Morning, London! Happy Thursday! And welcome to half-term limbo — that magical time when you’re expected to work, parent, and organise enriching cultural outings... all while hearing “I’m boooored” for the seventh time before breakfast.

And no, handing them a carrot and calling it an “Easter Bunny Snack” doesn’t count as an activity (though I respect the hustle).

The good news? You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Here we are. Invited myself into the conversation, didn’t I?

On a more athletic note, the London Marathon is nearly here (April 27). Any brave readers running the full 42km this year? I’ll be cheering from the sidelines. Emotionally. With snacks. Let me know if you or a mate are running and I’ll give you a shout in next week’s Scoop. Respect.

Last but not least… Happy Easter! Yesterday I found myself hunting the aisles for proper dark chocolate eggs. A very timely “I’m getting old” moment. No more Creme Eggs, you’ll now hear me ask the store assistant, “What’s the cocoa percentage?” and “Is this ethically sourced?”. Insufferable. 🍫

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

• 💸 Tiny Money: Green light!

• 🎙️ London Snippets: Bits that caught our eye

• 🧠 Casual Einstein: Two new playground-worthy facts

• 🐣 Special Edition: Easter adventures

• 📅 Readers’ Favourite: Family events this week

But first, the weather. If you’ve lived in London long enough, you know spring here doesn’t follow rules — it just does what it wants:

 .TINY MONEY .

Green light!

Well, that was pretty clear! Last week I floated the idea of a new "Tiny Money" section with quick, playful financial tips for kids, and the response was off the charts - 98% of you said "Yes please!", while 2% called me a "capitalist pig" (but clarified their babies are too young for financial wisdom). Fair enough.

Message received loud and clear. Will start working on the first edition right away. I'll tackle the tooth fairy's questionable payment methods. Got specific money-with-kids topics you'd like covered? Hit reply and let me know what's on your mind! 💸

 .TRIVIA .

Think you know your London?

. LONDON SNIPPETS .

Bits that caught our eye

🔟 Behind the Black Door. Fancy a peek into the PM’s back garden? Number 10 Downing Street is opening its gates to a lucky few. Two guided tours are happening on Saturday 7 June; but spots are super limited (just 24 per tour), and you’ll need to enter a ballot to get in. Full story

🛶 Boats Galore in Little Venice. Over 100 narrowboats will gather in Little Venice for the Canalway Cavalcade; a free festival of colourful boats, bunting, and waterside charm. It’s all happening early May, and yes, you can have ice cream and pretend you live on a boat. Full story

🐾 Otterly Unexpected. For all the animal lovers. A wild otter has been spotted paddling through Canary Wharf, in a rare urban cameo for the once-nearly-extinct Eurasian otter. Thanks to cleaner waterways and serious conservation hustle, these furry swimmers are making a slow but steady comeback. Even the otters are moving to Zone 2. Full story

 .CASUAL EINSTEIN .

2 for 1: Wow your kid and outsmart the other parents

Fun Fact: If you could fold a piece of paper 42 times (you can't, but play along), it would reach the moon. Yes, the moon. Because each fold doubles the thickness, and exponential growth is wild like that. Makes that soggy school newsletter in the bottom of your bag feel a bit more powerful, doesn’t it? 🚀

London Fact: Those iconic clock faces on Big Ben? Cleaned by professional abseilers dangling on ropes like Victorian Spider-Men. The minute hands alone are 14 feet long and weigh 220 pounds each — so heavy that snow settling on them in winter has actually made the clock run slow. Time waits for no one… well except maybe snow.🕒

. EASTER SCOOP .

🐰 Special Edition: Easter Adventures

Sparkling Edwardian Easter @ Buckingham Palace
Date & Loc: Apr 17th, Hyde Park Corner
Nostalgic wrappers, Easter mascots, and sugar-rush vibes in this chocolatey trail through time.
Age: Everyone | Price: Free w/ admission | Info

Easter Bunny Tales @ Chickenshed
Date & Loc: Apr 17th, Southgate
Songs, stories, and bunny chaos. A joyful Easter show for the littles.
Age: Everyone | Price: £7 | Info

Easter Series @ London Museum Docklands
Date & Loc: Apr 17th, Docklands
Clay coin-making, Victorian mudlarks, and real Thames treasures. Muddy but marvellous.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

Egg Hunt @ Ham House & Garden
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Richmond
Ten game stations on a Civil War-inspired trail. Can your team save Ham House?
Age: Everyone | Price: £3.50 | Info

Keeping London Moving @ London Transport Museum
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Notting Hill
Transport-themed Easter fun and interactive family trails.
Age: Everyone | Price: Free w/ admission | Info

Easter activities @ Battersea Power Station
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Battersea
The Chocolate Station is back! Markets, treats, and Easter vibes inside Turbine Hall B.
Age: Everyone | Price: various | Info

Egg-nigma @ RHS Garden Wisley
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Wisey
Solve a code-breaking egg hunt with crafts, storytelling, and more.
Age: Everyone | Price: £2.50 + admission | Info

The Big Egg Hunt @ Elephant Family
Date & Loc: until Apr 27th, Various
Giant 2ft eggs are scattered across London’s landmarks—from Covent Garden to The British Museum. It's like Pokémon GO, but posher and eggier.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

The Gold Bunny Hunt @ Hampton Court Palace
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Richmond
Track down Lindt gold bunnies hiding in the royal gardens. Bonus points if your kid asks who Henry VIII is.
Age: Everyone | Price: check Palace admissions (members free) | Info

EggSplorers @ Hobbledown
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Epsom
Egg trails, archery, Easter bunny visits — and just a bit of mud.
Age: Everyone | Price: £16.50 | Info

Hop, Skip & Seek @ Museum of Brands
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Notting Hill
A nostalgic, chocolatey trail with classic wrappers and mascots.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £11.50 (kids free) | Info

Easter Eggstravaganza @ Blenheim Palace
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Oxfordshire
A countryside Easter bash with trails, games, and fresh air that’ll knock the London soot off your lungs.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £15 | Info

Hunt the Green Dragon @ Museum of Water & Steam
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Brentford
A cheeky dragon’s hidden her eggs—can your little knights find them all before they hatch?
Age: 3+ | Price: from £3 | Info

Scavenger Hunt @ Brixton Village
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Brixton
Swap your egg hunt for a street-smart treasure trail through the bustling Brixton Village.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

Easter Family Festival @ Natural History Museum
Date & Loc: until Apr 20th, South Kensington
Talks, crafts and biodiversity galore—plus an actual dinosaur or two.
Age: 4+ | Price: No cost (booking required) | Info

Easter Egg Trail @ Fulham Palace
Date & Loc: until Apr 20th, Fulham
Solve the Easter Bunny’s riddle by collecting eggs around the Palace and gardens. Sherlock mode: on.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £3.50 | Info

Easter Family Trail @ Chiswick House
Date & Loc: Apr 18th-21st, Chiswick
A charming spring trail in one of West London’s prettiest gardens. Bring snacks.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

Family Disco @ Big Penny Social
Date & Loc: Apr 20th, Walthamstow
A kid-friendly rave with bubbles, bops, and dancefloor chaos. Yes, you might hear Baby Shark.
Age: Everyone | Price: £7 | Info

. EVENTS SCOOP .

What’s on this week?

🌼 Marvellous Mammals @ Hyde Park
Date & Loc: Apr 17th, Hyde Park
Free Discovery Day exploring the furry locals of our royal parks.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🎡 Funfair @ Hampton Court Palace
Date & Loc: Apr 17th, East Molesey
170+ years of rides, sweets, and classic fairground fun on the palace green.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🎨 Pipsqueaks! Toddler Story Sessions @ Hillingdon
Date & Loc: Apr 18th, Hillingdon
Stories, songs, and adventures with Pilot Tally-Ho & friends.
Age: 18mo-3yo | Price: £2.50 | Info

🎨 Claytime @ Arts Depot
Date & Loc: Apr 18th, North Finchley
Interactive clay play meets theatre for your mini creators.
Age: 3-6yo | Price: £13.50 | Info

🕺 Jham! @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Apr 19th, Southbank
A playful and energetic collaboration between Indian dancers and musicians that highlights the rhythmic play between the ancient and the modern.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

👃 Regent Street Sensorium @ Heddon Street
Date & Loc: until Apr 27th, Piccadilly Circus
A free pop-up by Bompas & Parr where you can smell history, taste architecture, and soak up Regent Street with all five senses.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🎭 Tom Gates Epic Stage Show @ Rose Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 17th-21st, Kingston
Music, mischief and doodles galore in this stage take on the bestselling books.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎪 Miniature Travelling Circus @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 17th-19th, Islington
The tiniest circus with the biggest heart. Puppetry, laughs, and a ringmaster with a dream.
Age: 2-5yo | Price: from £13 | Info

🌳 Family Yaffles Nature Club @ Barnes Common
Date & Loc: Apr 17th-19th, Barnes
The tiniest circus with the biggest heart. Puppetry, laughs, and a ringmaster with a dream.
Age: 2-5yo | Price: from £2.50 | Info

🎭 Playing Macbeth @ Globe Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 17th-21st, Southbank
A punchy 90-minute Macbeth tailored for teens and tweens. Shakespeare, but not snoozy. Few tickets left.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £5 | Info

🎉 Spring Fair @ Horniman Museum
Date & Loc: Apr 19th, Forest Hill
seasonal fun and games at the Spring Fair this April! Enjoy live music, crafts, street food, bubbles and lots more.
Age: Everyone | Price: £6 | Info

🦁 The Lion Inside @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Apr 17th-20th, Southbank
Embark on an adventure with a heart-warming tale about confidence, self-esteem and a shy little mouse who sets out on a journey to find his roar.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £16 | Info

🌙 Little Night @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: until Apr 19th, London Bridge
Interactive projections and sensory play in this magical show for mini humans.
Age: 18mo-4yo | Price: from £10 | Info

🪵 Gnome Trail @ Headstone Manor
Date & Loc: Apr 17th-20th, South Harrow
Find the hidden gnomes and crack the code to win a prize!
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🐛 The Very Hungry Caterpillar @ Greenwich Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 19th-20th, Greenwich
Four Eric Carle stories and 75 puppets = a colourful classic brought to life.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £16.50 | Info

✈️ Pilot Training Missions @ Royal Air Force Museum
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, NW London
Train like an RAF crew, solve puzzles, and take on team trials (plus penguins on icebergs).
Age: 4+ | Price: £5 | Info

🎶 Big Disney Bash Orchestra @ Big Penny Social
Date & Loc: Apr 21st, Walthamstow
Live orchestra playing Disney classics — sing-alongs encouraged!
Age: Everyone | Price: £8 | Info

🕶️ My Shadow and Me @ Puppet Barge
Date & Loc: Apr 17th-21st, Little Venice
A magical shadowy journey brought to life with light, movement, and imagination.
Age: 4-10 | Price: £10 | Info

🎭 Chicken Licken @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Apr 17th- May 11th, Wimbledon
Classic tale + puppets + live tunes = barnyard brilliance.
Age: 3-7yo | Price: from £10 | Info

🩰 My first Ballet: Swan Lake @ Sadlers Wells
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Holborn
A gentle, narrated version of Swan Lake made for little ballet lovers.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎭 UNIQLO Tate Play: Bruce Asbestos @ Tate Modern
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Southbank
Design, dress up, and dazzle in a snail-inspired fashion show!
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🥔 Supertato @ Kew Gardens
Date & Loc: until Apr 21st, Kew
Veggie heroes, hands-on fun, and dress-up zones. Supertato saves the day (again).
Age: Everyone | Price: included with entry | Info

🎭 A Squash and a Squeeze @ Little Angel Theatre
Date & Loc: until May 11th, Islington
A classic tale brought to life with puppets and a not-so-roomy cottage.
Age: 3-8yo | Price: from £13 | Info

🎩 Secrets of Stage Magic @ V&A
Date & Loc: May 3rd, South Kensington
Learn tricks and illusions from the world of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Age: 5+ | Price: No cost (book ahead!) | Info