What's On
listings for all the family Compiled by Anna Blackshaw
To promote your local event, coffee morning, nearly new sale, parenting courses or community group in the next What’s On listing. Email Listings@FamiliesNWLondon.co.uk. Listings in this section are FREE for most non-commercial ventures. Please check details of the events before setting off in case anything has changed since going to print.
www.FamiliesOnline.co.uk for all our local weekly regular events. Many activities and events require advance booking. Please check the website in the listing to confirm terms and conditions for attending before heading out.
SEPTEMBER Mon 4 Sep - Mon 18 Dec - Quiet Afternoons for Families at the Museum of London Docklands (E14) Quiet afternoons provide an informal atmosphere to explore the museum, sensitive to the needs of children with autistic spectrum conditions. Discover fascinating artefacts and choose to take part in relaxed family activities such as object handling, arts and crafts and sensory spaces. Siblings and children with other types of SEND are very welcome. Every Monday. www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ museum-london Wed 6 Sep - Design Baby: Explore the Hallyu! (SW7) Join artist Rosie S. Kang in the multi-sensory play session inspired by the Korea gallery and Korean objects at the V&A Museum. Take the lead by your child and explore the old and new in Korean culture. Make traditional Korean flower patterns and move around to K-pop music. Explore scents, textures, and colours in this free play session as you find out more about Korean culture! Ages 0-3. www.vam.ac.uk/event Thu 7 - Thu 28 Sep - Bat Walks (SW13) WWT London Wetland Centre is one of the best places to watch bats in London as they have about seven species that hunt on site. Bat walks give you the chance not only to see these amazing flying mammals and their astonishing aerial acrobatics, but also learn more about them with a talk by a bat expert. Bat detectors help you to identify the species that are swooping around and to listen to them ‘chattering’ as they hunt for food. Booking Essential. www.wwt.org.uk/wetlandcentres/london Fri 8 Sep - Family Under 5’s Workshops: Open House Festival 2023 (NW1) Take part in the Open House Festival 2023 at the British Library. Play along and explore the amazing building and celebrate the people who work, study and create inside it. Sensory storytelling will explore different materials, perform with puppets, move and sing, and go on an architectural adventure. Then, it’s time to play with texture, colour, scale and design as you build together. Ages 0–5. www.bl.uk/events Sat 9 Sep - Big Sports (WD18) Get ready sports enthusiasts of Watford! The top of the town centre will transform into an exhilarating arena of sporting and fitness excitement, as the highly anticipated FREE ‘Big Sports’ 12 Families North West London
event returns to the town once again. Visitors will be able to enjoy a spectacular lineup of thrilling activities, meaning whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just looking to have some fun, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. 11am to 5pm. www.watfordevents.com/ bigsports
Heritage Open Days
Sat 9 Sep – Croxfest (WD3) Croxfest is a yearly music festival in Croxley Green held on The Green. It is free for all to attend – enjoy a varied line-up of acts in a familyfriendly atmosphere. 12 noon-8pm on The Green. www.croxfest.co.uk Sat 9 Sep - 2023 Pinner Rotary Village Show (HA5) The annual community event in Pinner Memorial Park from 11.30am-5pm. There will be live entertainment, children’s rides and activities, stalls selling everything from plants to pots of jam, charity and local organisations promoting their activities and of course a food court and bar to keep you going. www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs Sat 9 Sep & Sat 14 Oct - SENsory Sailors (SE10) Families with children with special educational needs and disabilities (under 13 years) are invited to a monthly session at the National Maritime Museum. Explore the collection, enjoy the opportunity to be creative together as a family, and meet other local families. www.rmg.co.uk Sat 9 – Sun 10 Sep – DogFest (SG1) DogFest is the ultimate dog’s day out at Knebworth House; you can try your hand (or paw) at a variety of have-a-go activities, enter the Fun Dog Show for the chance to win Best in Show or take part in the Big Dog Walk, a group dog walk around Knebworth Park. Whether you’re planning to take your new pup out to their first outing or bringing your whole family for a great day out, this could be the ultimate dog-friendly experience you have been looking for. www.dog-fest.co.uk Sun 10 Sep - Heritage Open Days Family Workshop: Quilled Windows (HA2) As part of Heritage Open Days, this year Headstone Manor Museum are celebrating the work of Alf Fisher, the last Chief Designer of the Stained Glass Studio at Whitefriars Glassworks, Wealdstone. Take inspiration from Alf Fisher and make your very own stained glass window design from quilling coloured paper in this hour long, craft fest. 11am, 12:30pm & 2pm. Ages 5+ and their grown-ups! www.headstonemanor.org
Sun 10 Sep - 40th Harefield Fun Run & Family Day! (UB9) This year sees 40 years of the Harefield Fun Run & Family Day which takes place at Harefield Hospital. Run, jog, or walk the stunning 4-mile course, or take on the short course, which is popular among our younger participants. Post-run, stay to celebrate 40 years of Fun Run with lots of exciting children’s entertainment and arts and crafts stalls. www.rbhcharity.org/fun-run Sun 10 Sep - Great Autumn Show (HA4) The Ruislip Central Horticultural Society is holding the Great Autumn Show from 1-4pm at the Great Barn on the Manor Farm site in Ruislip. There will be displays of Floral Art to home made produce through to Domestic Items, handicraft and photography. Home Made cakes will be served with Tea and Coffee as well as a Pimms Stall. www.ruisliphorticultural.org.uk Mon 11 Sep - Mon 1 Jan - Drawn to Water: Autumn (SW13) Breeze through busy London to an oasis of wildlife splendour and discover the magic of the wetlands this autumn with Quentin Blake’s illustrations as your guide at the WWT London Wetland Centre. Pick up one of the Drawn to Water illustrated trails and explore the seasonal natural highlights, from quiet spots with breathtaking views to close up wildlife encounters. www.wwt.org.uk/wetlandcentres/london Wed 13 – Sat 16 Sep - Open Air Cinema with The Luna Cinema (HP18) Welcome to a summer to remember at Waddesdon this September. As day turns to night, soak up the atmosphere, pop the bubbly and get ready for cinema under the stars. Doors open 6pm. Film starts 7.30pm. www.waddesdon.org.uk
Thu 14 Sep - Thu 12 Oct - Mini Museum (HA2) Join Bill the Duck in The Great Hall at Headstone Manor Museum for stories and adventures from their life in Harrow. From Harvest celebrations to Bill’s first train ride – children will discover a rich history that’s right on their doorstep. Suitable Under 5’s and their grown-ups! www.headstonemanor.org Sat 16 Sep - Cranford Park: Out of Time (UB10) Something’s gone wrong with the timeline! There’s history in all the wrong places and things are getting worse. This interactive walk at Compass Theatre challenges mind and body with puzzles, games, and mysteries to solve. Learn about the history of the park to help escape the maze. Advance booking required. www.hillingdontheatres.uk Sat 16 Sep - Abbots Autumn Fest 2023 (WD5) A community fun filled day. Many attractions and games, live music and a licensed bar. From 11am to 4pm at School Mead, Abbots Langley. www.abbotsautumnfest.uk Sat 16 Sep - LGBTQ+ Family Network (SE10) The National Maritime Museum hosts a space for LGBTQ+ families to meet and get creative bi-monthly. Pop in with your family and join in with artist-led activities inspired by Greenwich, the maritime world and LGBTQ+ histories. 10am-12pm. www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/ national-maritime-museum Sat 16 Sep - Open House Festival (EC2R) Explore the Bank of England Museum for a rare weekend opening in collaboration with the Open House Festival. Join for drop-in talks and marvel at the building built by John Soane and Herbert Baker. Take part in colouring activities inspired by the Bank’s architectural features. www.bankofengland.co.uk/ museum Familiesonline.co.uk