20+ awesome things to do in London with kids during May half term 2026

This half term, visit artist Anna Bruder’s line-drawn flower shop, get lost among monumental Henry Moores at Kew, meet Cleopatra and the Vikings inside epic immersive experiences, and bury your feet in the sand as east London’s favourite urban beach makes a welcome return.

Updated from previous May roundup on 21/05/26 to focus on the half-term break

Museum of Illusions opens on Tottenham Court Road from the 8th. Defy gravity, walk into a kaleidoscope, climb the facade of a building without leaving the ground, witness still images come to life – and learn how all of that is possible – across more than 60 interactive exhibits and installations. Paid.
Henry Moore: Monumental Nature will be at Kew from 9th May to 31st January. Explore the gardens and interact with 30 monumental sculptures spanning Moore’s nearly 70-year career and demonstrating the varying shape and scale of his artworks. Included with paid admission.
Bold Tendencies’ 20th Anniversary Season opens from the 15th. Taking its cues from the theme Euphoria, this rooftop art exhibition and events programme will include work by Andreas Gursky, Emma Hart, Athen Kardashian & Nina Mhach Durban, Tarek Lakhrissi and Louis Morlæ. Free.
From 15th May to 31st July, Barbican will be hosting Delcy Morelos’ Origos installation, a monumental, immersive, site-specific installation made up of roamable tunnels. Meanwhile, the centre’s half-term Family Film Club lineup includes James and the Giant Peach on the 23rd and Arco on the 30th. Free/paid.
Chelsea in Bloom and Belgravia in Bloom both run from 18th-24th. London’s largest free-to-attend festival of flowers, this ever-popular floral art show will transform the streets of neighbouring Chelsea and Belgravia with breathtaking installations made from fresh flowers. Free.
Head to Frameless from 21st May to 12th September for Stories Brought to Life. This 15-minute immersive art experience will bring to life portraits from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection through digital technology, animation, photography and storytelling. Included with paid admission.
Natural History Museum’s Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep exhibition runs from 22nd May to 3rd January. Meet the legends of Earth’s prehistoric oceans, explore how marine reptiles rose to dominance, dare to touch a mosasaur tooth, feel what shark’s skin feels like and even get to touch fossil poo. Paid.
Visit Big Penny Social’s iconic Big Penny Beach Club – featuring sand, a bar, Hackney Gelato and fish and chips – from 22nd May to 30th August, and don’t forget the venue’s Housecats Catitude Festival daytime party on the 24th, where you can expect epic beats, tasty treats and loads of glitter. Paid.
Head to Leighton House on the 23rd for Family Fun, Creative Calligraphy: Eid Letters for 5-10s. Learn how to write the phrase Eid Mubarak in Arabic using fun and accessible calligraphy techniques. Engage with playful mark-making and watercolour to create your own Eid cards to take home. Paid.
The Southbank Centre is the place to be this half term. Highlights include a story-filled celebration in honour of Michael Rosen’s Birthday on the 23rd and the Play Along: Virtual Orchestra VR experience on 27th-28th. Also see my sponsored post on May half-term activities at the Southbank Centre here. Free/paid.
London Zoo will be hosting Create Something Wild: A Guinness World Records title attempt from 23rd-31st, Every visitor is invited to paint one, unique piece of the artwork, together creating a striking, large-scale collaborative installation that grows day by day. Included in paid admission.
There’s loads on for families at Battersea Power Station this Holiday. Head to A Line Florist by Anna Bruder from 23rd-31st, pick your favourite hand-drawn flower to personalise from the pop-up flower shop. Or explore Luminarium: LUXART, an immersive world of interconnected colourful domes, also from 23rd-31st. Paid.
London Museum Docklands has loads on from 23rd-31st, including a chance to make an optical illusion toy in Eye Spy, craft a paper theatre, learn how to be a music hall comedian in Barrel of Laughs, sing timeless tunes and music-hall classics at Baby Broadway, and bring your own character to life in Peg People. Free/paid.
Thames Rockets’ Hamley Bear & the Secret Treasure Mission speedboat experience departs on the 24th, featuring live character performers and a chance to meet Hamley Bear. Hamleys will also be running special events throughout half-term, from meet and greets to fun interactive experiences. Paid/free.
Head to Discover’s Stratford Centre popup on the 25th for Make Your Own Fantasy House with Christina Rose Brown. Use collage and junk modelling to create your own fantasy house, whether it’s the house of your dreams, a home for a character or a building on the moon or under the sea. Paid.
Visit Cleopatra: The Immersive Experience from 25th-29th and enjoy additional family activities, including Cleopatra-inspired face painting, crown decorating and hieroglyphic scroll writing. The experience also includes 22 real Egyptian artefacts, VR, interactive installations and more. Included with paid admission.
Also from 25th-29th, families visiting Vikings: The Immersive Experience can enjoy half-term activities including traditional crafts and the chance to get a (temporary!) Viking tattoo. Alongside this, families can explore a full-scale recreation of the mythological World Tree and handle replica artefacts. Included with paid admission.
British Library is hosting The Fairy Tale Fan Club with Richard Ayoade and David Roberts on the 26th. Ever wondered if it was really Happily Ever After? Get ready to find out if the Big Bad Wolf actually that bad or what happens when Rapunzel finally lets her hair down in this entertaining family show (8+). Paid.
Head to the National Portrait Gallery on the 26th for Family Day: Family Portraits Remixed. Experiment with unexpected backdrops, costumes or poses to create a non-traditional family photo, then join Katy Hessel for a signing of her new children’s book, The Story of Art Without Men: An illustrated Guide. Free.
Christina Rose Brown is hosting a Stained Glass Windows: Kids (3+) Art Workshop in the Fitzrovia Chapel on the 26th. Use pipe cleaners, tin foil and cardboard to create your own faux-stained-glass window artworks, inspired by the light pouring in from the chapel’s own stunning stained glass windows. Paid.
There’s loads of family workshops running at the Foundling Museum this half term, including Felted Veggies with Phoebe Kaniewska on the 26th, Fabric Friends with Christina Rose Brown on the 27th, Scented Stories with Emmerline Smy on the 28th and Musical Toys with Harriet Mena Hill on the 29th. Paid.
Head to Mosaic Rooms on the 28th for Play Lab: Lum’a, an open-ended, drop in workshop for 0-11s featuring shadow theatre, puppet-making, projected backdrops, and open-ended materials for building sets and stories. Designed by Chahine Fellahi, the space encourages curiosity, creativity, and experimentation. Free.
Design Museum’s Family Day: Design and Worldbuilding is on the 29th. Young designers aged 5-11 and their families are invited to enjoy a day of hands-on making and creative discovery, inspired by the cinematic worlds of Wes Anderson and Thames & Hudson’s Mini Artists series. Paid.
Studio Pottery in Belgravia is hosting a Kids’ Ceramic Workshop with Clay Club on the 29th. Here, children are invited to immerse themselves in the enriching practice of pottery and learn different techniques under the guidance of expert tutors. Book for ages 5-8 here and ages 9-13 here. Paid.
Royal College of Nursing’s Home and Heart: Arts & Health From Around the World Family Event takes place on the 30th. Visitors aged 4-11 are invited to enjoy hands-on activities exploring nursing’s global roots. There will also be storytelling for 2-8s and a bookable writing workshop for 11-14s. Free.