Best family days out in London

London keeps families busy all year. Theatres put on shows pitched at younger audiences, museums and arts centres run hands-on workshops, and venues across the city build half-term and weekend programmes that give kids something to do and parents a reason to leave the house. The places worth knowing are the ones with a steady family calendar rather than a single seasonal show.

The places below are ordered by how active they are, counted from the family events each has coming up. It is a measure of activity rather than a ranking of facilities or value, so a venue near the top is simply one with plenty on that the whole family can go to in person.

25 places ranked right now

  1. Lyric Hammersmith W6 0QL 64 upcoming events
  2. Royal Court Theatre SW1W 8AS 42 upcoming events
  3. Sadler's Wells East E20 3AB 41 upcoming events
  4. Greenwich Theatre SE10 8ES 35 upcoming events
  5. Artsdepot N12 0GA 26 upcoming events
  6. Blackheath Halls SE13 6LF 26 upcoming events
  7. Wilton's Music Hall Wapping 24 upcoming events
  8. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew TW9 3AE 16 upcoming events
  9. The Place WC1H 9PY 13 upcoming events
  10. Polka Theatre SW19 1SB 12 upcoming events
  11. Big Penny Social E17 6AL 11 upcoming events
  12. Queen's Theatre RM11 1QT 10 upcoming events
  13. British Library NW1 2DB 10 upcoming events
  14. Alexandra Palace Wood Green 10 upcoming events
  15. Banker EC4R 3TE 8 upcoming events
  16. Blackhorse Workshop E17 6BX 7 upcoming events
  17. Cockpit Deptford SE13 6LF 7 upcoming events
  18. Bankside SE1 9DT 7 upcoming events
  19. Unicorn Theatre SE1 2HZ 7 upcoming events
  20. Roundhouse NW1 8EH 7 upcoming events
  21. Sydenham Library SE13 6LF 6 upcoming events
  22. London Museum Docklands E14 4AL 6 upcoming events
  23. BetWright Stadium E10 5NF 5 upcoming events
  24. Deptford Lounge SE13 6LF 5 upcoming events
  25. The Fighting Cocks KT1 1EU 4 upcoming events

Frequently asked questions

How are these ranked?

They are ordered by the number of upcoming family events each venue has listed, so the ranking reflects how active a place is rather than a review score. A venue near the top is one with a lot on for families in the days ahead.

Are these events in person?

Yes. OnlyHere only lists events you can physically attend in London, so every show and workshop here is one the family turns up to in person, never a livestream or an online session.

How many best family days out in london are ranked right now?

There are 25 places ranked on this page right now. It updates daily.