For children, Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of the year. The lights! The mince pies! The prospects of presents waiting underneath the Christmas tree!
For parents, however, keeping them entertained can be a bit of a trial, especially as school breaks up and those same children are returned, buzzing with sugar, back home for two whole weeks.
Fortunately, London is crammed to bursting with festive things to do – especially for young people.
Outdoor activities
Glide at Battersea Power Station
One of the newer rinks out there, the Battersea Power Station site offers skating with stunning views and access to lots of new shops and eateries. The revamped power station looks at its best over Christmas, with illuminated towers and Christmas trees dotted liberally around the edges of the rink. The whole effect is kid catnip – and a later visit to The Glass House next door for hot chocolate is a must.
Buy tickets: £16 for adults, £10.50 for children; glidebatterseapowerstation.co.uk/tickets/
Ice skating at Somerset House
The OG of ice-skating rinks, and certainly one of the most picturesque in London. Located in the gorgeous central courtyard of Somerset House, the rink is surrounded on all sides by Georgian architecture, as well as a range of shops hawking hot chocolates and cheese-based snacks. Head to The Chalet afterwards for the fondue of dreams (handily, there’s a kids’ menu) in an alpine-themed restaurant setting. Cosy.
Buy tickets: between £15 and £26.50 for adults, and £10-15 for children; somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/skate-somerset-house
Follow the lights at Christmas at Kew
It’s a fact: nobody does Christmas lights quite like Kew. It’s well worth making the trek to south London to catch the famous light trail, which leads you on a trip throughout the grounds to see an array of fantastical light-up sculptures. This year’s include three-metre-high illuminated flowers, the iconic Palm House light show, a ‘Fire Garden’ in the Temperate House and one of the longest light tunnels the team has ever built. Wonder is guaranteed.
Buy tickets: between £25.50 and £32 for adults, and £16 for children; kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/christmas
Winter Wonderland
The big one. That’s right, Winter Wonderland has opened in Hyde Park, and it’s basically Christmas Disneyland for kids – and adults wanting to soak up a bit of the festive spirit. Head there for rides galore. There’s an ice slide, Christmas circus, helter skelter and the ‘Christmas tree ride’ – which involves taking to the skies in a giant bauble.
Buy tickets: from £7.50 for adults and children, winterwonderland.seetickets.com/winterwonderland/
Christmas Markets
King’s Cross Market
Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross will be transformed into a Christmas Wonderland this year – perfect for strolling around and enjoying the atmosphere, whatever age you are. There’s a huge lights display, live music performances and even the opportunity to go curling (if that’s your thing) at Club Curling. And of course, there are plenty of stalls to browse, featuring gift ideas as well as festive food and drinks. Get ready to open that wallet…
Southbank Centre Winter Market
The South Bank’s answer to King’s Cross offers plenty to enjoy too. Set on the tourist-favourite route along the river, there are stalls, lights, views of the city and the chance to snack on food from their frankly indecent selection of food vendors – from German bratwurst to fondue. Head along for the chance to ride the Victorian-style carousel.
Greenwich Christmas Market
For a double dose of Christmas, the picture-postcard borough of Greenwich offers the type of festive experience usually only seen in movies. The old Georgian buildings and riverside location are the perfect complement to the festive decorations and stalls, which sell everything from handmade ceramics to paintings. Not to be missed: the annual Lantern Parade and switching on of the Christmas lights on November 20, or the chance to visit Father Christmas at Admiral’s House.
Buy tickets: £15 per child for a visit to Father Christmas; visitgreenwich.org.uk/whats-on
Indoor activities
The Paddington Experience
Is it Christmas-themed? No, but enjoy a brief moment of respite from the festive frenzy with this rather heartwarming trip into the world of Paddington. It’s located in London County Hall, but once you step through its front doors the outside world melts away: in its place is are faithful recreations of multiple sets from the film, including Mr Gruber’s Antiques Shop and the Brown family home, all of which have fun activities to complete. And of course, there’s the chance to meet the famous bear himself…
Buy tickets: for adults, from £34; for children, from £24; paddingtonbearexperience.com
The Young V&A
Not festive, but it sure is fun. Freshly reopened as of 2024, The Young V&A a treasure trove of kid friendly activities, including soft play areas, ‘sound houses’ for exploring and a make your own board game table. There’s buggy storage in the entrance and spaces galore for youngsters to roam around and get creative, and the museum often puts on interactive workshops. Even better, the main collection is free. Heaven.
Harry Potter Christmas at Warner Bros Studio
As Moughties kids the world over will know, is there anything more picturesque than Hogwarts’ Great Hall at Christmas time? Fortunately, there is a place you can visit it in person: The Making of Harry Potter experience in Watford. In addition to the hall, the sets have been transformed with festive decorations pulled from the film’s archives (including cards made by the cast and crew) and both the Forbidden Forest and Diagon Alley have been given a dusting of snow.
Buy tickets: the studio tour starts from £56pp; wbstudiotour.co.uk/tickets/
On stage
Dick Whittington and his Cat at Hackney Empire
Come one, come all to the 25th anniversary of the legendary Hackney Empire panto. It rarely disappoints, and this year once again we see Clive Rowe don the Dame’s rags as Sarah the Cook in a fresh(ish) retelling of Dick Whittington. It’s funny, it’s bright, it has songs and there are some jokes that will fly right over the kids’ heads: it doesn’t get much more festive than that.
Buy tickets: from £10; hackneyempire.co.uk
A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic
Christmas show, but a little more highbrow. Jack Thorne (aka one of the writers for Enola Holmes and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) is behind this adaptation of arguably the most festive tale of all time. John Simm takes on the sour face of Ebenezer Scrooge, in a show that promises mince pies, music and merriment.
Buy tickets: from £13 off peak and £15 peak; oldvictheatre.com
