As the nights draw in, the Christmas wish lists continue to grow, and the restless trips to your local Toys R Us get ever more tedious, you might be looking for some festive fun to keep the whole family entertained. Here's our top five family events this season...
Embrace the cold in the courtyard of this stunning Romanesque museum by skating the 1,000-metre-square outdoor ice rink. Winter 2012 sees the rink feature a Christmas tree at its centre for the first time, and the venue also hosts a separate, smaller rink specifically for the little ones.
For our guide to the best ice rinks in town, click here.
Until Jan 6. Open 11am – 10pm weekdays, and until 11pm on weekends. Tickets start at £9. For more info visit nhm.ac.uk.
The Enchanted Woodland at Syon House
Warp up warm and take a magical walk through Syon Park’s arboretum decked with coloured lights. Creating an atmospheric winter walk which takes around half an hour, visitors to this west London enclave pass eerily lit trees and a frosty lake, ending up in The Refectory for some warming refreshments.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, 5-9pm. Tickets cost £7 for adults and £3 for children. Visit syonpark.co.uk for more information.
Baby Loves Disco Christmas Special
London’s celebrated club scene isn’t limited to adult fun, Baby Loves Disco is the world’s leading baby-proof disco as toddlers and parents search for something to do away from the routine playground circuit. Well, they’re holding a very special Christmas party at their flagship London venue in Covent Garden. Expect four rooms of toddler-friendly disco delights, as well as an appearance from the big fella in red himself.
December 1, 1-4pm. “All walking humans must buy a ticket. It’s the crawlers who get in free”. £10. babylovesdisco.co.uk.
Cutty Sark Family Fun Weekend
Climb aboard for children’s craft activities, including decoration making inspired by the shapes of the ship, as well as the recently re-launched Cutty Sark exhibitions.
December 1-2. Free with regular Cutty Sark entry. Visit rmg.co.uk for more information.
The annual, seasonal makeover at Kew features plenty of family-orientated attractions, including a vintage carousel, face painting and a special Father Christmas’s grotto. There are also guided and self-guided walks, as well as festive produce for sale in the shops. From Boxing Day the Santa’s Grotto becomes a space for story-telling and shadow puppetry – the perfect thing to keep the kids entertained after all that Christmassy excitement.
Entry costs £14.50 for adults and £12.50 for concessions, with children under 17 (accompanied by an adult) getting in free. For more information visit kew.org.
