20 awesome things to do with your little Londoners in January 2022

Titanic: The Exhibition is now on in Canada Water. Suitable for all ages, this immersive experience boasts more than 200 original objects that have never before been seen in the UK, as well as the chance to explore life-sized, detailed recreations of the ship’s interior,
Wheely Tots Parent & Toddler Sessions are back in Lordship Rec and Finsbury Park on Fridays and Saturdays, respectively, throughout the month. Described as “an outdoor stay and play with balance bikes”, the sessions include chalk, cycling, singing and nature walks.
The Cutty Sark will play host to a Family Fun Weekend: Burns Night on the 8th and 9th. Meet characters from Cutty Sark’s past, sing along with traditional sea shanties, create your own shadow puppets, and find out about the ship’s Scottish heritage and how it got its name.
Head to Pickled Pepper Books Enfield for a Gruffalo Storytelling Party on the 8th and a Winnie-the-Pooh Day to celebrate A.A.Milne’s birthday on the 15th. Expect stories, games, dancing and crafts at both events, with the cost of the ticket redeemable against a book.
LTM will host free Down at the Depot events on Mondays throughout the month, starting on the 10th. These singing and story sessions for 0-5s are inspired by local transport stories and the museum’s collection, and take place at local partner sites and the Museum Depot.
The Red Balloon by String Theatre arrives at The Puppet Barge Theatre from the 15th. Performed using long-string marionettes to specially commissioned music, it tells the story of a small boy’s friendship with a balloon and explores the poignancy of a child’s imagination.
Camden Arts Centre will host Family Takeover: Building as Body with Amy Leung on alternate Sundays from the 16th. On the 16th, explore the centre’s ‘skin’ through mark-making, then, on the 30th, explore how we can transport materials along a network.
The British Museum’s popular Little Feet drop-ins for under-5s continue with Animal Antics on the 17th. Draw inspiration from the Museum’s Peru: a Journey in Time exhibition as you encounter llamas, whales and wild cats, and make a clay animal to take home.
Southwark-based dads and male carers with children aged 6-10 are invited to take part in Spin It Round, a pair of free DJ workshops (you must attend both sessions) taking place at Peckham Levels on the 18th and 25th. Learn the basics of DJing together and have lots of fun.
Winter Lights returns to Canary Wharf from the 19th-29th, featuring 25 installations by some of the world’s most innovative light artists. Highlights will include a family of mammoths, a greenhouse brought to life through projections and 12 illuminated swans on the water.
William Morris Gallery will host two workshops this month. Under-5s are invited to create woven wall hangings in Creative Kids: Weave Some Magic! on the 20th; then on the 22nd the whole family can make their own wood-block stamps at the Young Poland Family Day.
Bring Your Own Baby Comedy comes to Woolwich Works on the 21st and artsdepot on the 27th. These baby-friendly events include soft flooring, buggy parking, baby changing, a fully stocked bar and adult comedy from two to three acts.
The Lyric has two great shows coming up this month. On the 22nd, ages 3+ can check out the brilliant (we’ve seen it) The Elves & The Shoemaker, then on the 29th-30th ages 7+ are invited to hear the extraordinary story of Josephine Baker: performer, spy and civil rights activist.
Under 5s Story Time: The London Bus comes to Caledonian Park on the 24th. Explore the history of the iconic London Bus, from horse-drawn carriages to the famous red double decker, and participate in an immersive storytelling experience.
The Story Den is back at the Sir John Soane Museum on the 25th. Using the den-making kit, children will become little-architects, meeting a woodland character and helping to build a home for them. Expect songs, magical lights and lots of sensory objects to play with.
Butterflies comes to Half Moon Theatre on the 28th-29th. Created in response to young children’s experience of anxiety, Butterflies is an uplifting tale of friendship, courage and facing your fears for 3-8s, told using innovative staging and an original musical score.
Head to the National Maritime Museum for Lunar New Year 2022 on the 29th. This free family day will feature a variety of performances, workshops and talks, with highlights including Qigong and Tai Chi, fan making, and traditional performances on the Great Map.
The Mosaic Rooms is running Shapes of Dheisheh, a Family Fun event for ages 4+ on the 29th. Find shapes in the images of Dheisheh throughout the Stateless Heritage exhibition, then use paper and 3D materials to make sculptures before listening to an interactive story.
Ready, Steady, GO! is on at Polka from the 29th. When Sofia discovers a mountain bike in the shed at the bottom of her garden, she doesn’t realise the adventures that await her. Join Sofia and her Mum as they travel across mountains and lakes in a race like no other. For 2-5s.
Dulwich Picture Gallery is hosting its No Rules! Family Festival on the 30th. Take part in marbling, paper-pulping, fabric-art and projection workshops inspired by the Helen Frankenthaler exhibition then create colourful costumes and parade around the gallery.