🦊 The other side

Morning, London! Happy Thursday! This is the last Scoop before Christmas. Schools are done, routines are officially cancelled, and a well deserved break is finally here. Keeping this one ultra short because I can already hear someone calling your name from the other room. Loudly. Repeatedly.

Plenty of exciting things coming in the new year. More on that very soon.

Let’s dive in, and see you on the other side of Christmas 🎄

. LONDON SNIPPETS .
Bits that caught our eye

No London news snippets this week. Our intern has been sent out into the wild to fight for last minute Christmas presents and has not been heard from since. Plus, with the kids officially on holiday, your house is already a 24/7 news channel. (I’m on the road and 3G is barely hanging on.)

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

Fun Fact: The mantis shrimp can punch so fast it boils the water around it. 🥊🦐 This tiny sea creature throws punches at the speed of a bullet, creating shockwaves and flashes of light. Its punch is so powerful it can break aquarium glass. Basically the Mike Tyson of rock pools.

London Fact: The Queen’s swans on the Thames are still counted every year. 🦢📜 The tradition is called Swan Upping and dates back to the 1100s. Royal officials row up the river in uniforms, count the swans, and check their health. Nobody’s quite sure why it still happens, but it’s peak ceremonial bird admin.

. EVENTS SCOOP .
What’s on this week?

🦖 Marble Triceratops Skull @ Berkeley Square
Date & Loc: From Dec 16, Mayfair W1
A life sized Triceratops skull carved from Carrara marble is now on display in Berkeley Square. Created by British sculptor Paul Vanstone, the sculpture brings natural history into the heart of London and is free to visit.
Age: Everyone | Price: No cost | Info

🕎 Object Handling @ Museum of the Home
Date & Loc: Dec 18 (Thu), Hoxton E2
A relaxed, hands-on Hanukkah drop-in where kids can handle real objects from the Jewish Museum’s collection, play dreidel and see a special menorah lighting.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎨 Mini Morris: Recycled Christmas Tree Craft @ William Morris Gallery
Date & Loc: Dec 18 (Thu), Walthamstow E17
A festive, toddler-friendly drop-in session where little ones craft colourful Christmas trees using fabric scraps and recycled materials.
Age: 2–5yrs | Price: no cost | Info

🪵 Pinocchio: Family Workshop @ Shakespeare’s Globe
Date & Loc: Dec 18-20, Bankside SE1
Step into the world of Pinocchio through games, storytelling and playful theatre activities designed for young imaginations and their grown ups.
Age: 5–8yo + grown ups | Price: £12 | Info

🐾 Bluey’s Big Play @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Dec 18 –Jan 11, Royal Festival Hall SE1
The hugely popular Bluey stage show returns, bringing Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli to life in a live theatre production made especially for younger audiences.
Age: All ages | Price: from £17 | Info

🧚 The Magic Flute @ The Place
Date & Loc: Dec 18–24, Euston WC1H
A joyful dance-theatre spin on Mozart’s classic, packed with music, magic and festive fun. Join Papageno and Prince Tamino on a playful adventure to rescue Princess Pamina. Top choice this Christmas!
Age: 5+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🩰 Nutcracker @ London Coliseum
Date & Loc: Dec 18–Jan 11, Covent Garden WC2
A sparkling Christmas tradition: over 100 dancers and musicians bring Clara’s magical adventure to life in English National Ballet’s beloved festive classic.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £15 | Info

🎉 End of Term Winter Party @ Woolwich Works
Date & Loc: Dec 19 (Fri), Woolwich SE18
A feel-good, end-of-term family party with music, dancing and games as Woolwich Works kicks off the Christmas holidays.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🩰 A Christmas Wish @ Woolwich Works
Date & Loc: Dec 19–22 (Fri–Mon), Woolwich SE18
A gentle festive ballet created especially for young children, with dancing fairies, elves and plenty of Christmas magic.
Age: Everyone | Price: From £11 | Info

🎨 Celebrate Saturnalia @ London Mithraeum
Date & Loc: Dec 19–Jan 4, City of London EC4
A hands-on family drop-in inspired by the Roman festival of Saturnalia, with simple crafts and games inside the atmospheric London Mithraeum.
Age: Families | Price: no cost | Info

🎄 Family Workshops @ Battersea Power Station
Date & Loc: Dec 19–Dec 31 (Wed), Battersea SW11
Festive crafts all through the holidays, from gingerbread house decorating to Christmas crackers, slime, candles and more.
Age: Families | Price: no cost | Info

🎄 Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People @ Kings Place
Date & Loc: Dec 20 (Sat), King’s Cross N1
A festive family matinee blending short science talks, comedy, live music and carols.
Age: Families | Price: £11.50–£23 | Info

❄️ There’s No Business Like Snow Business @ Royal Institution
Date & Loc: Dec 20 (Sat), Mayfair W1
Live science demos exploring snow, ice and extreme temperatures, with plenty of hands-on experiments along the way.
Age: Under 12s | Price: from £11 | Info

🎅 Santa’s Treasure Hunt @ London Museum Docklands
Date & Loc: Dec 20 (Sat), E14
A short, relaxed festive adventure where kids help Santa track down items from his treasure list, with music, clues and wintery fun woven through the museum.
Age: Families | Price: no cost | Info

🎄 Festive Family Fun Days @ London Wetland Centre
Date & Loc: Dec 20-21, Barnes SW13
Seasonal activities including marshmallow toasting, gingerbread decorating, storytelling and festive crafts, plus choir and bubble shows on select dates.
Age: All ages | Price: from £10 | Info

❄️ The Snow Queen: A Woodland Adventure @ The Albany
Date & Loc: Dec 20–24, Deptford SE8
A musical woodland quest for ages 3–8 with songs, puppetry and gentle winter magic as Gerda sets out to save her best friend.
Age: 3–8 | Price: £14 | Info

⛸️ Disney On Ice @ The O2
Date & Loc: Dec 26–Jan 4, North Greenwich SE10
Join Moana, Elsa, Ariel and more as Disney’s most beloved heroes glide onto the ice in a dazzling live show full of music, adventure and skating magic.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £30 | Info

✨ Design Club (11–14) @ Young V&A
Date & Loc: Dec 30 (Tue), Bethnal Green E2
A drop-in workshop where 11–14 year olds design and make bio-sequin patches using biodegradable materials, exploring sustainable fashion and design.
Age: 11–14 | Price: no cost | Info

🎇 Christmas Light Trail @ Headstone Manor & Museum
Date & Loc: until Dec 30, Harrow HA2
Headstone Manor’s historic grounds glow with twinkling light installations, festive displays, food trucks and winter warmers; a brand-new Christmas light trail for the area.
Age: Everyone | Price: £12 | Info

🎅 How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: until Jan 3, London Bridge SE1
A playful Christmas caper mixing physical comedy, music and festive mayhem, based on Jon Klassen’s adored picture book.
Age: 2+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎄 The Twelfth Night of Christmas @ Chiswick House
Date & Loc: until Jan 4, Chiswick W4
Step inside Chiswick House for a self-guided festive journey through opulent Georgian-inspired rooms, dramatic installations and magical Christmas tableaus.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £14 | Info

⛄ The Snowman @ Peacock Theatre
Date & Loc: until Jan 4, Holborn WC2A
The beloved Christmas tale returns with enchanting music, festive magic and a soaring Walk-in-the-Air moment for the whole family.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £18 | Info

🐷 Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show @ Theatre Royal Haymarket
Date & Loc: until Jan 4, Haymarket SW1Y
Peppa Pig’s brand new festive theatre show, packed with songs, fun and muddy-puddle joy for little ones and their grown-ups.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £10 | Info

🎄 Christmas Films in an Enchanted Forest @ Backyard Cinema
Date & Loc: until Dec 31, London Bridge SE1
Step into a twinkling woodland cinema and enjoy festive film favourites under the stars. Hot chocolate, cosy blankets and Christmas magic guaranteed.
Age: 7+ | Price: from £15 | Info

👠 Cinderella @ The Radlett Centre
Date & Loc: until Jan 3, Radlett WD7
A glittering family pantomime packed with music, costumes and plenty of audience participation from Upstage Productions.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £20.50 | Info

🚂 The Polar Express @ Discover Children’s Story Centre
Date & Loc: until Jan 4, Stratford E15
Step aboard a festive adventure inspired by the beloved tale. Enjoy storytelling, creative play and a magical journey to the North Pole.
Age: 1–6yo | Price: from £5 | Info

Let me know what you think! Your feedback helps us keep this section better and more useful for you.

. SPREAD THE LOVE .
Thank you for reading ❤️

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

Also, if you enjoyed this, feel free to share it with friends!