving and storytelling. Inspired by real spies buried at the Abbey, including Aphra Behn and Queen Elizabeth I’s network.
Age: 3+ | Price: no cost (book req) | Info

🎨 Play Make Do @ Barbican Centre
Date & Loc: Aug 7-16, Barbican, EC2Y
A summer-long festival of family fun with everything from kite-making and salsa to storytelling, circus workshops, Tai Chi and play zones. Big vibes. Big imagination.
Age: Everyone | Price: some free, some paid | Info

👻 The Baddies @ Cadogan Hall
Date & Loc: Aug 7-24, Chelsea SW1X
The witch, the ghost and the troll are back to cause chaos in this spooky, silly stage version of Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s tale. Will they succeed in scaring the girl, or get out-baddied themselves?
Age: 3+ | Price: from £23 | Info

🕵️ Story Seekers @ Imperial War Museum
Date & Loc: Weekends in August, Lambeth SE1
Pick up a trail and uncover the real-life stories behind the museum’s most remarkable objects, from bravery at sea to moments of survival.
Age: 5-12yo | Price: no cost | Info

🎤 London Soul Choirs @ The Scoop
Date & Loc: Aug 9, London Bridge SE1
Feel-good soul and pop mash-ups performed by the high-energy Soul Choirs. Expect toe-tapping tunes, big harmonies, and great vibes as part of the Summer by the River series.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🛼 Skate Up Space @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Aug 9, Southbank SE1
Roll up and roll out. Join a full day of free roller skating jams, workshops and DJ sets on the Riverside Terrace. From Latin Rollerdance to funky freeskating, it's an all-day groove on wheels.
Age: 12+ | Price: no cost | Info

🎉 Mela Weekend @ Camden Market
Date & Loc: Aug 9–10, Camden NW1
Celebrate South Asian Heritage Month with two colourful days of dance, live music, giant puppets, family crafts, henna, street food, and tuk tuks galore. Includes a vibrant parade and free hands-on workshops.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎪 Fitzrovia Fete 2025 @ Foley Street
Date & Loc: Aug 10, Fitzrovia W1W
A buzzing neighbourhood fête packed with live music, workshops, food stalls, LEGO building, face painting, storytelling and even a smoothie bike. Free to attend with something for absolutely everyone.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🐸 Wonderful Wildlife Weekends @ Camley Street Natural Park
Date & Loc: Aug 10, King’s Cross N1C
Drop in for some wild fun with pond dipping, log lifting and mini-beast spotting in this family nature session at Camley Street. Crafts included. Wellingtons optional, curiosity essential.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🍃 Living Leaves @ Shoe Lane Library
Date & Loc: Aug 11, Farringdon EC4
Illustrate, animate and bring stories to life in this free creative workshop inspired by medicinal herbs and garden tales. A perfect pick for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🖼️ Young Artists’ Summer Show @ Royal Academy of Arts
Date & Loc: until Aug 10, Mayfair W1J
From vampire dogs to wizard frogs, this free exhibition showcases imaginative works by young artists aged 4–18 from across the UK. Big talent, small creators.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎭 Tate Play: Thunder, Crackle and Magic @ Tate Modern
Date & Loc: Ongoing until Aug 25, Bankside SE1
Step into three wildly theatrical sets in the Turbine Hall, packed with dragons, puppets, and playful chaos. Costumes on, imagination in overdrive, it’s part stage, part playground, all magic.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎶 Unearthed @ British Library
Date & Loc: until Aug 10, King’s Cross NW1
From ancient herbals to Darwin’s plant kit, this exhibition digs into how gardens have shaped our world — and our wellbeing.
Age: Everyone | Price: £15 | Info

🎁 The Wizard of Oz @ Pentland Theatre
Date & Loc: Aug 30, North Finchley N12
Follow the Yellow Brick Road with a cast of talented young performers (ages 7–17) in this one-hour musical finale to Impact’s summer theatre camp. Witches, winged monkeys and heartwarming friendships await.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £12 | Info

🕵️‍♂️ Family Activities @ Imperial War Museum
Date & Loc: Ongoing in August, Lambeth, SE1
Free, drop-in activities that bring real wartime stories to life through play, creativity and hands-on discovery. A great way to explore the museum together.
Age: 5-12yo | Price: no cost | Info

🏖️ Costa del Croydon @ Centrale Rooftop
Date & Loc: during August, Croydon CR0
Croydon’s favourite urban beach is back and bigger than ever, with sand, splash zones, live music, games, food stalls and even a chill-out space for little ones. Free fun in the sun, right on the rooftop.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🧱 Block Party: Summer LEGO Workshops @ Leadenhall Market
Date & Loc: Ongoing, City EC3V
Join Bricks McGee for free, guided LEGO drop-in sessions where kids (and grown-ups) build epic group creations. Week one is London landmarks, week two is magical monsters.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

📚 Story Explorers: Imaginary Worlds @ British Library
Date & Loc: Ongoing, King’s Cross NW1
Sold out for July, but August has slots. Expect books, sounds, odd creatures, and a furry octopus.
Age: 2-9yo | Price: no cost (book req) | Info

⚓ Summer at the Docks @ Museum of London Docklands
Date & Loc: until Aug 31, Canary Wharf, E14
Dig, dance and discover London’s layered history with hands-on archaeology, live shows, Caribbean dance parties, and chilled creative workshops. Big energy or slow vibes, pick your adventure.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🐯 The Tiger Who Came to Tea @ Theatre Royal Haymarket
Date & Loc: Ongoing, West End SW1Y
The doorbell rings... and in walks a giant, tea-guzzling tiger. Packed with magic, singalongs and teatime chaos, this beloved family show is back for its 11th West End summer season.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £10 | Info

🧱 The Play Pavilion @ Hyde Park
Date & Loc: Ongoing until August, Hyde Park W2
An immersive LEGO powered world where kids (and grown-ups) can build, explore and let imaginations run wild. Part art, part playground.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

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