October 2025: Things to do in London with Kids

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October is here and London is getting its big coat out. From apple days and harvest fairs to Diwali lights, pumpkin trails and brand-new theatre for families, the city is buzzing with festivals and just the right touch of spooky. Whether your kids are harvest-hungry, theatre-mad or curious explorers, there’s plenty to dive into this month.

My personal juggling act has dropped a few balls, so this issue is shorter than usual as my under-5s and childfree culture sections take a month off. Read on for which London events made this month’s cut.

London’s best family-friendly museum days, theatre shows, and cultural outings -curated for busy parents. If you love this newsletter, so will your friends.

October 2025: What’s on London with kids

Here’s my pick of the top family events in London across the month. Most are drop in, unless I’ve indicated otherwise.

🕸️ On the hunt for more spooky fun? I’ve just started updating my Halloween Guide. Send me any ghoulish finds and I’ll add them in!

📚 Join Saturday Sessions at Southbank Centre with author Hannah Lee and illustrator Allen Fatimaharan for a lively mix of storytelling and live drawing. Create new tales together in The Clore Ballroom, then stick around for a family boogie with DJs and games (4 Oct; free).

🎪 Libraries, parks, theatres and community hubs burst to life for Fun Palaces, with free, locally made fun. Make balloon creatures, swap monster cards, hula hoop, bake bread, and share stories at Hoxton Hall. Enjoy crafting, comedy and circus at St Margaret’s House and pop-up storytelling performances, music and movement workshops at Half Moon Theatre .(Select dates 4-5 Oct; free. Check this map to find a Fun Palace near you).

🌰 Croydon Harvest featuring the Walnut Fair brings giants, parades and plenty of autumn spectacle to the town centre. See Morris and Bhangra dancing, make Ukrainian wheat crowns, explore the Magic Shed, meet farm animals in Queen’s Gardens and browse markets piled with seasonal treats (4-5 Oct; free). Tip: Sunday’s weather forecast is better.

🍏 Celebrate the harvest at Fulham Palace Apple Day with apple pressing, orchard tours and garden games from zorbing to giant chess. Try apple printing, badge making and trails, watch the baking competition, and enjoy food stalls, live music and a pumpkin display (5 Oct; paid; book).

🆓 Free Apple Days in London include Rainham Hall Community Garden (4 Oct); Woodland Farm Trust (12 Oct); Dulwich Orchard (25 Oct); Kentish Town City Farm (26 Oct) and Eastbrookend Discovery Centre (29 Oct).

🎨 Step into Ryan Gander’s world at Camden Art Projects, where talking mice, twitching mosquitoes and even stray cats reflect on how we value time, stuff and imagination. This playful yet thought-provoking exhibition mixes sculpture, animatronics and installation (15 Oct-18 Jan; free).

🎃 Halloween at Kew lights up the gardens with glowing pumpkins, haunted woods and eerie fairgrounds. Wander through cobwebs and Frankenstein’s lab, meet witches and ghouls, then warm up with hot chocolate and toasted monster marshmallows (17 Oct-2 Nov; paid; book).

🐘 Cross the Alps with an elephant at St George’s! Celebrate the adventurous life of William Brockedon, artist, explorer and inventor, with family sketching, potion making, pass-finding challenges and a bounce on Fort St George’s indoor castle (18 Oct; free, donations welcome). Part of Bloomsbury Festival.

✏️ Take a line for a walk at Young V&A with award-winning designer Marion Deuchars. Drop in for playful drawing games, from wobbly-line doodles to collaborative sketching, plus a book signing of her new release Take a Line for a Walk (18 Oct; free).

🌟 Festival of the Girl takes over Islington’s Business Design Centre with workshops, talks and activities in sport, science, fashion, coding and more. This non-profit festival champions girls to smash stereotypes with confidence while giving parents and carers tools to support them (18-19 Oct; paid, book. Pay What You Can available).

🦓 ZooTown opens at London Zoo with 13 mini play zones filling the old Reptile House. Budding vets, scientists, keepers and café staff can pull on costumes, try out 50+ activities and dive into a role-play zoo-within-a-zoo (opens 18 Oct; £1 + Zoo entry; book. Ages 3-8).

🪔 Celebrate Diwali across London with three free family festivals. Start at Marble Hill with lights, dancers, dhol drummers and giant puppets (18 Oct; book). Make garlands and glittering Lippan tiles at the British Museum (19 Oct; book museum entry). Then join the National Maritime Museum for a full day of rangoli art, puppet shows, lantern-making, henna and storytelling, ending in a glowing lantern parade (25 Oct).

🧚 Soar to Neverland with the RSC’s Wendy & Peter Pan at the Barbican. Expect flying, sword fights, pirates and fairy dust in Ella Hickson’s witty retelling of Barrie’s classic, with dazzling sets and plenty of adventure (21 Oct-22 Nov; ages 7+; paid; book).

🌊 Dive into Little M at The Place, a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. Expect puppetry, magical transformations and spectacular dance in a coming-of-age tale that celebrates difference and acceptance (24-25 Oct; paid; book. Ages 8+).

🌺 Wrap, twist and celebrate heritage at Wrap and Roll: African Headwrap Workshop with mother-daughter duo Boni’s Blossoms at Hackney Museum. Learn the history and symbolism of African headwraps, watch live Gele and Ashoke demos, then try out styles yourself in this hands-on Black History Season workshop (25 Oct, free; book. Ages 8+ with adult).

👑 An additional ticket release gives you a chance to nab tickets for the usually-sold-out Family Sundays at the Royal Opera House. Join Royal Ballet Principal Steven McRae for a workshop inspired by his new children’s book, battle a serpent in an opera adventure, see live rehearsals with young dancers, and enjoy crafts, music and storytelling (26 Oct; paid; book).

🎇 Dalston Curve Garden’s much-loved Pumpkin Light Up Nights are expected to return later this month, filling the garden with hundreds of glowing hand-carved lanterns after dark. Dates haven’t been announced yet, but it’s always a magical family tradition worth keeping an eye out for (free).

🎭 Step into Halloween and Day of the Dead at the British Museum’s Spooky Skeletons and Sugar Skulls Festival. Across five days, drop in for puppet-style Hansel & Gretel play for under-5s, skeleton-drawing inspired by world art, headpiece-making, live mariachi music and Day of the Dead storytelling in the Great Court (27-31 Oct; free; book museum entry).

🌌 Explore Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies at Somerset House, where the choreographer’s career collides with digital art, sound and movement. Think multi-sensory installations, bold new commissions and surprise dance pop-ups, all part of Somerset House’s 25th birthday celebrations (30 Oct-22 Feb; paid; book).

🧵 Stitch into Loose Threads at Whitechapel Gallery, a giant collaborative artwork inviting all ages to sew, embroider or add fabric interventions inspired by artist Joy Gregory. Drop in to help transform the Assembly Room with colour and texture (30 Oct-2 Nov; free).

And here’s one to book ahead:

🎅 Step back in time at Victorian Santa’s Grotto at London Museum Docklands. Wander through the twinkling Sailortown gallery before meeting Santa in his Dickensian den, where every child receives a gift inspired by traditional Victorian toys. Quiet sessions are available, photography is welcome, and advance booking is a must (21 Nov-23 Dec; paid; book).

👉 Heading to any of these? I’d love to know how you found them - reply with your experience or tag me on Instagram so I can share the best family spots with everyone.

Right, time to get ready for my date with a karaoke machine. I hope you all have a great month! I will be back with more family fun soon.

Until then,

Please check listings before heading out. Events can change or be cancelled at short notice, and, despite my best efforts, sometimes I make mistakes.