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DANDELION DISCOVERIES
What Made Us Smile This Week
Liotard Masterpieces Reunited
🎨 Side by side for the first time in over 250 years Liotard's two masterpieces, The Lavergne Family Breakfast, are reunited at the National Gallery.
Which do you prefer ? The pastel or the oil ?
Head to the National Gallery's Sunley Room and decide!
Free for all to enjoy
16 Nov-3 March
Which do you prefer ? The pastel or the oil ?
Head to the National Gallery's Sunley Room and decide!
Free for all to enjoy
16 Nov-3 March
Storytelling in the Painted Hall
🎅🏼 Lucky little ones can visit Father Christmas for festive storytelling in the magical Painted Hall this Christmas season.
Inspired by the sparkling art installation hanging in the Painted Hall (Coalescence) every child will receive a present, and have a photo with Father Christmas.
2-23 Dec, various times.
Tickets: £8 child, £12 adult
Inspired by the sparkling art installation hanging in the Painted Hall (Coalescence) every child will receive a present, and have a photo with Father Christmas.
2-23 Dec, various times.
Tickets: £8 child, £12 adult
Zoo Christmas Sleepover
🦁 For a limited time only bed down in the Land of the Lions at ZSL London Zoo this festive season.
The Christmas stay will treat animal-loving children to after-hours tours along with delicious food, mulled wine, hot chocolate and festive fun.
Make Christmas presents for the animals and enjoy toasting marshmallows on the fire pit, before being whisked off after dark to meet some of the Zoo’s nocturnal residents.
After sleeping within a whisker of these giant cats the Zoo’s alarm clocks will ring signalling breakfast time.
Family Friendly Dates
21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29 Dec
Full details below.
The Christmas stay will treat animal-loving children to after-hours tours along with delicious food, mulled wine, hot chocolate and festive fun.
Make Christmas presents for the animals and enjoy toasting marshmallows on the fire pit, before being whisked off after dark to meet some of the Zoo’s nocturnal residents.
After sleeping within a whisker of these giant cats the Zoo’s alarm clocks will ring signalling breakfast time.
Family Friendly Dates
21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29 Dec
Full details below.
Ice Ice Baby
❄️ As the nights grow darker twinkling ice rinks are starting to pop up all over London.
There are lots to choose from but these five are our total favourites.
SKATE at Somerset House
❄️ ⛸
The Queen's House
❄️ ⛸
Hampton Court Palace
❄️ ⛸
Battersea Power Station
❄️ ⛸
Hanover Square
❄️ ⛸
Click below for full details.
There are lots to choose from but these five are our total favourites.
SKATE at Somerset House
❄️ ⛸
The Queen's House
❄️ ⛸
Hampton Court Palace
❄️ ⛸
Battersea Power Station
❄️ ⛸
Hanover Square
❄️ ⛸
Click below for full details.
Ginger Town!
🍭 Now in its 7th year this awesome mini edible metropolis will be setting up home this year at Westfield White City.
Run by the Museum of Architecture this is baking on a whole new scale. Expect towering sweet-laden skyscrapers and epic candy constructions.
This year's theme is water insecurity. Check back to see our review after we pop along to the press view at the end of the month.
This is a good one to book in advance as the slots sell out fast. Great festive house-making workshops.
Westfield White City
Opens 2 December to 7 January.
Tickets: £18.50 over 12's, U12's £12.50
Family workshop £90 (a adult, 1 child) to make one gingerbread house.
Run by the Museum of Architecture this is baking on a whole new scale. Expect towering sweet-laden skyscrapers and epic candy constructions.
This year's theme is water insecurity. Check back to see our review after we pop along to the press view at the end of the month.
This is a good one to book in advance as the slots sell out fast. Great festive house-making workshops.
Westfield White City
Opens 2 December to 7 January.
Tickets: £18.50 over 12's, U12's £12.50
Family workshop £90 (a adult, 1 child) to make one gingerbread house.
Literary Wonderland
🎄Ready or not the 12m Christmas Tree at St Pancras train station is up.
Decorated with 3,800 books (thank you Hatchards and Penguin) visitors to the station can settled down in a Christmas cubby hole and listen to classic audiobooks including Dickens, Beatrix Potter and Michael Morpurgo before jumping on their train. Just charming.
Decorated with 3,800 books (thank you Hatchards and Penguin) visitors to the station can settled down in a Christmas cubby hole and listen to classic audiobooks including Dickens, Beatrix Potter and Michael Morpurgo before jumping on their train. Just charming.
Mat Collishaw
🌷A fusion of the natural world, art and AI blend together with staggering effect at Mat Collishaw's new show at Kew Gardens.
Inspired by the 17th century tulip mania 'Heterosis' is a captivating hybridisation of digital flowers. We were totally transfixed by the ever changing blooming buds.
'Albion ' a large scale animation of a huge oak in Sherwood Forest was hauntingly beautiful compared to 'The Centrifugal Soul' with its strobing birds of paradise (not great for any migraine sufferers) but an incredible sight.
We couldn't recommend it more highly.
Mat Collishaw: Petrichor
20 Oct-7 April
Shirley Sherwood Gallery
10am-3pm
Free with entry to Kew
Inspired by the 17th century tulip mania 'Heterosis' is a captivating hybridisation of digital flowers. We were totally transfixed by the ever changing blooming buds.
'Albion ' a large scale animation of a huge oak in Sherwood Forest was hauntingly beautiful compared to 'The Centrifugal Soul' with its strobing birds of paradise (not great for any migraine sufferers) but an incredible sight.
We couldn't recommend it more highly.
Mat Collishaw: Petrichor
20 Oct-7 April
Shirley Sherwood Gallery
10am-3pm
Free with entry to Kew
Wintery Family Tours
👑 Exciting news from Buck Palace. Their wintery Guided Family Tours are back! Specially designed for little ones they highlight the Palace's wonderful regal history.
Tours run 11, 18, 19, 25, 26 Nov and weekends in Dec plus 27-31 Dec.
Tickets: £60 pp, U5s free
Tours run 11, 18, 19, 25, 26 Nov and weekends in Dec plus 27-31 Dec.
Tickets: £60 pp, U5s free
Halloween at Hampton Court
👻 Ready yourself to be spooked at Hampton Court Palace this Halloween. Tiptoe through the corridors and courtyards whilst on the look out for their infamous ghosts. With scary stories and an eerie Gallery of the Doomed there be heaps to keep little witches and wizards busy.
21-29 October.
All activities included in entrance price.
21-29 October.
All activities included in entrance price.
Museum of the Moon
🌝 Don't miss catching a glimpse of this touring lunar wonder floating in Southwark Cathedral until 30 Oct. 7m in diameter it's utterly captivating.
£3 adults, £1.50 kids
£3 adults, £1.50 kids
Fireworks
💥Boom! Where to head for the best displays in London 💥
Queer Nature
🍄 The iconic Temperate House at Kew Gardens has been transformed into a glorious celebration of fungi, queer people and plants 🪴
With a bellowing floral fabric installation by Jeff Gibson a festival garden built by Pat Featherstone in collaboration with Kew Youth Forum plus poetry and video installations there is something for everyone 🌈 Truly inspiring for all ages and stages.
Huge 👏🏻👏🏻 to Paul Harfleet founder of The Pansy Project who plants pansies at sites of homophobic and transphobic attacks across London 🪴
Queer Nature
30 Sept ~ 29 Oct
Entry free with garden ticket
With a bellowing floral fabric installation by Jeff Gibson a festival garden built by Pat Featherstone in collaboration with Kew Youth Forum plus poetry and video installations there is something for everyone 🌈 Truly inspiring for all ages and stages.
Huge 👏🏻👏🏻 to Paul Harfleet founder of The Pansy Project who plants pansies at sites of homophobic and transphobic attacks across London 🪴
Queer Nature
30 Sept ~ 29 Oct
Entry free with garden ticket
Turner & Bonington
🖼️ A tiny but perfectly formed watercolored treat.
Tucked just behind the gift shop (arguably the best one in London) is a really charming redisplay of some really cracking watercolours by JMW Turner and RP Bonington.
From the rugged landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales and crab fishing on a beach in Scarborough to the beauty of Venetian Palazzos its a great show for little people with a short attention span.
Head to the pretty pink courtyard cafe for tea and cake afterwards.
Free
Tucked just behind the gift shop (arguably the best one in London) is a really charming redisplay of some really cracking watercolours by JMW Turner and RP Bonington.
From the rugged landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales and crab fishing on a beach in Scarborough to the beauty of Venetian Palazzos its a great show for little people with a short attention span.
Head to the pretty pink courtyard cafe for tea and cake afterwards.
Free
Mused
💻👗Fab new interactive website for kids aged 10–14 from the V&A. Designed to provide a 'stimulating, safe and welcoming place for younger audiences to spend time online', it is a cleverly-curated mix of quizzes and challenges under six headings: Art & Design, Music, Gaming, Fashion, Film & Shows and Random.
How well do you know your Nike Airs? Can you guess the Pokemon from the AI art? Which weird facts about Cleopatra are fake?
Heaps of 'cultural' hubs have tried to engage this age group online, we reckon Mused may have cracked it! Give it a go. We'd love to know what you think.
How well do you know your Nike Airs? Can you guess the Pokemon from the AI art? Which weird facts about Cleopatra are fake?
Heaps of 'cultural' hubs have tried to engage this age group online, we reckon Mused may have cracked it! Give it a go. We'd love to know what you think.
Open House Festival
🏡 Ready yourself for a two week celebration of fabulous city buildings! From a windmill in Brixton to this diddy Skip House tucked behind London Bridge this is your change to take a sneaky peak into some of London's most awesome homes and buildings.
6-17 September
Book your slots online via the website below.
6-17 September
Book your slots online via the website below.
Classic Boat Festival
⛵️ The glorious annual Classic Boat Festival returns once again this weekend to St Katherine Docks. Over 40 beautiful vintage classic boats will assemble including war heroes, the Dunkirk Little Ships 🚤 Live music 🎶 kids fun and yummy food ashore.
London's only Marina will be buzzing all weekend.
⛵️⛵️⛵️
Opening Time
Saturday 9 11-6pm
Sunday 10 11-5pm
London's only Marina will be buzzing all weekend.
⛵️⛵️⛵️
Opening Time
Saturday 9 11-6pm
Sunday 10 11-5pm
Little Lost Robot
🐭 Head to Wakehurst this summer and hunt for eight outdoor art installations all inspired by trees.
Wakehurst have worked with some incredible artists to create outdoor sculptures across the gardens uncovering the phenomenal power of these mighty woodland wonders.
We are rather in love with this little robotic mouse!
7 July to 17 Sept.
Wakehurst have worked with some incredible artists to create outdoor sculptures across the gardens uncovering the phenomenal power of these mighty woodland wonders.
We are rather in love with this little robotic mouse!
7 July to 17 Sept.
Festival of Fairy Tales
🧚🏻♂️ This charming festival returns once again this summer.
For ages 4 – 10, set against the magical backdrop of the Garden Museum’s home of a medieval church, children will be free to explore the Museum and discover pop-up performers, craft workshops, storytelling, music and circus performances.
Travel through a world of bees, bugs and creepy crawlies.
13 Aug
1 am - 4 pm
The Garden Museum
For ages 4 – 10, set against the magical backdrop of the Garden Museum’s home of a medieval church, children will be free to explore the Museum and discover pop-up performers, craft workshops, storytelling, music and circus performances.
Travel through a world of bees, bugs and creepy crawlies.
13 Aug
1 am - 4 pm
The Garden Museum
Summer of Invention
🚂 Head to the Postal Museum this summer for 5 weeks of hands-on family fun celebrating postal inventions, inspired by Mail Rail! Unleash your inner engineer and find out about innovations from amazing mini railways to stamps, sorting machines and robot technology.
A ride on the Mail Rail is top of our list of favourite things to do in London.
27 July – 26 Aug.
A ride on the Mail Rail is top of our list of favourite things to do in London.
27 July – 26 Aug.
Summer Cycle
🚲 Grab your bike and head to Kew Gardens for a summer evening cycle. Take in the beautiful blooms and flowering woodlands before stopping for a picnic or a bite from one of the pop-up food stalls.
27 July.
Tickets: £22 adults, £12 kids
27 July.
Tickets: £22 adults, £12 kids
Model Village Heaven
🏡 The gardens are in full bloom at dandelion favourite Bekonscot Model Village.
Stuck in a 1930's time warp this delightful little town always makes us smile. Fab ride on train and lots of summer fun planned during the school holidays.
Open daily 10am-5.30pm.
Tickets £14 adults, £9 child
Stuck in a 1930's time warp this delightful little town always makes us smile. Fab ride on train and lots of summer fun planned during the school holidays.
Open daily 10am-5.30pm.
Tickets £14 adults, £9 child
RHS Hampton Court Palace
🌿 A little damp but the flowers (and butterflies) are loving the rain at the glorious RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Festival.
Dreaming of sitting in a garden like this one created by 'The Pig' this summer.
Wonderful Forest 🌳 School with heaps of activities for kids. Try out -
🍃Leaf Rubbing
🌱Seed Bombs
🦉Bird Boxes
💭Dream Catchers
🐌Mini-beast Modelling
🍪Wood Cookies
Kingston Forest School 👏🏻
Four legged friends are very welcome too. 🦮🐩🐕🦺🐾🐕
Open 4-9 July
Lots of weekend tickets 🎟️ still available. Cheaper after 3pm.
Dreaming of sitting in a garden like this one created by 'The Pig' this summer.
Wonderful Forest 🌳 School with heaps of activities for kids. Try out -
🍃Leaf Rubbing
🌱Seed Bombs
🦉Bird Boxes
💭Dream Catchers
🐌Mini-beast Modelling
🍪Wood Cookies
Kingston Forest School 👏🏻
Four legged friends are very welcome too. 🦮🐩🐕🦺🐾🐕
Open 4-9 July
Lots of weekend tickets 🎟️ still available. Cheaper after 3pm.
Palace State Rooms
🤴🏻 Soon to be home to King Charles & Queen Camilla don't miss your chance to explore the magnificent State Rooms at Buckingham Palace open to visitors for just 10 weeks each summer.
Fab Family Mondays with arts & crafts in the garden pavilion.
Open 14 July to 24 Sept.
Fab Family Mondays with arts & crafts in the garden pavilion.
Open 14 July to 24 Sept.
RHS Botanical Art Show
🌿 Returning for the third year in a row this annual show featuring the most intricate floral art and photography returns to the Saatchi Gallery once again.
Who would you award a gold medal too ?
A perfect outing for any budding floral artist.
Open to 9 July.
Tickets from £5, U10's free
Who would you award a gold medal too ?
A perfect outing for any budding floral artist.
Open to 9 July.
Tickets from £5, U10's free
Great Exhibition Road Festival
🧪 Extract DNA from a strawberry; make a paper brain hat; build a robot - just a few of the MASSES of awesome events going on at this jam packed family fun festival. Make sure you don't miss it - full listings below!
17 & 18 June
Events running at Imperial College London, the V&A, Science Museum, Natural History Museum, Royal College of Music and many more!
17 & 18 June
Events running at Imperial College London, the V&A, Science Museum, Natural History Museum, Royal College of Music and many more!
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