20 awesome things to do with kids in London: June 2023

Southbank Centre is the place to be this June, with performances of Yellow on the 1st-2nd and Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed at the Orchestra on the 3rd, Jeppe Hein’s Appearing Rooms from the 7th, and the brilliant Murugiah’s Compassion artwork from the 8th. Paid/free.
London Design Biennale is at Somerset House from the 1st-25th. This interactive musical and kinetic exhibition of design innovation invites attendees to bake bread, witness an AI robot designing, weave a tapestry, get inside a space pod, visit a virtual garden and more. Paid.
There’s loads of family-friendly stuff going on for London Festival of Architecture all this month, including an Urban Playground installation, planting workshops, theatre performances, collaborative LEGO building and lots more. Free.
Pitzhanger has two brilliant-sounding events on this half term. Join Hazel Gomez Sen for Family Yoga on the 2nd, then head to Open Sunday for London Festival of Architecture on the 4th, featuring a family tour with storytelling and an art workshop with Amy Leung. Paid.
Museum of the Home is running a Room for All: Pride Family Day on the 2nd. Expect a fun-filled family day with arts, crafts and storytelling that explore the themes of diversity, acceptance and uniqueness at the heart of Pride. Free.
William Morris Gallery is running two of its Creative Kids sessions inspired by its brilliant Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender exhibition this month. Bring old clothing to life in Elevate the Everyday on the 3rd, or make a cape in Fabulous Fashion on the 15th. Free.
Serpentine Pavilion 2023: À table by Lina Ghotmeh opens from the 9th. Meanwhile, inside Serpentine South, Tomas Saraceno’s living, collaborative and multi-species exhibition looks at how different life forms and technologies are connected in the climate emergency. Free.
There’s loads on at the British Library this month, including an Animal Tales storytelling workshop for 0-5s on the 9th, a Windrush 75 storytelling workshop on the 23rd, and a Judith Kerr-themed workshop – including a Monster Tea Party – on the 25th. Free.
SuperMassive’s Interactive and Immersive Light and Sound Exhibition will be running at the Cable Depot in Woolwich from the 9th-10th. This family-friendly immersive event will give attendees the chance to alter the environment through sound, light and structure. Free.
Uniqlo Tate Play: Sketch Make Studio runs on Wednesdays and weekends from the 10th, and will focus on fun and unusual ways to draw, including drawing with limited time, from memory, with your eyes closed or even with your foot. Free.
London Open Gardens takes place on the 10th-11th, when many usually private gardens will open their gates to the public. Gardens featuring children’s playgrounds include Belgrave, Cleveland, Portman and Pembroke Squares, and Crescent and Queen’s Gate Gardens. Paid.
British Museum is hosting two of its Little Feet sessions for under-5s this month, including an Exhibition Explorer session inside the Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece exhibition on the 13th, and Creative China, inspired by the China’s Hidden Century exhibit on the 29th. Free.
The RA’s Summer Exhibition is back from the 13th, coordinated by David Remfry and with the theme Only Connect, taken from the famous quote in Howards End by E.M. Forster. The gallery will also be running a Family Studio: Creative Protest event on the 25th. Paid/free.
Luke Jerram’s Gaia will be popping up at Teddington’s Landmark Arts Centre from the 16th, as part of Richmond’s new Arts & Ideas Festival. There will also be a family yoga session underneath the artwork on the 18th, as well as under-5s sessions on the 21st and 27th. Free.
The Great Exhibition Road Festival 2023 runs from the 17th-18th, with family highlights including an inflatable bungee run, a collaborative mural, live demos and performances, large-scale art making, and a whole host of exciting science workshops. Free.
Dear Earth: Art and Hope in a Time of Crisis opens at the Hayward Gallery from the 21st. This pioneering group show of artistic responses to the climate emergency explores themes of care, hope, interdependence, emotional and spiritual connection, and activism. Paid.
The National Portrait Gallery reopens on the 22nd following a three-year renovation. Its First Look Festival, which runs until the 2nd of July, will encourage families to discover the gallery’s new spaces and faces through trails, storytelling sessions and family tours. Free.
V&A’s DIVA exhibition opens from the 24th. The exhibition will celebrate the power and creativity of iconic performers, exploring and redefining the role of ‘diva’ and how this has been subverted or embraced over time across opera, stage, popular music, and film. Paid.
Mayfair Art Weekend takes place from the 29th until the 1st of July, promising a brilliant schedule of free activities including the ever popular Mayfair Sculpture Trail and family events at several Mayfair galleries. Keep an eye on the website for more details. Free.
Sculpture in the City returns to the Square Mile for its 13th edition at the end of the month – date TBC. No details have been released yet, but last year’s trail included works by Sarah Lucas, Ugo Rondinone and Eva Rothschild. Keep an eye on the website for more details. Free.