Young V&A Museum [© David Parry courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London]

Mermaids & Pirates, part of the festival at Perform in the Park. [Ellie Kurttz]

Perform in the Park – Coram’s Fields
As a parent staring down the barrel of a long summer holiday with potentially fewer holidays planned than you’d hoped, if you’ve got a spare day and no idea what to do with your kids, why not make a day of it as Perform in the Park suggest. Aside from the 90-minute theatre show, there will be pizzas and ice cream at the Perform in the Park café, or there is Coram’s Fields’ own café in one of the 300-year old colonnade structures that line the sides of the seven-acre site. And after all that sitting in the dark and eating pizzas, surely there is only one thing left to do: play! Let the children lose themselves in London’s oldest (and best?) playground for kids, with the unusual tagline that states “no unaccompanied adults without a child”! And while they’re playing, you can read all about the site itself, which has a fascinating history. Please note, on hot days there is also a paddling pool at Coram’s, so it might be worth bringing a costume or change of clothes!
• Three Billy Goats Gruff; Mermaids & Pirates; The Dream; and Elephant & Piggie’s ‘We Are In A Play!’; and Evenings in the Park with… run on various dates from July 22-August 28. Tickets from £14.50. Perform in the Park, Coram’s Fields, 93 Guildford Street, WC1N 1DN. 0207 255 9120, email: enquiries@perform.org.uk. Booking at https://performinthepark.uk

Blippi the Musical – Apollo Theatre
Much-loved character Blippi is transformed from screen onto the stage in a fun production. Blippi encourages learning for children from the ages of two to seven through doing, playing and exploring – inspiring their natural curiosity about the world. In this live, musical show they can learn about the world around them while singing and dancing. Age recommendation 2+. Running time 65 minutes, no interval. Tickets £24.
• Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EZ
August 16-September 4. 0330 333 4809. https://www.alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/blippi/   

The Smeds and the Smoos – Lyric Theatre
Tall Stories presents The Smeds and The Smoos – a joyful tale of star-crossed aliens. Soar into space with this exciting adaptation of the award-winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. On a far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos can’t be friends. So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love and zoom off into space together, how will their families get them back? Music, laughs and interplanetary adventures for the whole family from Tall Stories – the company that brought you The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom live on stage. Age recommendation 3+; running time 1 hour, no interval. Tickets from £10.
• Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7ES, July 20-September 3. Book: 0330 333 4812, https://nimaxtheatres.com/shows/the-smeds-and-the-smoos/

Horrible Histories – Terrible Tudors Garrick Theatre
For those with an appetite for chaotic history with the nasty bits left in… Terrible Tudors is back with a hit West End show. From the horrible Henries to the end of evil Elizabeth, hear the legends (and the lies!) about the torturing Tudors. Find out the fate of Henry’s headless wives and his punch-up with the Pope. Meet Bloody Mary and see Ed fall dead in his bed. Survive the Spanish Armada as they launch their attack! Age recommendation 5-105. Running time 70 minutes. Tickets from £18.50.
• Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0HH, July 27-September 2. Book: 0330 333 4811, https://nimaxtheatres.com/ shows/horrible-histories-terrible-tudors-2023/

Horrible Histories – Terrible Thames
Horrible Histories’ wicked river tour of the Terrible Thames is presented by Birmingham Stage Company and Woods’ Silver Fleet, a family-run company of Thames Watermen. Climb aboard and prepare to hear the horrible history of the most famous river in the world! Tremble in terror at the Tower! Sizzle at the Savoy! Give Cleopatra the needle! Be washed away at Westminster! Lose yourself in Lambeth! Get gobsmacked by the Globe! Hold onto your head at London Bridge and escape from Execution Dock! Take a dive with Horrible Histories into the stories of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Julius Caesar, Queen Boudicca, Jack the Ripper and Captain Kidd, in this history of the Thames with the nasty bits left in! Best suited to children aged 5+. Cruise lasts 45 minutes. Tickets £25 adults, £20 senior, £15 child, under-3s free
• The boat sails from Tower Bridge Quay (previously St Katharine’s Pier, next to Tower Bridge). On the north bank of the Thames, east of Tower Bridge, in front of Tower Hotel. Post code E1W 1LD. (NOT Tower Bridge pier.) https://terriblethames.com/

Horrible Histories: Up in the Air Adventure RAF Museum Fasten your seatbelts as the RAF Museum presents Horrible Histories Up in the Air Adventure. Experience the (sometimes gruesome) history of flight in the Horrible Hangar. Meet fearless and foolish flyers and solve the clues in this fully interactive experience for all the family. Based on Horrible Histories: Up in the Air by Terry Deary and Martin Brown, the RAF Museum will bring to life characters from the book and some of the truly brainless blunderers pursuing the desire to fly! Legendary aviation pioneers from throughout history will be on hand to steer you around six amazing zones for one fantastic adventure, including the Engineer’s Workshop; Barnstorming Braves; Creation Station; Meet the Inventor; Selfie Zone and Up in the Air Challenge. Bespoke Horrible Histories activity packs and a free Twinkletoes Trail around the museum are also on offer for visitors throughout the summer break. Not only did Twinkletoes the cat feature in the book, she’s the Transatlantic traveller and lucky charm of Arthur Whitten Brown who flew on the first ever non-stop transatlantic flight in 1919. Twinkletoes is the purrfect character to guide you round the museum. The Horrible Histories: Up in the Air Adventure runs from Saturday 22 July until 3 September, with three 2-hours sessions daily. Advanced booking advised for this immersive experience. Tickets £7.50 per person, or £25 for 5 people on our group saver ticket. Book at www.rafmuseum. org.uk/horriblehistories
• RAF Museum, Grahame Park Way, NW9 5LL. Open 10am-5pm, 0208 205 2266

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I Believe in Unicorns  – Apollo Theatre
Award-winning story­teller Danyah Miller brings Michael Morpurgo’s treasured story to life. This intimate show is set in a library full of books that hold more than stories within their pages. It is a tale of the power of books, and the bravery of eight-year-old Tomas. Tomas hates reading and school, but his world is turned upside down the day he meets the Unicorn Lady in his local library… An enchanting and interactive production, I Believe in Unicorns, sparks imagination in both young and old – you’ll believe in unicorns after joining Tomas’ spellbinding journey. Suitable for families with children aged 6+ and anyone who loves stories and books. Running time 55 minutes, no interval. Tickets from £12.50.
• Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EZ, July 27-August 12. Book: 0330 333 4809. unicornsplay.co.uk

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Hampstead Beach at JW3
It’s buckets and spades time again as Hampstead Beach is back at JW3 community centre, complete with sand, deck chairs, a paddling pool and Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s free – no need to book, just turn up! Sundays-Thursday, 10am-8pm, until September 3. On Wednesdays until August 30 the Kids’ Beach Club is an interactive beach experience for little ones, suitable for ages 0-4 (2pm, 60 minutes. Free, just turn up). Also planned is a Summer Disco Boogie on the Beach event for under 7s and adults on Sunday August 13, 4pm, £15 per family. See the website for full details.
• JW3, 341-351 Finchley Road, NW3 6ET, 020 7433 8988, www.jw3.org.uk/beach

Young V&A Museum
The former Museum of Childhood has undergone a multi-million-pound upgrade and has emerged as Young V&A. It describes itself as a “doing” museum – “a joyful, buzzing and optimistic place underpinned by the power of design and creativity”. There are three main galleries: Imagine, with a variety of spaces to inspire creative expression through performance and storytelling; Play, taking inspiration from the ways babies and toddlers first experience the world with a sensory landscape with objects at children’s eye level; and Design, which is aimed at older children, exploring how things are designed, made and used and how design can change the world. Objects on display include highlights from the V&A’s historic collections of furniture, fashion, ceramics, paintings, prints and posters and sculpture. Every gallery has interactive features enabling children to take inspiration from the objects around them – it is designed entirely around young people.
• Young V&A, Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, E2 9PA. Open daily 10am-5.45pm, galleries close from 5pm. Admission FREE. www.vam.ac.uk/young

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London Transport Museum
Galleries and exhibitions at London Transport Museum include stories of the Caribbean workforce and their families and their contribution to British culture; the fascinating history of what getting around the capital was like in the 19th century when horse-drawn buses moved the population around; and the engineering achievement of the world’s first Underground. The playzone for 0-7s has a fleet of mini trains, boats and cable car. Summer at the Museum: Build Better is a special event for families running for six weeks throughout the holidays, relating to the Green Journey installation, with workshops, storytelling and a special trail all designed to engage children with topics like climate change and sustainability. Full details on the website.
• London Transport Museum, Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 7BB. Open daily 10am-6pm, last entry 5pm. 0343 222 5000, ltmuseum.co.uk

Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection is a free national museum of 25 galleries of paintings, furniture, porcelain, Old Master paintings and armour. Families can take part in the monthly Hands On Armour sessions that combine handling real armour with creative workshops and storytelling – next dates are July 29 and August 26, 1.30-4pm, suitable for ages 5+, admission on a first come first served basis on the day. Currently, a special exhibition at the museum until October 15 looks at Portraits of Dogs: From Gainsborough to Hockney. More than 50 works of art are on display exploring our devotion to four-legged friends across the centuries. Tickets £14 adult, £5 age 12-17, under-12s free.
• The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN. 0207 563 9500, www.wallacecollection.org Free entry

Summer Dance Courses  – The Place
Next week, July 24-28, The Place is running special open dance courses led by professional dancers and companies for children and young people aged 7-10; 11-14 and 15-18. Each day starts with a 2-hour class learning dance technique with a live musician. Later creative sessions encourage dancer to develop their own choreography. Full details of the programme for each age group on the website. Enrolment is £250 for the week or Drop-in per day £65 on Monday-Wednesday.
• The Place, 17 Duke’s Road, WC1H 9PH, 0207 121 1100, https://theplace.org.uk/summer-dance-courses

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Fun-Fairs
Why not take a fun day out at the fair – perfect for the whole family, with traditional carousels and bumper cars for those who don’t have the nerve for white-knuckle rides. Finsbury Park (School Holiday Fair) from London Funfairs is in the park from August 18-September 3, noon-9pm. You can make savings by buying tokens online. Entry is £2 per person.
See www.london­funfairs.com George Irvin’s Family Fun-Fair is in Highbury Fields from August 18-28, 1pm-9pm. A ride token is £1.20, and 10 ride tokens are £10. The funfair is supporting the Mayor Islington’s charity by donating some of its income. www.irvinleisure.co.uk/ funfairs/highbury-fields-summer-2023/