20 awesome things to do in London with kids: October 2024

A Paddington Bear sculpture trail will be popping up in the capital this month, ahead of Paddington in Peru’s cinema release in November. Find the statues scattered across Paddington station and Westfield London (stay tuned for more information). Free.
There’s plenty on at V&A this month, including Design Baby: Sculpt and Play for 0-3s on the 2nd, Make it: Fashion for 5-10s on the 12th, Sensory Friendly: Design and Draw with Light for all ages on the 19th and Mini Play for Toddlers aged 1-3 at Young V&A on the 4th. Free/paid.
Mike Kelley: Ghost and Spirit will be at Tate Modern from the 3rd. Spanning Kelley’s entire career, the exhibition features his breakthrough ‘craft’ sculptures made from textile and plush toys through to his multi-media installations such as Day Is Done. Paid.
Frameless’ Multi-Sensory Tots sessions in partnership with My Little Coco return on Fridays from the 4th. Escape to an enchanted forest with your preschooler in this 20-minute class featuring live performers, with full access to the galleries after your class. Paid.
Barbican is screening loads of kid-friendly films this month as part of its Family Film Club – and Family Film Week, which runs from 26th-3rd November. Highlights include Robot Dreams, Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4 and The Exploits of Moominpapa. Paid.
Festival of the Girl is back at the Business Design Centre from 5th-6th. Aimed at 7-11s, the event will offer girls the opportunity to try everything from skateboarding to STEM activities and strength training, and chat about everything from periods to politics. Paid.
Croydon’s Harvest and Walnut Fair runs from 5th-6th. See the fair in miniature-toy form, courtesy of Pollock’s Toy Museum; meet the Vauxhall City Farm animals; make your own puppets; and marvel at Plucky the enormous chicken and Farrah the 5-metre-high fox. Free.
Head to Pitzhanger Manor on the 6th, 13th and 20th of October and create unique wearable architecture using sustainable and recycled materials. Then, on the 27th, showcase your masterpiece in a vibrant High Street parade through Ealing town centre. Free
Haegue Yang: Leap Year will be at Hayward Gallery from the 9th. Expect inventive, immersive and multisensory installations highlighting issues such as labour, migration and displacement and weaving connections between disparate histories and cultures. Paid.
Little Feet: Captivating Korea will be at the British Museum on the 11th. In this drop-in workshop, preschoolers are invited to dip their toes in a pretend pond, build a model tea house, create a colourful canvas, add their mark to the calligraphy wall and lots more. Free.
Lauren Halsey: Emajendat will be at Serpentine South from the 11th. The exhibition will transform the gallery into an immersive ‘Funk Garden’ that responds to the Kensington Gardens location and will feature a life-size version of Halsey’s signature vignettes. Free.
There’s theatre for all ages at Polka this month, including Luna Loves Library Day for 5-8s from 11th-20th, Soft or Spiky? for ages 6 to 18 months from the 19th (includes stay and play session) and family show Everything Has Changed for 6-12s from the 30th. Paid.
Bear Town role-play cafe opens in NW9 (close to Wembley) from the 13th. Aimed at 1-7s, the cafe will feature 11 immersive play areas, including a theatre, police station, vets, salon, fire station, doctors’ surgery, farm shop, food truck, garden, cottage and construction site. Paid.
The RA is hosting two family workshops this month. On the 16th, under-5s are invited to rip, stick, cut, arrange and assemble materials in Early Years Studio: Collage; then on the 27th children of all ages can construct familiar scenes in Family Studio: Cut-Out Worlds. Free.
The World of Tim Burton opens at the Design Museum from the 25th. Drawn from his personal archive, this exhibition of drawings, moving-image works, installations and set and costume design focuses on Burton’s recurrent themes and distinctive characters. Paid.
VOGUE: Inventing the Runway opens at Lightroom from the 25th. This new immersive exhibition will explore the history of the fashion runway show, from the intimate couture salons of the early 20^th century to the unforgettable pop-culture events of the present. Paid.
Big Fun Art Adventure’s farewell event runs from 26th-1st November.The 53 owls that form the Haringey trail will be coming together in one place for the first (and last) time before they go to auction, offering a chance to take photos and take part in the celebrations. Free.
Head to the Horniman from 28th-30th for Panto Dame Storytelling with Mama G, featuring a reading of her fabulous new book, Oh Yes I Am! Then, on the 30th, join the museum’s Sun Printing and Kite Flying workshop and create a kite to fly in the picturesque gardens. Paid.
Southbank Centre’s family events for London Literature Festival include The Elmer Adventure from 30th-3rd November; Alphabet Soup, an interactive installation for 5-11s, from 30th-1st November; and Arts in the Garden: Light & Colour on the 31st. Paid/free.
Other arty must-sees this month include Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture at Japan House (from the 2nd), André Butzer at Galerie Max Heltzer (from the 3rd) and Mire Lee’s Turbine Hall Commission for Tate Modern (from the 9th). All free.