15 Things to Do in London With Kids in August

You’ll find endless summer fun with your kids in London’s August heat. Cool off at Granary Square’s 1,000-jet splash fountains or wade in Hyde Park’s Diana Memorial Fountain. Let them zip-line at Gloucester Gate Playground’s 50-meter course, then catch free outdoor cinema screenings at iconic locations like King’s Cross and Leicester Square. Don’t miss interactive shows like Spot’s Birthday Party, sensory experiences at Tate Britain’s Soft Studio, or treasure-hunting exhibitions at Museum of London Docklands for complete family adventures.

Cool Off at Granary Square Splash Fountains

When London’s summer heat becomes overwhelming, Granary Square’s spectacular splash fountains offer the perfect escape for families with young children. Located at 11 Stable Street in King’s Cross, this interactive water playground features over 1,000 individually controlled jets that create choreographed dancing patterns throughout the day.

The fountains start mellow in the morning and become more boisterous as temperatures rise, with multicolor lights illuminating the jets after dark.

You’ll find this free attraction ideal for children up to age 10, who love running through the random squirt patterns. It’s just a 5-7 minute walk from King’s Cross station toward the canal. The square combines historic barge canal elements with modern design, creating a unique backdrop for family fun.

Nearby amenities include KERB street food market, Dishoom restaurant, and public toilets at Coal Drops Yard.

The fountains operate daily from 8am until nightfall.

Explore the Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park

After splashing through fountains, you’ll find a more contemplative water experience at the Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park’s southwest corner. This unique circular memorial features 545 pieces of Cornish granite where water flows in two directions, creating cascading, swirling, and bubbling effects that symbolize Diana’s life journey.

Your kids can wade through ankle-deep water or sit along the smooth granite edges during August’s 10am-8pm opening hours. The wheelchair-accessible paths make it easy for families to reach, and three bridges let you cross into the fountain’s heart. The water comes from London’s water table, adding to the memorial’s connection with the city itself.

Plan for a 10-15 minute visit where children can cool off while you enjoy peaceful reflection. Remember that dogs aren’t allowed, and nearby facilities include cafes with toilets for convenience.

Enjoy Free Play at Gloucester Gate Playground

Head northeast from Hyde Park to Regent’s Park, where Gloucester Gate Playground offers one of London’s most impressive free play experiences for children of all ages and abilities.

This completely transformed playground features natural materials like wood, rope, and bark throughout its themed zones named after Old English woodland words.

You’ll find a thrilling 50-metre zip wire, wheelchair-accessible equipment including a roundabout and wide slide, plus sandpit and water play areas.

The playground’s zoned design places gentler equipment in the center with more challenging features like wobbly bridges and monkey bridges toward the edges.

Open until 7:30pm in August with free admission, it’s conveniently located near Gloucester Gate with picnic tables and a café just 50 meters away on Broadwalk. The site incorporates remnants of St Katherines Lodge, a 19th-century hospital that once stood here before being demolished after World War II bomb damage.

Experience London Zoo’s Zoo Crew Adventures

What could be more exciting than stepping into the boots of a real zookeeper for a day? London Zoo’s Zoo Crew Adventures lets your kids roleplay essential zoo jobs through hands-on challenges. They’ll don costumes and tackle the zookeeper challenge, scooping animal poop against the clock while playing eye-spy with live animals.

At the feeding station, they’ll prepare nutritious meals for 8,000 animals, discovering the massive daily feeding requirements. The science station equips them with lab coats and clipboards to identify species from clues, while Thames conservation activities reveal river habitats through field work.

Running daily from July 23 to September 1, this free event’s included with zoo entry and features accessibility support with enhanced dates throughout August. Kids who complete multiple challenges can graduate as official Zoo Crew members, earning a certificate and celebratory selfie to commemorate their achievement.

Discover Peter Pan Events at Hyde Park Learning Center

From the wild animals at London Zoo, you can explore enchanting fairy tale adventures at Hyde Park’s Learning Centre, where Peter Pan takes center stage during week three of their popular Discovery Days programme. Running August 6-22, 2025, these free drop-in sessions operate daily from 11am to 3pm at The Lookout Learning Centre.

You’ll discover interactive Peter Pan storytelling at 12noon, 1pm, and 2pm on August 22nd, alongside nature-inspired crafts, scavenger trails, and exploration activities. The fully enclosed site features convenient toilet facilities and sits adjacent to Hyde Park’s meadows and waterways, perfect for budding environmentalists.

No tickets are required for these family-friendly sessions. You can attend one day or participate throughout the entire three-week programme, which includes additional themes like Meadow Madness and Life Underground. While exploring Hyde Park, families can also enjoy free creative activities at nearby Kensington Gardens and The Regent’s Park on July 26th and August 14th as part of the Play in the Park programme.

Visit the Interactive Soft Studio at Tate Britain

While your children explore Peter Pan’s magical world, they’ll find another enchanting experience awaits at Tate Britain’s Interactive Soft Studio. This sensory wonderland, inspired by artist Dorothea Tanning, creates a soothing environment where kids can slide, move, and wrap themselves in soft, weighted sculptures.

The space features a dreamy soundscape that delights the senses while encouraging both rest and active play. The experience runs on scheduled dates throughout August, including July 26th, with sessions from 10:00-11:00 each day.

You’ll appreciate the studio’s accessibility features, including relaxed hours designed for neurodivergent children and families with sensory needs. Trained Tate staff provide support, communication cards, ear defenders, and access to quiet rooms.

Created by HoLD Art Collective and originally developed for Tate Modern, this interactive space perfectly complements Tate Britain’s family-friendly initiatives, offering tactile exploration that sparks creativity.

Build Adventures at Serpentine LEGO Play Pavilion

When your little architects need a creative outlet beyond traditional galleries, head to the Serpentine LEGO Play Pavilion in Kensington Gardens, where Sir Peter Cook’s striking orange dome transforms into a hands-on building paradise from June through August 2025.

Inside the theatrical space, you’ll find LEGO boards lining the walls, storage boxes filled with colorful bricks, and tall LEGO columns that inspire ambitious creations. Kids can build three-dimensional masterpieces while enjoying the yellow slide and movable furniture. A central pillar shaped like a robot sentinel watches over the creative chaos, adding an element of whimsy to the interactive environment.

The pavilion hosts free art, music, and sport workshops throughout August, though you’ll want to check the schedule since some late-July and early-August dates feature special events with modified hours.

Watch Winnie-the-Pooh at Opera Holland Park

You’ll watch Pooh’s honey quest unfold through Harold Fraser-Simson’s hummable melodies and gentle harmonies, performed by costumed singers with piano accompaniment. The intimate production emphasizes friendship and problem-solving while maintaining opera’s musical storytelling magic.

Tickets cost approximately £18 for adults and £10 for children over two, with under-twos free. The open-air venue provides allocated seating under a protective canopy, making this Waterperry Opera Festival production an accessible, budget-friendly cultural adventure. The performance runs for approximately 30 minutes without an interval, making it perfectly suited for younger attention spans.

Dig Into Archaeology at Museum of London Docklands

Over 350 mudlarked treasures await discovery at the Museum of London Docklands, where the UK’s first major exhibition dedicated to Thames foreshore finds reveals 9,000 years of London’s hidden history.

You’ll explore Bronze Age swords, Roman jewelry, and Tudor accessories alongside your children in an interactive journey through time. The recreated foreshore organizes artifacts by fascinating themes including romance, food, and crime, making history tangible for young minds.

Your kids will marvel at the largest Thames amphora fragment and a Viking axe-head while learning how mudlarks—historically London’s poorest residents—scavenged the riverbed for survival. The Thames’ tidal cycle dramatically exposes the riverbed twice daily, dropping water levels by up to 7 meters and creating perfect conditions for modern treasure hunters to continue this ancient practice.

With children under 12 entering free and mudlarks present on Tuesdays and Sundays until December 21st, this archaeological adventure runs until March 1st, 2026.

Play Free Minigolf at Canary Wharf Montgomery Square

While most London attractions charge premium prices, your family can enjoy a completely free 9-hole minigolf course in Montgomery Square, Canary Wharf.

Renowned artist duo Craig & Karl have transformed classic mini-golf into a series of vibrant sculptural artworks. Each hole features bold geometric shapes and vivid colours that’ll captivate kids while providing engaging gameplay for all abilities.

The course operates 12pm–6pm daily during summer months, with putters and balls provided by on-site stewards. You’ll find it’s perfectly positioned for families – the car-free square offers safe surfaces suitable for buggies, while Canary Wharf’s excellent transport links make access easy. The minigolf is part of Canary Wharf’s commitment to providing activities that cater to all ages and abilities.

Between rounds, you can explore nearby free ping pong tables or take advantage of the estate’s toilets and baby-changing facilities.

Meet Mechanical Animals at Robot Zoo

From free outdoor fun, step into an extraordinary indoor adventure where eight massive animatronic creatures reveal the fascinating engineering behind nature’s most impressive abilities. At Horniman Museum’s Robot Zoo, you’ll encounter a color-changing chameleon, an 18-foot giant squid demonstrating jet propulsion, and a house fly with a 10-foot wingspan showing how it walks on ceilings.

Your kids can race jet-propelled squids, play chameleon tongue-gun games, and explore cutaway robot interiors packed with recognizable gadgets. The 5,000-square-foot exhibition compares animal anatomy to machine parts like shock absorbers and pumps through hands-on activities. The robots are larger-than-life and include a towering 9-foot-tall giraffe head and neck alongside other supersized mechanical creatures.

Book tickets in advance for this popular attraction near Forest Hill station, running through November 2nd.

Splash Around at Bishop’s Park Splash Pad

When summer heat becomes unbearable, Bishop’s Park Splash Pad offers the perfect cooling solution for families seeking water fun without the crowds of London’s busier attractions. Located on Bishops Avenue in Hammersmith, this free interactive water feature operates daily from 10am to 6pm throughout the 2025 season starting May 23rd.

You’ll find the splash pad centrally positioned between an ornamental lake and skate bowl, making it easy to combine water play with other park activities. Your preschoolers and young kids can safely enjoy the seasonal feature while you relax at nearby picnic tables. The park also features an urban beach unique among London’s parks, adding to the summer water play experience.

The park’s additional amenities include playgrounds, sports courts, and an on-site café. You can easily reach Bishop’s Park via Putney Bridge station, with wheelchair-accessible facilities and paid parking available for convenient family visits.

Attend Play in the Park at Kensington Gardens

Although summer holidays can leave parents searching for engaging outdoor activities, Play in the Park at Kensington Gardens delivers free, nature-inspired fun that’ll captivate your children while connecting them to London’s wildlife.

On July 26 and August 14, 2025, you’ll find nature scavenger hunts, meadow exploring, and mud kitchen sessions that encourage hands-on discovery.

Your kids can enjoy dress-up and role play inspired by park wildlife, plus create their own masks in workshops.

Located near the iconic Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, these sessions require no tickets for standard activities.

The programme’s already engaged over 2,000 visitors across Royal Parks this year, proving its appeal. These educational experiences are part of the parks’ broader commitment to outdoor education, having welcomed over 9,000 pupils to programs across London’s central parks.

You’ll discover activities co-created with community groups, ensuring authentic experiences that truly resonate with families seeking meaningful outdoor adventures.

Celebrate at Spot’s Birthday Party

Fifty minutes of pure joy awaits your little ones at Spot’s Birthday Party, an interactive stage show that brings Eric Hill’s beloved puppy to life through songs, dancing, and party games. This brand-new adaptation features Spot alongside Steve the monkey, Tom the Crocodile, and Helen the Hippo, creating an engaging experience for ages 2+ with integrated Makaton for accessibility. Children can move freely during the performance, with no expectation to remain seated for the full 50 minutes.

You’ll find multiple August performances across London. Stanley Arts offers shows on August 19th from 2:00-3:00 pm for £10-£12. Rose Theatre Kingston runs performances August 22-25 at 10:30 am and 1:00-2:00 pm, including a relaxed performance on August 23rd. The Radlett Centre hosts shows August 5-6 for £16.50.

Each venue provides party hats and encourages family participation in this delightful celebration.

Enjoy Summer Screens Outdoor Cinema

While London’s indoor attractions offer endless entertainment, nothing beats settling onto the grass with your family as the sun sets and a giant screen flickers to life in one of the city’s most iconic locations.

Summer Screens transforms spaces like Canary Wharf’s Canada Square Park, Leicester Square, and King’s Cross into magical outdoor cinemas throughout August.

You’ll find family favorites like Toy Story, Mamma Mia, and Barbie alongside live Wimbledon coverage.

These free, drop-in events require no booking—just arrive early to snag deckchairs at popular screenings.

Pack blankets and picnics for the grass seating, though street food stalls offer convenient alternatives. The South Bank also hosts Summer by the River screenings with family-friendly films like The Lion King and Paddington in Peru between London and Tower Bridges.

King’s Cross runs screenings from 12pm to 7:30pm, perfect for younger children, while Canary Wharf and Leicester Square continue through late August.

The Sum Up

You’ve got endless opportunities to create magical summer memories with your kids in London this August. Don’t let the unpredictable weather stop you—pack sunscreen for sunny days and rain jackets just in case. Book popular attractions like London Zoo early since August’s peak season. Mix free activities like playground visits with special events to keep your budget balanced. Your children will remember these adventures long after you’ve returned home, making every moment worthwhile.