Summer holiday fun for families in South Bank

Jump into summer with a jam-packed programme of events and attractions in South Bank these school holidays! From family-friendly shows and interactive activities to exploring attractions such as SEA LIFE London Aquarium, Garden Museum, the world-famous London Eye or the London Dungeon at County Hall, there's plenty to keep the kids busy.

Read our round-up of family-friendly activities in South Bank and make it a summer to remember.

Kid's Club at Curzon Sea Containers London

August and September, Curzon Sea Containers 

The boutique 56-seat Curzon Cinema at Sea Containers London has launched its all-new Kid’s Club, with a selection of family favourites screening every Saturday morning. The opening season is dedicated to Disney with a different Disney classic showing every Saturday morning at 10:30am throughout August and September. Cinema tickets for kids cost just £5 and there’s also a variety of kids' popcorns and snacks available to buy. Films on the programme include Bambi, Toy Story, Peter Pan and The Jungle Book. > Find out more

Making Magic: 100 Years of Disney

July and August, BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX 

The BFI Southbank marks Disney's centenary year with a major summer season of screenings, talks and singalongs. Dozens of iconic animated classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, WALL-E and more will all be coming back for special screenings. The season also includes some special 'Funday' sing-along screenings; look out for Encanto (Sun 16 July at 12:30pm) and The Lion King (Sun 13 August at 1pm).

Zoe’s Peculiar Journey Through Time

Friday 1 September – Sunday 3 September, Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank Centre  

Hurtle into a time-travelling adventure for ages six and over, featuring magical puppetry and exploring themes of friendship and the environment. Directed by Sue Buckmaster and featuring Theatre-Rites’ award-winning puppetry, this play sees Zoe solving riddles as she works to make her way home after ending up 100 years into the future. > Find out more

Shrek's Adventure! London

A fun immersive adventure for fairytale fans  

Shrek’s Adventure! London is one of London's biggest child-orientated immersive experiences. See, hear, touch and smell the action by exploring 12 fairytale-themed live shows, collecting the special ingredients you need in order to make it home safely from this fairytale world of the Far Far Away. You’ll even meet Shrek himself and have a chance to pose for a family picture.

Seedlings

Every Thu at 10:30am and Fri at 11am, At Archbishops Park (Thursdays) and Jubilee Gardens (Fridays) 

This free weekly drop-in eco art morning is run by St Mary’s Eco-Church, a regular pop-up initiative led by Lambeth Palace that encourages locals to reconnect with the natural world through a variety of events and activations. The Seedlings gathering is for under 5s and their parents / carers (including babies and toddlers), with songs and activities that follow the seasons. Join them on Thursdays at 10:30am by the playground in Archbishop's Park and Fridays at 11am at the playground behind the London Eye in Jubilee Gardens. Find out more here.

Jubilee Gardens Adventure Playground

The ideal place to let the kids run off some steam 

Take a pit stop at the Jubilee Gardens adventure playground at the foot of the London Eye. Refurbished in 2022 with large-scale new installations designed to let young imaginations run wild, there's also lots of sensory play and fun games that reference local London icons. The adventure playground caters for all children from toddlers to age 11 and also has accessible areas that allow children with disabilities to also join in the fun.  > Find Out More.

SEA LIFE London Aquarium

Wonders of the marine world at one of the UK's best aquariums 

Dive in and explore an underwater world of glittering scales, waddling feet and razor-sharp teeth at SEA LIFE London Aquarium. There's everything from a face-to-face encounter with sharks to meeting Gentoo Penguins in an ice adventure, making this a super exciting day out for any youngsters with an interest in marine life. During the summer holidays visitors have the chance to meet and interact with the aquarium's turtles (and their keepers) and learn more about these charming creatures.  > Find out more

Growing Curiosities: The Science of Gardens at Garden Museum

19 July – 14 September, Garden Museum

Inspired by zoologist and children’s author Nicola Davies, and featuring original artwork by illustrators Emily Sutton and Mark Hearld, this exhibition at the Garden Museum introduces budding biologists to DNA, biodiversity, composting and microbes. The hands-on interactive exhibition of children’s book illustrations is supported by a programme of events that will enchant and inspire children and adults alike this summer including drop-in activities for families such as bracelet making, oil pastels and collating, as well as ticketed crafting and cookery workshops for kids.

National Theatre family tours

Mon, Wed and Sat at 11am from 24 July until 2 September

These summer holidays take a special guided tour of the iconic National Theatre that has been designed especially for families (recommended for children aged 7 to 11). Peek into the Room of Weird and Wonderful Worlds, explore props of all shapes and sizes in the Cupboard of Tasty Treats, and try on a new outfit in the Stupendous Space of Delicious Dresses. The tour includes the chance to visit either the Olivier or Lyttelton theatre, the theatre workshops, wardrobe and props spaces and of course there are plenty of interactive opportunities for the kids.

Florence Nightingale Museum

A great museum experience for history-loving kids  

Visit the Florence Nightingale Museum to celebrate the life of this trailblazing woman. Discover all about her affluent childhood, how she fought against her parents’ wishes to become a nurse, her work during the Crimean War and how she campaigned for better healthcare for ordinary people. For kids there's various supplementary material to make your visit even more interactive including a Family Trail and STEM trail activity sheets and the opportunity to dress up as a nurse in the Family Corner. Look out for the free “Lady with the Lamp” 30-minute performance, every Saturday at 11:30am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm.

REPLAY: A Limitless Recycled Playground

8 July –  30 September, Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre  

Part installation, part adventure playground, REPLAY is a space built entirely out of waste materials, repurposed for fun by The Herd Theatre. It features a design that reignites imaginations, a score composed from recycled sounds and a crowdsourced play generator. Children and their grown-ups are invited to play side by side in this space full of things you can move, change, combine, wear and reimagine. Suitable for ages 0-11 years, note that both kids and their grown-ups need tickets. On Wednesday and Friday mornings there are Early Years sessions for the under 5s.  > Find out more.

Graffiti workshops on Leake Street

Leave your mark on the walls of London's most famous graffiti tunnel  

2023 Leake Street artist-in-residence Marc Craig (aka Max The Virus) leads these hands-on graffiti workshops at London's famous graffiti tunnel. Open to all ages from 8+, this is a fun and creative afternoon where you'll get to paint your own masterpiece on the walls of Leake Street, and you'll even go home with your own Graffiti Galaxy artwork. There’s no need to worry about protective gear as masks, gloves and overalls are all provided. Spaces on each workshop are limited to 30 and are available on a first come first served basis so booking is essential!

Escape Room adventures at The London Dungeon

Break out of prison and avoid the hangman's noose in this Guy Fawkes-themed escape room 

The exciting new Escape Room at The London Dungeon sees visitors locked in the Tower of London and left with just 60 minutes to escape the cell and avoid the hangman’s noose… It's the ultimate escape room adventure with fiendish clues and puzzles and some tricky physical elements. Taking things up another level, this is also the UK’s only escape room that includes a ride! The experience is recommended for players aged 12+.