The top London shows and events for kids during October half term

Half-term is conscionable astir the corner, but nary request fret arsenic there’s loads to fend disconnected those dreaded tears and tantrums this autumn.

London is putting backmost connected its cape and volition beryllium backmost to the rescue with an endless drawstring and activities that volition not conscionable enactment a grin connected the laiitle faces, but yours arsenic well. From exhibitions, to creation classes to theatre performances, we’ve chosen the apical ones for you and your restless tykes to get stuck into - truthful get booked in! Amaze, Criterion Theatre

Following a palmy stint astatine Marylebone Theatre this summer, magician Jamie Allan is bringing his critically-acclaimed amusement Amaze to the West End.

Blending innovative technology, gripping storytelling, and classical illusion techniques, Allan’s show offers an interactive acquisition that redefines the creation of magic.

Amaze is booking until November 23

Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Natural History Museum

The iconic Wildlife Photographer of the Year accumulation returns to the Natural History Museum for its 60th edition.

This year's show features the finest entries from the competition, including The Swarm of Life, an award-winning representation by Canadian marine conservation photojournalist Shane Gross, capturing a stunning presumption of occidental toad tadpoles.

For half-term, visitors tin besides research the Visions of Nature mixed-reality exhibition, a caller summation this year.

The Museum offers a scope of family-friendly activities astatine the Biodiversity Family Festival.

Running from Saturday 26 October to Saturday 2 November, the lawsuit focuses connected educating children astir the value of biodiversity, which is each the antithetic beingness forms successful 1 area, iwhich is everyting from the premix of animals, plants, to fungi and microorganisms similar bacteria.

The festival does this done engaging and hands-on experiences.

The Paddington Bear Experience

Th acquisition launched astatine County Hall successful June has proved hugely popular, and is it small wonder? Located adjacent the London Eye, this immersive production, allows audiences to dive into the satellite of Paddington and the Brown family.

The travel takes you from the hustle and bustle of Paddington Station to 32 Windsor Gardens, with a scenic halt successful the jungles of Peru, earlier joining a thoroughfare enactment successful solemnisation of Marmalade Day.

Directed by Tom Maller, who brings implicit a decennary of acquisition creating immersive movie productions with Secret Cinema, the amusement offers a unsocial blend of nostalgia and adventure.

Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames, Tower Bridge

Forget your modular Thames sightseeing tours, Terrible Thames offers a darkly entertaining twist. This hour-long travel on London’s celebrated stream swaps emblematic commentary for grimmer tales of the Thames’ past.

The storyline centres astir a pupil named Billie, who embarks connected a stream escapade with her teacher. As they sail, the 2 prosecute successful a conflict of facts, with Billie’s cognition of the river's eerie history, passed down by her family, clashing with her teacher’s much accepted wisdom. Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames is booking until November 3

Three pals spell connected a joyful ngo done the jungle in this critically acclaimed magical, philharmonic adaptation of David McKee's Elmer books.

The colourful satellite of Elmer comes to beingness done songs, storytelling and puppetry by Tall Stories, who brought us The Gruffalo and Room connected the Broom, unrecorded stag shows.

The Southbank Centre is encouraging attendees to “celebrate Elmer’s unsocial patchwork colours and deterioration each your colourful apparel erstwhile you spot the show.” The Elmer Adventure is booking from October 30 – November 3

Toto Kerblammo!, Unicorn Theatre

Known for his experimental enactment successful theatre, Tim Crouch brings his unsocial flair to children’s amusement with Toto Kerblammo!

In this inventive show, audiences are invited to don headphones and dive into the communicative of Effy, a young miss navigating beingness with her aunt and uncle successful a gathering that strictly forbids dogs. Though much accessible than immoderate of his solo pieces, Toto Kerblammo! doesn’t shy distant from Crouch’s hallmark creativity, making it an imaginative and immersive acquisition for younger audiences.

The Design Museum: World of Tim Burton

Older children with a sensation for the gothic volition find overmuch to bask astatine the World of Tim Burton exhibition, opening astatine the Design Museum this October.

Curated successful collaboration with the legendary manager himself, the grounds pulls from Burton’s idiosyncratic archives, featuring drawings, paintings, and photographs, arsenic good arsenic sketches, acceptable designs, and sculptural installations. It offers a heavy dive into the acheronian and quirky, sometimes macabre, satellite of the Beetlejuice director’s cinematic vision.

Horniman Museum: Dinosaur rEvolution

This grounds offers a caller instrumentality connected what dinosaurs mightiness person truly looked like, featuring 5 elephantine animatronic models.

Dinosaur rEvolution explores the improvement of these past creatures successful a fun, engaging way, making it a must-see for dino fans of each ages.

The Formula 1® Exhibition, ExCeL London

Journey done the past and aboriginal of Formula 1® successful this immersive acquisition hosted crossed six specially designed rooms.

Learn astir the exertion down these celebrated contention cars, including aerodynamics, motor advancements, and the improvement of Pirelli tyres. Free introduction for under-fives.

The Gruffalo, a regular connected the London stage, is heading to Artsdepot successful North Finchley this half term to observe his 25th anniversary.

This philharmonic adaptation of the beloved representation publication is cleanable for children aged 3 and up.

Family Day – Make Your Mark, National Portrait Gallery

This October fractional term, the National Portrait Gallery invites families to get originative with a time of creation and inspiration. Through playful, hands-on activities, children tin larn astir cardinal figures successful British past and stock the people they’d similar to marque connected the world.

Children volition larn however to bash their initials successful the British Sign Language alphabet and incorporating them into artwork, to “remixing” elements of antithetic portraits and reimagining them to marque a caller artwork.

Polka Theatre has a fantastic lineup this October, including shows specified arsenic The Storm Whale and Everything Has Changed, based connected the award-winning books. There’s besides originative workshops and captivating shows and plentifulness to support the full household entertained.

Dogs Don't Do Ballet, Little Angel Theatre:

This charming adaptation of the best-selling publication by Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie brings the communicative to beingness with beauteous puppets, ballet music, and theatrical comedy. Running astatine the Little Angel Theatre, Dogs Don’t Do Ballet is simply a delight