20 awesome things to do with your little Londoners in December 2020

Head to the Little Angel website for endless online fun this month, including Zoom performances of Wow! Said the Owl from the 2nd, free online showings of Mother Christmas and The Christmas Nisse from the 1st and Puss-Cat’s First Christmas from the 16th, as well as lots of exciting home-based activities.
The Magic of Christmas is coming to ZSL London Zoo from the 2nd. Help Santa do some research on what the animals would like for Christmas with the fun family trail, grab a festive sweet treat from the takeaway cafe, and keep your eyes peeled for the man himself, as he might just be making an appearance.
Connected by Light is coming to Canary Wharf from the 2nd. This specially curated light trail will comprise nine new illuminated artworks across a variety of mediums and will include shadow poetry, three-dimensional stars, light-up blinds, a fluorescent installation, colourful orbs and a neon tree.
CocoRio has launched a park-based creative movement class for 0-4s. Catch the Beat in Hyde Park is a high-energy session led by a professional dancer and combining dance, drama and music in an idyllic outdoor setting. Sessions run on Wednesday mornings, with December’s taking place on the 2nd, 9th and 16th.
Selfridges is back from the 2nd with its first-ever open-air Christmas Market on the Mews – on Edward Mews behind the store. Expect street food from Street Feast, mulled wine, hot buttered rum, hot apple cider, Christmas trees, fairground rides and even a ‘tunnel of light’.
A free All Will Be Well: Children’s Rainbows from Lockdown display opens at the V&A from the 3rd. Step inside a large-scale installation of joyful rainbow artworks paired with quotes from their young creators – and check out the museum’s Bags: Inside Out exhibition (opening on the 12th) while you’re there.
Immerse yourself in the world of Oliver Jeffers from the 3rd as the author/illustrator’s Wonder of Stories experience arrives at Harrods. Follow a festive trail across land, sea and stars, completing tasks along the way, before arriving at a whimsical destination where you’ll hear from the author himself.
The London Transport Museum gets Christmassy from the 3rd, with festivities including a winter roundel trail, a vintage Poster Parade, a winter forest filled with twinkling lights (and displaying a short illustrated video story), and a chance to meet Santa himself on weekends and during the school holidays.
Dear Santa will be showing at Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios from the 3rd-24th. Aimed at children aged 18 months to 6 years, this festive family show offers the perfect introduction to theatre for under-5s, having been based on the book by Rod Campbell of Dear Zoo fame. A gift from Santa is included in the ticket price.
Tiny Tigers Play Cafe is offering festive play sessions from the 3rd, with 0-6s invited to watch a performance of Elfvis’s Christmas Adventure (with a separate, dedicated, sensory-focused session for babies) or to take part in a Santa storytelling session that includes Christmas crafting.
Wigmore Hall’s Chamber Tots sessions for 1-5s have gone virtual and will be broadcast live on the 3rd, 12th and 15th, with themes including Animal Adventures, In the Forest and Winter, respectively. Go on a musical adventure and discover exciting instruments, songs and stories as you explore, play and move.
The Old Bank Vault is to present a fully immersive Accidentally Wes Anderson experience from the 4th-23rd. Described as a “visual adventure”, this 20-day popup will showcase stunning photographs of real-life places reminiscent of Wes Anderson sets alongside the fascinating human stories behind each facade.
From the 5th The Puppet Barge will play host to The Crow’s Tale, the story of a crow with colourful rainbow feathers that flies to the sun to save the world from an endless winter. Aimed at age 4+, this snowy tale is retold using string marionettes, with a soundtrack of achingly beautiful original music.
Head to Knebworth House on the 6th, 13th, 20th or 23rd and enjoy Lunch with Santa in Knebworth Barns. Tickets include Christmas dinner – including a separate children’s menu – and a visit from Santa, with a gift for every child. Round off your trip with a visit to the adventure playground and dinosaur trail.
The Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature exhibition reopens at the Natural History Museum from the 9th. Discover where the real and wizarding worlds intertwine, and how the wonders of the natural world have inspired myths, legends and magical creatures for generations.  
Barbican will present Akin’s We Cover the Universe via Zoom from the 10th to the 20th. Designed for 0-5s and their families, this interactive, sensory show will mix poetry, drawing and gentle play, with two friendly performers guiding the audience through simple movement and inventive art-making activities.
Half Moon and Tangled Feet will be presenting a recorded live performance of Butterflies on the 12th. Designed for 3-8s and watched more than 2,000 times over lockdown, Butterflies follows the adventures of three friends as they embark on an exciting adventure to chase their butterflies away.
Rich Mix will host two family Zoom sessions this month. The first, Storyplay (2-5s) on the 13th will use puppetry, craft and stories to encourage families to bond; while Everyone a Maker – Light Up! (3-12s) on the 20th will guide families through the process of making a shadow-puppet show.
Pop down to artsdepot from the 19th-31st for Breaking the Ice, a playful show inspired by the true story of an unlikely friendship between a husky and a wild polar bear. Designed for 2-7s, this non-verbal show combines physical theatre, puppetry, interactive projection, animation and traditional Sami music.
Head to Polka’s website from the 19th-27th for their free, 15-minute-long retelling of family favourite A Christmas Carol. This visually imaginative and funny twist on the Christmas classic is set to an original folk-style score and presented by the Storyteller and his Cardboard Cabinet of Curiosities.