20 awesome things to do with your little Londoners in September 2019

This month’s theatre picks include Anasi the Spider (3+) at Unicorn, The Bed (0-3) and The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat (3-8) at Little Angel, and Kaleidoscope (6-18 months) and Rolling Down the Road (3+) at Half Moon.
Head to the Totally Thames festival all month for river-themed fun, with highlights including the Ship of Tolerance installation at the Royal Docks (from the 4th) and The Barking Stink scented exhibition at Valence House, plus walks and boat trips.
Wellcome Collection’s Being Human gallery opens on the 5th. Exploring what it is to be human in the 21st century, this permanent exhibition will feature 50 artworks themed around genetics, minds & bodies, infection, and environmental breakdown.
Finsbury Park’s Arts Building is collaborating with Skip Gallery from the 5th-15th to present Look at This, featuring seven skips all transformed into skip-inspired artworks. Featured artists will include David Shrigley, Sarah Maple and Gavin Turk.
Relive the 1950s courtesy of LTM with Vintage Suburbia on the Metropolitan Line on the 7th-8th. Travel through lush suburbia to Amersham where you can mingle with costumed characters and browse a pop-up museum shop.
RA is running a Family Studio: Put it in Print workshop on the 8th. Suitable for all ages, it will draw inspiration from the graphic prints in the Félix Vallotton: Painter of Disquiet exhibition and involve experimentation with printmaking techniques.
Also on the 8th, Mayhew Animal Home is hosting its annual Open Day. Visit the cattery and meet residents awaiting homes, tour the vet’s clinic, enjoy a veggie BBQ, live music and games, and browse the stalls for treats for your furry friends.
Colourscape is back from the 14th to the 22nd, and this time it’s taking up residence on Clapham Common. Enjoy concerts inside the colour maze on all four weekend days, or simply explore the tunnels for a reduced entry fee during the week.
Also from the 14th to the 22nd, LDF is back with a seemingly endless list of things to see. Picks include Camille Walala’s Walala Lounge in Mayfair, Life Labyrinth’s Patternity in Westminster and Matthew McCormick’s Avalanche at the V&A.
Head to Chickenshed on Tuesdays from the 17th for Parent and Pre-Schooler Yoga. The classes will encourage kids aged 2 to pre-school to explore their imaginations while learning yoga, as well as teaching them how to regulate their own emotions.
The Corner of my Kids’ Room exhibition will be popping up at The Old Bank Vault from the 18th-22nd. This immersive experience is designed to showcase inspiring new designs from the world of kids’ interiors, with all items available to buy.
Paint Misbehavin‘s art-focused messy-play sessions launch at Coram’s Fields on the 19th. Led by an art teacher and designed for ages 6 months-5, these free-play classes will feature a different assortment of activities and materials each week.
Tim Walker: Wonderful Things opens at the V&A on the 21st. Go on an immersive journey into the British fashion photographer’s fantastical imagined worlds and discover pictures, films, photographic sets and special installations.
Also on the 21st, the RA will unveil what it’s calling British sculptor Antony Gormley‘s “most ambitious exhibition in more than 10 years”. The retrospective will feature a series of experiential installations, including new pieces made for the RA.
The Lovely Bug Ball is happening at the Underbelly Festival from the 21st-22nd. Recommended for ages 4+, this magical non-verbal show will feature making, dancing and puppets all set to an original soundtrack by composer Tom Ashbourne.
Museum of London will relocate to Smithfield Central Market in 2024 and you’re invited to see the new site during Open House London on the 21st-22nd. Activities, tours and a chance to see the latest plans for the new museum will also be on offer.
Other child-friendly Open House highlights include Half Moon Theatre, St Leonard’s Church in Shoreditch, Tooting Bec Lido, Keats’ House, Museum of London and MoL Docklands, which will all be hosting family activities from the 21st-22nd.
National Army Museum is running an Open House: Make Do and Mend workshop on the 22nd, with children of all ages invited to take inspiration from the idea of ‘make do and mend’ and build an architectural structure using recycled materials.
Mark Leckey: O’ Magic Power of Bleakness opens at Tate Britain on the 24th. Described as “an atmospheric, theatrical experience”, the exhibition will transform Tate’s galleries with a life-size replica of a motorway bridge on the M53.
To celebrate its 90th Little Feet session British Museum is hosting a special 1990s-themed edition on the 27th. Designed for 0-5s, this free-play drop-in session will “look back to the decade of neon and night life”, with plenty of sensory activities.