🦊 The roaming Scoop

Morning, London! Happy Thursday. It’s August 14 and The Scoop is still coming to you live from summer mode. Hopefully I set up the roaming properly, otherwise these last few newsletters might end up costing more than the holiday. Thanks to the many of you kindly letting me know how amazing the weather in London has been while I’m away. Truly thrilled for you.

A few school-related emails have started creeping in, which means, in football terms, we’re now into the second half of the summer holidays. Still plenty of time on the clock, but the energy levels are looking a bit pre-season.

This is the last of the very light editions. Not that I’m trying to replace your favourite book, but surely you miss the longer pieces? Yes you do.

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

Fun Fact: There are more bacteria in your mouth than people on Earth. 🦠🪥 You’ve got billions of microscopic organisms living between your teeth and gums. Most are harmless, some are helpful, and all of them are definitely judging your flossing routine.

London Fact: There are seven (±/-) sculpted noses hidden around Soho. 👃🔍 An artist installed them in the 1990s as a protest against surveillance. Urban legend says if you find all seven, you’ll become fabulously rich. More likely you’ll just get very good at staring at walls.

. EVENTS SCOOP .
What’s on this week?

🧱 Visions in LEGO @ Sir John Soane’s Museum
Date & Loc: Aug 14, Holborn WC2A
Drop in for a hands-on LEGO workshop where families recreate bold cityscapes inspired by Sir John Soane’s famous designs. Led by artist Jaquie Feldman.
Age: 4+ | Price: no cost | Info

🎶 Songs & Rhymes in the Park @ Ebury Square Gardens
Date & Loc: Aug 14, Victoria SW1W
A joyful morning of music, rhymes and stories under the trees, hosted by Victoria Library. Perfect for little ones (and their grown-ups) to sing, wiggle and giggle in the sunshine.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🕵️ Covert & Classified Family Day @ Westminster Abbey
Date & Loc: Aug 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

🧚 Discovery Days: Peter Pan @ Hyde Park Learning Centre
Date & Loc: Aug 14, Hyde Park W2
Ahoy, landlubbers! Join the Royal Parks team for a day of pirate orienteering, fairy home-building, nest boat floating and more. A free outdoor adventure inspired by the boy who never grew up.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎭 Toy Theatre Performances @ Hackney Museum
Date & Loc: Aug 14, Hackney E8
Step back into Victorian London with two short toy theatre shows performed by Pollock’s Toy Museum. These charming mini plays are first-come, first-served.
Age: 3+ | Price: no cost | Info

🎲 Game On: Second World War @ National Army Museum
Date & Loc: Aug 14-15, Chelsea SW3
Test your wits and teamwork in this giant board game about life during WWII. Packed with tricky tasks and historical twists.
Age: 7+ | Price: no cost | Info

🎭 The Smallest Theatre in the World! @ Charles Dickens Museum
Date & Loc: Aug 15, Bloomsbury WC1N
Take a fun museum tour, then build your own cut-out mini theatre to take home. Meet at Coram’s Fields Youth Centre.
Age: 8-11yo | Price: no cost | Info

🎨 Summer Family Fridays @ Young V&A
Date & Loc: Aug 15, Bethnal Green E2
A full afternoon of free creative fun for families, including clay coin crafting in the garden, hands-on design challenges, a teen Makers Club, and a relaxed storytime for under-5s.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎨 Play Make Do @ Barbican Centre
Date & Loc: Aug 14-16, 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

🎶 Summer Sounds @ Coal Drops Yard
Date & Loc: Aug 14–17, 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 14-19, 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

🎩 Magic & Marvels @ Queen’s Park
Date & Loc: Aug 14–29 (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

🏛️ Roman London Family Quest @ Various Sites
Date & Loc: Aug 15–16, City of London EC4
Grab your little gladiators and explore Roman Londinium with this fun, interactive quest across London Mithraeum, the Roman Amphitheatre and the London Museum. Expect roaming centurions, ancient clues and a prize at the end.
Age: 5-11yo (all welcome) | Price: no cost (book req) | Info

🎨 Storytelling through Art & Play @ Dulwich Picture Gallery
Date & Loc: 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

🎨 Ilford inColour Festival @ Ilford Town Centre
Date & Loc: Aug 16–17, Ilford IG1
Live mural painting, music, food stalls, fair rides, wrestling, classic cars, and ping pong… this colourful street festival marks the countdown to Ilford’s 100th birthday with two days of family fun across town.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🎨 Relaxed Mornings @ National Gallery
Date & Loc: Aug 17, Trafalgar Square WC2N
A quieter way to explore the National Gallery. These early sessions are designed for children with SEND and others with sensory differences, offering a calm and welcoming space to enjoy the art without the crowds.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost (book req) | Info

🌼 Flower Garden Craft @ Shoe Lane Library
Date & Loc: Aug 18, Farringdon EC4
Part of this year’s Story Garden Summer Reading Challenge, this drop-in craft session invites kids to create their own blooming masterpiece. All materials provided.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

✂️ Summer Family Crafts @ London Museum Studios
Date & Loc: Aug 19-26, Farringdon EC1A
Get hands-on with playful crafts and creative activities inspired by the museum’s archives. Free, inclusive, and perfect for relaxed family time indoors this summer.
Age: 5+ | Price: no cost (book req) | Info

🔥 Great Fire of London Family Show @ Museum of London Docklands
Date & Loc: Aug 19–28, Canary Wharf E14
Help uncover the fiery chaos of 1666 in this lively, interactive show for families. From a tiny spark to a blazing city, discover the story behind the Great Fire, complete with noise, light, steam and surprises.
Age: 5+ | Price: no cost (book req) | 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

🎭 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

🕵️‍♂️ 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

🎁 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

⚓ 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

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