Half term is finally here and London is putting on a proper show. Whether you’re after immersive theatre, animal adventures, chocolate making or circus spectacluar, we’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to. Here are our 20 favourite half-term events for families.
1
Bubble Explorers at the Science Museum
Join the Science Museum’s Explainers for Bubble Explorers – an interactive 30-minute performance designed especially for young children and their families. Watch bubbles drift, stretch and shimmer as little ones explore how they form, move and change through hands-on demonstrations, surprising experiments and plenty of chances to join in. A brilliant first science experience, and a great excuse to spend the rest of the day in The Wonderlab.
Where: Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD
When: daily, various times
Ticket price: £4.50 per child. Ages 2 and under free. Recommended for ages 7 and under. General museum entry is free.
Find out more here
2
London Zoo World Record Attempt
London Zoo is going for a Guinness World Record this half term – the most contributions to a single painting-by-numbers – 200 animals to celebrate ZSL’s 200th birthday. If you have three or four people visiting together you can now enjoy up to £35 off when booking online.
Where: London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RY
When: daily
Ticket price: From £75 for 3 people. Family ticket available to book for visits up to 31 May 2026.
Find out more here
3
Polka Theatre Half-Term Workshops
South West London’s brilliant Polka Theatre has created three bespoke half-term workshops for different ages. On Tuesday 26 May, Baby Beatbox! invites grown-ups and 0–4 year-olds to explore rhythm, sound and movement together. Wednesday 27 May brings Create an Epic Fable for ages 5–8, inspired by Tortoise and the Hare. And on Thursday 28 May, ages 8–12 can dive into A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Drama Masterclass, in collaboration with Shakespeare’s Globe.
Where: Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, London SW19 1SB
When: 27 May (ages 5–8), 28 May (ages 8–12)
Ticket price: From £13
Find out more here
4
Caribbean Connections at the London Transport Museum
The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden offers a dedicated half-term programme of storytelling, hands-on crafts, music, themed trails and cookery activities — all exploring Caribbean culture and its remarkable connections with London’s transport history. All activities are included in museum admission, making it one of the best-value cultural days out this half term.
Where: London Transport Museum, Covent Garden Piazza, London WC2E 7BB
When: 26–31 May
Ticket price: Included with museum admission. Under-18s free.
Find out more here
5
Giffords Circus: Waterfield at Chiswick House & Gardens
The beloved Giffords Circus pitches its tent in the grounds of Chiswick House for half-term with their brand-new show Waterfield — a living storybook celebrating the wildlife of rural England, from Ratty and Mole to Squirrel Nutkin, brought to life through death-defying circus acts, live music and comedy directed by Cal McCrystal. The nine-strong Ethiopian Addis Ababa Troupe, the Colombian Wheel of Death and Italian knife-throwing maestros make this a spectacular family afternoon that genuinely earns the journey west.
Where: Chiswick House & Gardens, Burlington Lane, London W4 2RP
When: 26–31 May (running 21 May–7 June), multiple performances daily
Ticket price: From £16 children, £26 adults
Find out more here
6
Family Chocolate Making at Chelsea Physic Garden
London’s oldest botanical garden — a walled secret tucked beside the Thames in Chelsea — runs its popular family Chocolate Making workshop on 26, 28 and 29 May. Children learn how cacao beans grow, how they’re transformed into chocolate, and then design and make their own blend to take home. A wonderfully hands-on and quietly magical half-term treat in one of the city’s most beautiful hidden spaces.
Where: Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HS (entrance on Swan Walk)
When: 26 May (1.30–3.30pm), 28 May (10am–12pm & 1.30–3.30pm), 29 May (11am–1pm). Book early — past sessions have sold out.
Ticket price: Adults £20–£25, children £20–£25
Find out more here
7
Future Soane at Sir John Soane’s Museum
A rare and rather special offering: Sir John Soane’s Museum holds a dedicated four-hour creative session for children aged 8–12, combining a short guided tour of this extraordinary house-museum with model-making, construction, collage, drawing and painting inspired by Soane’s collection. One of London’s most atmospheric and undervisited spaces — places are strictly limited.
Where: Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP
When: 27 May
Ticket price: Check website for prices and booking
Find out more here
8
Luminarium: LUXART by Architects of Air
Step into a breathtaking world of light and colour as Power Station Park is transformed by a monumental inflatable luminarium. Explore interconnected domes filled with shifting hues and immersive design, designed to spark wonder, reflection and creativity. Tickets are £10 per person and include access to a plethora of fun events inside.
Where: Battersea Power Station
When: 23 to 31 May
Find out more here
9
Design and Worldbuilding Family Day at the Design Museum
The Design Museum’s half-term family day takes inspiration from its current Wes Anderson exhibition, with a series of short creative workshops for children aged 5–11 and their families exploring design, set-building and world-creation. An imaginative afternoon in one of London’s most beautiful museum buildings — and a very good excuse to visit the Anderson show while you’re there.
Where: Design Museum, 224–238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG
When: 29 May
Ticket price: Check website — activities may be free with museum admission
Find out more here
10
Virtual Orchestra: William Tell at the Southbank Centre
The Philharmonia Orchestra’s Virtual Orchestra: William Tell puts families at the very heart of the orchestra as it performs Rossini’s exhilarating overture — through immersive VR headsets in the Clore Ballroom at the Royal Festival Hall. An extraordinary introduction to live classical music, and a genuinely memorable half-term experience. Book well in advance.
Where: The Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London SE1 8XX
When: 27 & 28 May
Ticket price: Check website for prices and age suitability
Find out more here
11
Natural History Museum Family Festival
Half-term family tours, behind-the-scenes zoology collections, giant squid encounters, explorer backpacks and family trails fill the Natural History Museum throughout the week. Book your free timed entry slot in advance and allow a full day — Hintze Hall alone, with its suspended 25-metre blue whale skeleton, earns the journey.
Where: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD
When: daily
Ticket price: General entry free. Behind-the-scenes tours from £28 adult / £23 child.
Find out more here
12
A-Line Florist Shop by Anna Bruder at Battersea Power Station
A charming pop-up flower shop where children and parents can pick a hand-drawn flower from artist Anna Bruder’s extraordinary collection, personalise it with colour and creativity, and take home a unique keepsake. Simple, beautiful and completely original — one of our favourite low-key half-term things on the list, and particularly lovely for smaller children.
Where: Battersea Power Station, Electric Boulevard, London SW11 8BJ
When: 26–31 May (running 23–31 May)
Ticket price: Free
Find out more here
13
Battersea Park Children’s Zoo 75th Birthday & Half-Price Kids’ Tickets
Battersea Park’s much-loved children’s zoo celebrates its 75th anniversary this half term – it first opened on 21 May 1951. Kids’ tickets are half-price all week, with bonus keeper talks running daily and a birthday party event on Friday 29 May when the zoo stays open late. Combine with a picnic and a pedalo on the boating lake for a very easy, very lovely half-term afternoon.
Where: Battersea Park Children’s Zoo, Chelsea Bridge Road, London SW11 4NJ
When: 26–31 May
Ticket price: Kids’ tickets half-price throughout half term
Find out more here
14
Mark Thompson’s Spectacular Science Show
British astronomer and broadcaster Mark Thompson brings a science show like no other — exploding elephant’s toothpaste, vortex-generating dustbins and howling jelly babies, designed to thrill children and adults in equal measure. Playing at Leicester Square Theatre on Saturday 30 May, with an earlier date at The Hammond Theatre in Hampton on Tuesday 27 May — a brilliant South West London option.
Where: Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BX
When: 30 May
Ticket price: From £18
Find out more here
15
The Jolly Postman at the Postal Museum
Celebrating 40 years of the much-loved Janet and Allan Ahlberg children’s book, this immersive exhibition at the Postal Museum invites families to step straight inside the pages of The Jolly Postman. Running throughout half-term and beyond, it’s one of the most charming family exhibitions in London right now — particularly magical for children who grew up with the book, and for the parents who remember it first time around.
Where: The Postal Museum, 15–20 Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DA
When: Running until January 2027 — open throughout half term
Ticket price: Included in museum admission. Adults £22, children £11, under 3s free.
Find out more here
16
Remarkable Reactions Family Science Day at the Royal Institution
All budding scientists and curious families are invited to the Royal Institution’s half-term family fun day, themed Remarkable Reactions. The Ri’s family days are among the most well-run and genuinely exciting science experiences in London – in one of the capital’s most magnificent buildings. Book ahead: these days sell out.
There is also a fantastic choice of daily activities for kids at the RI all week.
Where: The Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS
When: 30 May
Ticket price: Check website for prices
Find out more here
17
Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden, West Sussex
Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex countryside offers dedicated half-term family trails, the Millennium Seed Bank and 500 acres of ancient woodland to explore — utterly beautiful and one of the South East’s greatest family days out. Less than an hour from London, it’s the perfect antidote to screens and city pavements, and an easy argument for heading south this half term.
Where: Wakehurst, Selsfield Road, Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6TN
When: Daily throughout half term
Ticket price: Adults from £17, children from £8. Kew members free.
Find out more here
18
Ramses and The Pharaoh’s Gold Tweens & Teens Tour
This half term Ramses & the Pharaohs Gold is hosting a brand new set of tours designed to appeal to 21st century teens by bringing to life the relatable side of Ancient Egypt. The tours have been developed by Egyptologist Dr. Edward Scrivens and dive into topics like ancient curses, royal cats, and the real reason Egyptians loved a black eyeliner.The teen and tween friendly tours taking place today and tomorrow are hosted by engaging actors with an immersive painting class led by an artist.
There’s also 50% off tickets for under 16s during half term.
When: 26 & 27 May
Where: NEON at Battersea Power Station, Electric Boulevard, London SW11 8BJ
Ticket price: Adults from £24.90, discounted tickets available for children and seniors
Find out more here
19
Gozzle the Gosling Trail at WWT London Wetland Centre
Follow Gozzle the gosling — the star of Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie’s new picture book — on an interactive trail at the London Wetland Centre in Barnes. Strike animal poses, hop across stepping stones, test your sense of smell in the reeds and search for 15 mini Gozzles hidden along the route. The Gozzle Vet Check experience lets children handle, weigh, measure and X-ray a toy goose just like a real Slimbridge vet. A genuinely lovely, unhurried day out on the water’s edge — one of London’s best-kept secrets for families with young children.
Where: WWT London Wetland Centre, Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes, London SW13 9WT
When: throughout half term
Ticket price: Included in admission. Adults £17.95, children £11.65, under 3s free.
Find out more here
20
Make a Hardtack Biscuit at the National Army Museum
Join the National Army Museum this May half-term and get stuck into making your own hardtack biscuit — the soldiers’ staple that has been filling bellies for hundreds of years — to take home and bake. A free, drop-in activity for ages 5+ running across two days, alongside a fun interactive family tour through the history of what soldiers have eaten throughout the ages. Chelsea’s most underrated free family attraction, right next door to the Royal Hospital.
Where: National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HT
When: 26 & 27 May, drop-in (no booking required)
Ticket price: Free
Find out more here
All events verified as of 26 May 2026. Always check dates, times and prices directly with venues before visiting.
