London Living’s Favourite Free Family Activities
School’s out and London is overflowing with fun family activities, but with so much to do, quite a hole can be burned in our pockets. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of amazing FREE activities and events for families this summer. From world-class museums to amazing playgrounds and city farms, here are some of the best attractions in London to enjoy free of charge.
This Bright Land
Somerset House has undergone a mesmerising transformation this summer, turning its courtyard into a wonderland open to all. Titled ‘This Bright Land’, the space has been created by Somerset House Studio artists Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl, and will feature the likes of day-and-night performances, music, dance, talks, workshops and a 35m observation wheel and open-air Vogue Balls.
This Bright Land offers a rolling programme of free weekday activities throughout August.
From a Story Trail inviting you on a site-wide treasure hunt, alongside magical characters, to pop-up activities inspiring creativity like ‘scent maps’ in the Wonder Garden.
Opening Hours: 01 - 29 August 2022, 12.00-22.30 daily
Address: Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is an institution for generations of Londoners. It represents a source of knowledge and inspiration of the natural world. While the roaring t-rex is always the biggest hit, we also recommend the mammals’ section, and the gemstone exhibition. This summer Dippy, the nation's favourite dinosaur, is back too! There’s a great garden and a picnic area available for families to eat their own lunch in as well.
Opening Hours: Open Monday-Sunday, 10.00-17.50 (last entry 17.30)
Address: The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD
The Science Museum
From an all-new exhibition to a stunning new IMAX documentary, along with the usual favourites including Wonderlab, Pattern Pod, Exploring Space there’s no shortage of fun to be had at the Science Museum.
The free part of the Science Museum takes you through some of humankind’s outstanding technical achievements, with real-life copies of the Wright brothers’ plane to the Apollo program’s Eagle lander. There’s a big picnic area as well as interactive galleries for toddlers on the lower ground floor.
Opening Hours: Open Daily, 10.00–18.00 (last entry 17.15), galleries start to close 30 minutes before the museum closes.
Address: The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD
Craft School: a summer of playful making
Craft School: A summer of playful making, is a chance for children and young people to get making and be inspired by the Crafts Council Collection and brilliant creations made by school students from across the UK.
This summer the Crafts Council Gallery will become a hive of activity where visitors can create, play, and experiment with clays, textiles, paper, and card and meet others who also love craft.
The Crafts Council Gallery is free to attend. Tickets are available in timed entry slots and we recommend you book in advance.
Opening Hours: 9 July – 3 September, 11:00am - 5:00pm
Address: Craft Council, 44A Pentonville Rd, London, N1 9BY
This Is Me: pop-up photo studio
Your children can take part in a special pop up photography event this summer. Leading East London photographer Rehan Jamil will be with the Young V&A museum team to capture portraits as a memento of the diverse ways children and young people are creative.
Opening Hours: Monday 8 August - Tuesday 9 August, 1pm - 4pm
Address: Oxford House Cafe, Derbyshire St, London, E2 6HG
Mini Golf at Canary Wharf
Artists Craig Redman & Karl Maier, famous for their fun, bold and colourful designs, have transformed Montgomery Square into an exciting new minigolf course. The course includes joyful novelty features with a design oriented approach making it a truly one-of-a-kind course!
Minigolf is the perfect place to enjoy a day out with the kids or enter into some healthy competition with colleagues. Make sure to bring your minigolf A-game and your cameras, as our brand-new course is picture perfect!
It's free, and no need to book, just head down there and speak to the event stewards who will provide you with clubs and balls to play. This is the perfect activity for all ages and abilities to enjoy.
Opening Hours: Daily, 12pm - 6pm
Address: Montgomery Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14
The Secret Garden
This summer The Garden Museum’s summer exhibition will celebrate Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved classic children’s book The Secret Garden. You can explore how different artists’ illustrations from the past hundred years bring the story to life, embrace the healing power of gardens, and discover the true story of Burnett’s real ‘secret garden’ which inspired the book. This immersive exhibition is suitable for all ages, with interactive games and trails for children to learn about the plants, animals and stories found in The Secret Garden and to inspire young visitors to try their hand at gardening!
Opening Hours: 6 July - 4 September, Monday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Address: Garden Museum, 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7LB
Kusama Obliteration Room
Give your children the chance to do what would usually get them in a lot of trouble at Tate Modern, with an interactive exhibition that involves white walls and a lot of stickers.
Visitors of all ages are invited to help transform a blank white apartment into a sea of colourful dots at this free programme of playful art-inspired activities for families. As well as having a chance to cover every available surface of the installation with bright circular stickers, families will also be able to create their own work of art to add to an ever-growing garden in the Turbine Hall. Yayoi Kusama’s The Obliteration Room is part of UNIQLO Tate Play.
Opening Hours: 23 July - 29 August
Address: Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG
The Dinosaurs In Crystal Palace
For a dinosaur loving child, Crystal Palace Playground is a great destination. You can follow the dinosaur trail in the main park where the old dinosaur sculptures from the 1850s are fascinating and then head to the historical dinosaurs in the playground, which children can climb on top of and let their imagination run riot.
Opening Hours: Opens - Monday – Friday: 7.30am, weekends and Bank Holidays: 9.00am
Address: Crystal Palace Park, Thicket Road, London, SE19 2GA
The Diana Memorial Playground
It’s impossible to write about free activities for little Londoners without mentioning The Diana Memorial Playground. Inspired by Peter Pan, one of Princess Diana’s favourite children’s stories, the Diana Playground is a great free place to take your children on a warm summer's day. The centrepiece of the playground in Kensington Gardens is a pirate ship surrounded by a sand and water play area. It’s a dream come true for children who get to climb and explore the abandoned ship but be warned, it is also the busiest part of the park where most families end up.
Opening Hours: Open Daily, 10am–7:45pm
Address: Kensington Gardens, Broad Walk, London W2 4RU,
Mini Golf by Yinka Ilori
There is another free mini golf pop up in London, and this one is on the Greenwich Peninsula, in collaboration with artist Yinka Ilori. The technicolour 6-hole course is open from 12-6pm every weekend between 18 June – 18 September for up to groups of 6. Families can enjoy the brightly coloured course as well as river views, The minimum age is 4 years old and children under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult, it runs every weekend throughout the summer until September
Opening Hours: 18 June - 31 August, 12pm - 6pm
Address: Greenwich Peninsula
Vauxhall City Farm
There are a few inner city farms to be found in London but one of our favourites is Vauxhall City Farm. It is one of the oldest city farms in London and its central location, close to Vauxhall Bridge and station, is both surprising and convenient. They house a wide range of friendly animals including rare breed sheep and chickens as well as cheeky goats who jump on the fences ready for a few handfuls of feed. There are also super friendly alpacas and spotty pigs, cuddly ferrets, guinea pigs. The farm is free to enter but completely reliant on charitable donations so a few pennies will always be appreciated.
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:30am – 16:00pm
Address: Vauxhall City Farm, 165 Tyers Street, London, SE11 5HS
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum is great for kids as well as adults thanks to the AHOY! children's gallery. The free activities are suitable for kids up to age 7, who can engage with a range of play scenes and activities, such as stoking the boiler of a steamship, playing with others in an interactive boatyard, and even working in a fish shop. There’s even a bit of Polar exploring and pirating thrown in with the opportunity to climb aboard an eight-metre-high version of the HMS Rawalpindi's mast.
Opening Hours: Open daily, 10am-5pm
Address: National Maritime Museum, Romney Rd, London SE10 9NF
The Dazzle Design Studio At Imperial War Museum
This free family experience at Imperial War Museum allows your children to discover the art and illusion behind Dazzle camouflage with IWM’s Dazzle Design Studio at IWM London.
Inspired by the work of artist Norman Wilkinson, children can explore how this experimental camouflage involving bold designs and shapes, made it possible to hide something the size of a battleship. Families can also create their own designs and find out how optical illusions and tricks of the eye can be used to confuse and disorientate. You can even test your creations through a telescope on the high seas without having to leave dry land.
Opening Hours: 26 July to 29 August 2022, 10am - 4pm
Address: Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Rd, London SE1 6HZ
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