Welcome back everyone, we hope you had a super break with many of us celebrating Easter and Eid it was a lovely to come together and enjoy the spring season. We had a great time with our friends at Topsy Turvy and Boxtheniks this holiday where 30 of us came together from different schools to enjoy the season at Camp.
Just before we broke up ,our friends from Finastra came to the BT Gardens and worked with us on preparing the site for spring. We did lots of raking and sowing and planted daffodils and snowdrops together, it was lovely working together for the future of the site. Last weekend, the Lord Mayor of Westminster visited the site to see all that has been achieved there and hear about all of the hard work and support that has gone into the project.
With Spring in the air and the weather getting better, now is the perfect time to get out and about and see more of the exciting capital in which we live. There are so many places from which to take in London’s architectural tapestry and enormity – Primrose, Parliament and Muswell Hills or Alexandra Palace in the north; Telegraph Hill and Nunhead Cemetery in the south; the free viewing platforms in the One New Change building or The Garden at 120, or via the O2 or IFS Cable Car in the east; Portrait restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery in the west.
The Walkie Talkie building at Fenchurch Street – officially, but less excitingly, known as 20 Fenchurch Street – seems to be the preferred way to showcase the city from above: the view is excellent and free when you book a table at the smart Sky Gardens restaurant on the 14th floor, where three kids are allowed per adult.
There are obviously many more official ways to do it too, such as a London Eye pod or The Shard (they do a children’s afternoon tea – see number 6, below). Alternatively, try the lesser-known option at Westminster Cathedral: zoom up 94 metres via a lift at its St Edmund’s Tower in the Campanile to look out over Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament, BT Tower and far beyond.
Been up the Shard? There’s Leather-market Gardens play area, a dinky spot with plenty of rides that catches the afternoon sun just 9 minutes’ walk away. There’s Jubilee Gardens, arguably one of the city’s best designed adventure playgrounds, in front of the London Eye, beckoning when your pod lands. And there’s a little local spot called Paddington Street Gardens right in among the cute coffee shops and boutiques of Marylebone. Want to base your day around a destination park? Check out knowledgeable mother and guide Bablands’ list of the coolest play spaces in the capital.
If spring has put you in the mood to visit some chicks and lambs, how about City farms which are little bubbles of go-slow, corn-chewing, bee-watching downtime amid the commercial rattle-and-hum of the city – and essential destinations for youthful farm-to-forkers. You can buy herbs, plants and seeds, grab a drink from the tea hut and swap notes on gardening, while getting your hands really dirty. Favourites include the one at Spitalfields, an easy stomp from the vintage shops of Cheshire Street, Kentish Town City Farm and Stepney City Farm in Tower Hamlets.
Website: spitalfieldscityfarm.org; stepneycityfarm.org; ktcityfarm.org.uk
It’s great to be outside in the sun and rain and reconnecting with nature and London is the perfect place to do so. The Royal Parks are a perfect way to get involved including favourites such as Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park .It’s become a well-known fact that London is the greenest city in Europe with its more than 3,000 parks and spaces, and where there’s grass there often tends to be bouncy tarmac, swings, slides and roundabouts too. Next time you discover your day-long itinerary has only distracted them for a handful of hours, it’s quite safe to presume you can find a playground further afield or nearby simply by turning to Googlemaps.
If inside exploration is more your thing, consider visiting one of the amazing museums on exhibition road. There, you can visit the Science or Natural History Museum. Top things to see at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington include Hope, the huge blue whale skeleton in Hintze Hall, fossils With more than 20 galleries and spaces to enjoy, you can easily spend all day here. Relax in the quiet Darwin Centre, browse the shops, or refuel at one of the museum’s cafes, snack bars or picnic spots.
The museum is split into four zones, so if you’re short on time, pick one of the zones based on your interests. in the world-leading Dinosaurs gallery and meteorites from outer space.
Don't miss the latest exhibitions at the Natural History Museum, including the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, which features stunning photography of the natural world. Also, keep an eye out for exciting museum events and activities, from yoga and silent discos to dinosaur-themed sleepovers and behind-the-scenes tours.
Which of three friction slides will you whizz down the fastest? That's one of the 50 or so experiments at the Wonderlab (£9.00) at the Science Museum, the quite brilliantly educational and exciting children's section of the Science Museum, which also crackles with electricity, orbits around the sun, plays with shapes and pulses with natural curiosity. Regular shows on rockets, electricity and explosions are pleasingly noisy.
There is a Wellcome Gallery in the Science Museum focussing on the human body and medicine, but did you know there is also a Welcome Museum elsewhere? Wellcome Collection is in central London, close to Euston train station.
The Museum and Library at Wellcome Collection looks at health and the human experience through books, manuscripts, images and objects. There you can delve into the wonderful collection of images that spans the decades from the 14th century to the present day. You’ll find more than 250,000 items, including paintings, drawings, prints, photos, stamps and more, alongside audio-visual material such as television programmes and public health information films(not for the squeamish though!).
Don’t miss the impressive selection of books and contemporary journals covering topics ranging from modern medicine to anatomy and even alchemy and even witchcraft!(PG required) Head to the archives with an adult to examine items such as personal papers, letters and photos from people and organisations with links to health. As you make your way through the building together, look out for the medical and ethnographic objects on display, which also feature in Wellcome’s permanent and temporary exhibitions. Admission to the museum is also is free and no prior booking is required, parents may want to check what’s on before visiting though.
If you've ever wondered how long a piece of fizzing dry ice scooting across water will last or how many times a handmade paper plane or ball of paper can be thrust into a wind vent to test its aerodynamism (limitless), here's your chance. Easily one of the best places to head to with a curious mind in London. The Natural History and Science Museum are free to visit. Some temporary exhibitions and events may require an admission fee and a pre-booked ticket.
On Exhibition Road, there is also the V&A Museum to visit for free, but have you heard of the Young V&A? The Young V&A is in Bethnal Green, east London. It is located very close to Bethnal Green Tube station (Central line) on Cambridge Heath Road. The nearest Tube station to the Young V&A is Bethnal Green (Central line), which is a one-minute walk away. Several bus routes stop on Cambridge Heath Road, close to the museum.
The Young V&A has three permanent gallery spaces called Imagine, Play and Design. Visitors can book tickets for shows in its temporary exhibition space. The new displays, which include items from the V&A’s main archive, are all created with children in mind. You’ll be able to get hands-on with interactive displays, workshops and an Open Studio, and show off performance skills on the amphitheatre-style stage in the Imagine area of the museum.
This national museum for young people will focus on the issues facing children today and their achievements. Contemporary items scheduled to be on display include the skateboard of 13-year-old Olympic medallist Sky Brown. The Young V&A is also free to visit for all. Make sure to check in advance for temporary exhibitions and one-off events.