Things to do with kids during the school summer holidays in London

From July 18, the NHM’s wildlife gardens will reopen following a two-year upgrade designed to turn them into a ‘wildlife haven’ that takes you on a journey through 2.7 billion years of Earth histrory via plants, geology and represetations of animal life. It all sounds very exciting: all we really know so far is that there’s going to be a bronze sauropod statue, but even if the gardens were to simply reopen as they were before it’d be a treat.

Ever looked at modern art and thought ‘I could do that’? Well, now you can, because the artist Oscar Murillo is inviting you to take part in a big interactive artwork in the Tate Turbine Hall this summer. ‘The Flooded Garden’ is inspired by Claude Monet's depictions of his water-logged garden in Giverny, and visitors will get the chance to splash the acrylic paint around and ‘flood’ a giant canvas.

The previous absence of a major permanent Paddington Bear attraction in London can possibly be attributed to the fact that in its own way, London itself is a major permanent Paddington Bear attraction. But with the meteoric success of the recent film adaptations of Michael Bond’s beloved stories it’s no surprise that the polite young bear is finally putting down roots in the capital with this lavish immersive theatre show which opened at the start of June.

Quite possibly the most aggressively ‘80s artefact in existence, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revamped ‘Starlight Express’ is a musical about anthropomorphic roller skating trains that’s tailor made for fleeting tween attention spans. It’s deep as a puddle, but enormously fun.

Things are getting tropical in Croydon. The rooftop of Centrale’s multi-storey car park has been filled with sand, beach huts and a water splash zone to create London’s latest family-friendly summer hangout. Sand-side events include beach bingo, dance workshops, mini-Go-Karts and table tennis. The daytime sessions should have a more family friendly flavour.

It probably goes without saying, but this exhibition of all things Barbie is an essential stop for any child intersted in… Barbie. There’s no actual opportunity to play with any dolls, so manage expectations there, but as a journey through the history of the plastic icon it’s second to none.

Kew Gardens is a day out all in itself, but to really make your trip special, why not take in one of the three theatre shows the Australian Theatre Company is running there this summer? For tots there’s ‘The Dream Fairies’, ‘The Wind in the Willows’ for bigger kids, and at night ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ will wow families. Tickets include admission to Kew and for the kids’ shows the price difference between a regular Kew ticket is negligible.

We tend to think of New Yorkers as pathologically grouchy souls. But primary schooler-orientated NYC wizard Mario the Maker Magician is defined by his infectious elan. Whether he’s goofing around with the petty logic of a seven-year old or accessibly expounding on his love for Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, it’s the giddy atmosphere that the ‘Sesame Street’ and David Blaine-endorsed Mario fosters in his show that makes it work as much as the actual magic.

New NHM exhibit ‘Birds: Brilliant & Bizarre’ doesn’t have an especially incisive story to tell beyond ‘birds are great!’ (It would be weird if it was ‘birds are terrible!’) but it is is, nonetheless, a beautifully put together journey through the story of our avian pals that mixes slick techy stuff with a thoughtful delve into the museum’s vast taxidermy vaults.

Now somewhat hysterically about six weeks long (it really was just seven days once), children go free to most West End shows this summer when accompanied by a paying adult if you book through the official Kids Week portal – a huge bargain.

Billed as ‘London’s first paradox museum’ (maybe not exactly a shocker, that) the, uh, Paradox Museum is a collecton of over 50 exhibits and 25 immersive rooms, all united by a desire to BLOW YOUR MIND. Such concepts as an upside down tube station, a mirror maze and a ‘paradoxical sofa’ combine in what will all doubtless be some good Instagram-friendly fun. 

A touch of magic at Westfield London this summer with this official immersive CBeebies theatre adventure for ages zero to six featuring contributions from a host of beloved characters from the pre-school network, ranging from Mr Tumble to Bluey herself. 

The Young V&A’s excellent first temporary exhibition is closing on September 8 and if you or your kids have any interest in anything Japanese – from myths to, uh, manga – then you’ve got a summer to sort it out before it’s gone for good.

Ahoy! This fun ‘Horrible Histories’-themed tour of the Thames is setting sail for a new summer season.

Step into the magical world of the titular game in this immersive theatre show for kids from Punchdrunk Enrichment, the family-friendly spin off of the legendary company

Parents, you know the deal: there are limited number of kids’ films out every year and you’ll probably end up seeing them all. Here is the summer roster.

Despicable Me 4 – the latest installment in the Minions-featuring franchise is out already

Harold and the Purple Crayon - this long-gestating live action adaptation of a beloved American kids’ book drops August 1

Kensuke’s Kingdon – a young boy is shipwrecked in the animated Michael Morpurgo adaptation starring Sally Hawkins and Cillian Murphy. Out August 2.

Coraline (reissue) – this excellent stopmotion Neil Gaiman adaptation is back in cinemas for its fifteenth birthday from August 15.